

If you’re a surgeon / violinist, you obviously cannot pursue both slashes at the same time (at least not if you want to have any success at either!) But if you’re an event coordinator / editor, the distinction between might be less obvious. The best solutions can be the simplest: earplugs, headphones, and, if possible, choosing a quieter place to work. Is your office filled with the sounds of colleagues talking on the phone, other people’s music, or buses and honking outside? Even low-level noise has a subtle but insidious effect on our health and well-being. Be conscious of stressors in your environment The days when I’ve skipped the newspaper, workout and breakfast to immediately sit down in front of my computer, a few hours later I realize that my neck is sore and I’ve been clicking around on the computer without getting much done. In the days when I’ve followed at least part of this ritual, I’ve been able to balance my slashes.

My day-righting ritual has consisted of coffee and newspaper reading with my partner, followed by a quick gym workout, a hearty home-cooked breakfast, and then going into the office to start the workday. Give these slasher self-defense techniques a try:įerrazzi goes on to suggest exercise, journaling, meditation and breathing as day-righting options. It means building and maintaining a strong core, to give you the agility and flexibility to rise to the slasher challenge. But here, self-defense doesn’t mean preparing for physical attacks. To successfully sustain a slasher lifestyle, you must take self-defense seriously, just like a martial arts pro. The word “ninja” gets used a lot in discussions about working independently – and it makes complete sense. And the slashes that let you use your diverse skills and interests can become slashes that slice into your sanity, stability and mental health.

When you work with people who have committed a larger part of their own “pie” to a certain task, sometimes they demand more than you have to give. As a guest lecturer / researcher / translator / web designer / writer, I love playing many roles and connecting with people from many industries and countries.īut it can also be stressful. The lifestyle of a slasher – a term popularized by Marci Alboher in her book One Person/Multiple Careers – can be invigorating.
