Work/Life Balance: Why I haven't blogged in a year

It's so great to be back! I can't believe that it's been a year since I've blogged here on the Patch. I'm sure most of you are new and not familiar with who I am, so I will give a short bio that will quickly explain my Internet absence. 

I live here in Gaithersburg and graduated from our local culinary school, L'Academie de Cuisine this past June. Since then, I completed my externship at Potomac's Founding Farmers, spent the summer in Lake Placid, New York, got married and am now back working with the Farmers Restaurant Group ("The Farm") on their new restaurant in Georgetown. 

Since I've been back, I've been working 60+ hours a week plus spending a good amount of time commuting down to the city. I jumped right back into the crazy kitchen lifestyle and am slowing learning how to adjust. I will admit that I am not perfect, I'm always tired and even though I love my job, I do get pretty stressed sometimes. I still strive to maintain a healthy work/life balance. This industry can almost be as challenging as working in a hospital or other demanding profession and it takes patience, endurance and strength in order to keep that balance. Here are a few things that I try to keep in mind in order to maintain the balance:

Eating Right. I am extremely fortunate to work in a kitchen where I can grab any vegetable or fruit at any time and I have a healthy snack. Even if you work at a job that requires you to be on your feet for the day and not have any breaks, it's important to stay fueled all day long. I barely eat three meals a day anymore, but I am constantly snacking on apples, nuts, dates, salads, etc. It's pretty easy to slip and go for the french fries instead, but if you think about how you feel at the end of the day vs. your craving, I hope you'll choose the apple.

Communication. It's so important to speak up. I know sometimes when I get tired at work and am stressed I will just shrug it off and always say "I'm fine" when things are really bothering me. Talking about the issues and keeping a constant flow of communication in the work place will ease the stress and make it more bareable. The same goes for your life at home. I know it's tempting to go home, kick off your shoes, shower and hop into bed, but it's really important to communicate with those around you. Take five minutes to unload and break down the day and then, most importantly, talk about something OTHER than work!

Take Mini Breaks. It's nearly impossible for me to take breaks at work. I barely even know what time it is during the day. With that said though, I try to take the time for mini breaks that break up the day and keep things flowing. Sometimes it's as little as going to the back of the kitchen and touching my toes. It could be as simple as getting up to get a cup of coffee, wash your hands or take a walk around the office. It hurts a lot less when you are done if you take the time for these little breaks, I promise. 

Of course there are also obvious things that I try to do to keep everything grounded like getting enough sleep, working out, eating with my family, etc. Sometimes the obvious things aren't enough though. 

I hope that you will all welcome me back and I look forward to writing more here on Gaithersburg Patch.