Work-Life Balance: Productivity and Wellbeing

In last week's episode of the Inside Entertainment Industry Careers podcast, I had a lovely chat with costume designer and maker Sarah Juliet Dearing.

We covered a range of topics, including the value of work experience, starting your own creative business, and how staying open to unforeseen career opportunities, also known as serendipity, can lead to unforeseen opportunities that can improve your life and career. 

Life Experience

I like to ask all my guests a question that asks them to share a piece of wisdom they've learned so far on their life journey; Sarah brought up the importance of work/life balance.

"I unluckily lost most of my parents quite young. And whenever you go through something big in your life, you take a step back and look at what you spend your time doing. And I feel really lucky that I spend my time doing something that I love. I absolutely love this career, and I put my whole life into it. But when someone gets very ill, or something like that happens, they take over, and you realise that your life is an awful lot more than your career. And trying to bring that wisdom into the way that you work every day, in an intentional way, is really positive. 

I'm lucky enough to have worked with so many different amazing people and have so many colleagues and lots of friends that I do feel like I have achieved a work-life balance in terms of quality but certainly not in terms of time. I spent an awful lot of time working. And I think, in some ways, that is a necessary part of the job, and in some ways, it's a nice part of the job. It's nice to be obsessed with it, but I think you always have in your mind, am I doing this extra hour because I really have to, or because I really want to, or am I doing it because it's the culture of the industry? And I feel that I ought to, but my heart needs to be somewhere else. I think that's probably a slightly cheesy way of expressing that work-life balance is really important."

It's difficult, isn't it? As creative people, our work is our passion and an expression of our self-actualisation and personal growth, perfectly encapsulated by Mark Twain's quote, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." 

I've worked in the creative industries since I was 14 years old, and I also consider myself to be extremely lucky to be able to work in both my passions: careers and the creative industries. But at the same time, I'm aware there needs to be a balance in life for my other loves, such as friends and family. It's that quality downtime and stepping away from work that is essential for boosting energy levels, unlocking creativity, and improving our overall health and mental well-being.

Productivity and Wellbeing Tips

So, let's look at some ways to find a balance between work and life and some productivity hacks to help us get the most out of our working day. 

• Learning to say no: It's important to set boundaries for ourselves, remembering only to take on what we can handle and permit ourselves to take time out of our busy schedules. Learning to say 'no' is essential for our mental health and wellbeing. It can be challenging to turn others away, especially if you're a people pleaser and put others' wellbeing before your own. But remember that you deserve your time out, too, and can still be kind while saying no; saying no to opportunities that don't align with your personal or career goals is okay.
• Replace busy with focused: In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become overwhelmed by a seemingly endless to-do list, but not all tasks are created equal. Being distracted by social media and non-essential meetings while neglecting truly important matters can leave us feeling busy but unfulfilled. It's crucial to prioritise them based on their level of importance rather than just their urgency. By doing so, we can concentrate on more significant tasks and get the most out of our time.
• Make a Weekly To-Do List: Take it a step further by making a to-do list for the week and split it into three or four categories that resonate for you, such as work, hobbies, parenting and relationships. Then, prioritise your tasks to focus on the most critical ones. When you have a clear plan, time will no longer slip away, and you'll feel more motivated. Planning ahead gives us control of our lives and helps to prevent a feeling of overwhelm. Learn what works best and adapt each week to help you find the perfect balance.

I love this quote from John Wooden, "Acquire peace of mind by making an effort to become the best of which you are capable." Creating a balance allows for a clearer sense of self.

Guest Contributor

This week's guest contributor is Jenny Fox , a graphic designer at Studio Bifrost with over 20 years of experience in the industry. All Studio Bifrost designs are created with a solid understanding of what makes their clients tick.

1. As a professional woman and business owner, what advice do you have for others considering starting a creative business?

