Pustay Beaven: Finding balance one book at a time

Books are my safe place, always have been. Open a book and I close the door on all of the pressures and stressors of the world.

Reading gives me the chance to simply be. In those moments between book pages, I don't have responsibilities. I'm not a mom, a managing editor or a likely voter concerned with the state of my city, the country or the world.

I'm just me.

And the more books I read, the more balanced I feel. In fact, my Goodreads tracker is a fairly solid barometer of how well I'm balancing work and personal. The more books read, the more balanced I am.

Until recently, my life was spinning wildly off-kilter. I was overwhelmed, over-worked and over-tired. And my TBR (to-be read) pile was getting taller.

I needed to stop. Breathe … and open another book.

This year has been a journey of sorts. An opportunity to find a better balance of who I am personally and professionally. A time to renew my passion for reading and rediscover who I am by consciously making time for the people and moments that matter most.

And it all started with a challenge.

Someone close to me challenged me to define who I am, not by what I do professionally—he knew I was proud of the work I do as an industry journalist. He wanted me to tell him who I am as a person.

For me, that wasn't easy, at least at first. I had been so invested in my career that I couldn't separate the two—me and my job.

It was both. Always both.

I was working constantly. And while that meant I was doing well professionally, it also meant losing time with the people who matter most, especially my son. It meant less time for taking care of me.

It was obvious that I needed to take a step back and figure some things out.

So, I've started with my weekends.

At the end of every week, I turn off my computer and don't turn it on again until Monday morning. More than that, I'm getting better at setting a hard stop time on weekdays so I'm not working late into the night or early morning.

As a result, I'm learning to relax again. To sleep in, step out for coffee and serve up pancake brunches with my kiddo. I'm making time for everyday adventures, enjoying the sunshine, making Target runs and—of course—working on that TBR pile.

What I have learned is that a more balanced me requires intentionality. It requires a willingness to slow down and take care of myself first.

And that, in the end, isn't selfish. It's necessary.

Pustay Beaven is managing editor of Rubber News. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email [email protected].