Set clear boundaries on what you will and won’t do in business – what hours you will work, what types of work you will take on and what types of people you want to work with. You may need to shift or break those boundaries in certain, unusual situations – when will those be? When would you not be willing to break a boundary? It’s really easy to take on too much work and people-please because we don’t know what the workload will be like in future. Yes, we should “make hay while the sun shines”, but we also need to make sure we don’t overcommit and burn ourselves out. To be successful, it’s important to ensure you’re keeping your creative well topped up with time away from work. I’d also advise marketing on a constant basis, even when you’re busy. Marketing can take a good few months to yield results, so don’t wait until you’re really quiet before you start, or you may find your workload varies wildly.

2. What do you love about your job?

I love being able to get paid for creating something from nothing! I grew up witnessing my parents hating their jobs, so I’ve been determined to find a career path I genuinely enjoy. Sure, there are less glamorous days, but I genuinely believe in the power of branding and love supporting my clients’ businesses with my creations. I get a buzz from clients feeling more confident about landing sales with the professional image I can help them create, and I love seeing them become more successful, knowing that their branding is one of the contributors. I love getting positive feedback—who doesn’t?!

3. How do you maintain your daily motivation, and creativity, what tips can you share?

Following on from my point about boundaries, I maintain clear and strong boundaries around work hours so I can not only ensure plenty of quality time with my boys and partner but also carve out time for self-care. For me, a lot of managing motivation and creativity is about managing my ADHD, which was only diagnosed last year. I know that I can get carried away with client work (because that’s where the dopamine is), but I procrastinate tasks I find boring, like business admin. I am supported by my amazing OBM, Kayleigh, and team, who keep me motivated and support me with those tasks, as well as planning and scheduling.

Outside of work, I regularly exercise in the form of yoga and weights, aim to eat more protein and less sugar, take supplements, avoid caffeine after noon, avoid screen usage after 9 p.m., write in a gratitude journal, and do daily breathwork or meditation practices. The aim of all of these is to help maintain even energy levels, promote good sleep, and regulate emotions.

As someone with ADHD, I thrive on novelty, so I allow time for fun activities, whether it’s building Lego, playing Mario Kart, playing football with my kids, or going to gigs or art galleries with my partner. If I’m happy, rested, well, and have variety in my life, I’m in the best shape possible to create incisive work for my clients.

4. Any advice for our readers about personal branding?

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. It’s all very well pretending to be someone you’re not, but sooner or later, the mask will slip, and that will break your clients’ trust. Perhaps I’m just another middle-aged woman who has got to that point in her life where she’s not going to apologise for being who she is anymore, but I do have the approach that if people want to work with me, I’d rather they wanted to work with who I really am, not who they want me to be or who I think I should be. If they don’t like me, they’re not the right people for me, and that’s OK!

5. What is the most challenging aspect of working as a creative person, and how do you handle this challenge?

The self-promotion and the sales processes. It can be an emotional rollercoaster! Shouting about how good my business is can feel icky – even saying that feels like I’m boasting! It’s so easy to get really excited about a prospect but feel a harsh bump if the project doesn’t come through, even if the decision has nothing to do with what my business offers or pricing. Kayleigh and the team are great at helping me maintain perspective. My daily gratitude practice helps, too. In addition, I have a “Yes I can wall” inspired by the queen of sales, Charlie Day. I add a post-it note with any win I have in my business, whether it’s an opportunity, a sale, PR coverage or positive feedback.

6. Can you share a piece of wisdom you've received that's been helpful in your career?

“You’re basically unemployable now”. When I started attending networking events soon after I set up my business, I met a gentleman who said that and went on to explain that when you get settled into being a business owner, you won’t want to go back to employment because you’re used to making all the decisions. He’s not wrong! People can and do switch between employment and self-employment, but after 11 years, I really do not want to work for anyone else. This helps motivate me to make my business work and reminds me that I can and am doing it!

7. What advice would you give to yourself right now?

Keep celebrating those wins. The design industry is having a tough time at the moment, but from previous experience, things will change and get easier, so we just have to keep going.

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