Work or Life

Today was the first time I worked overtime at my new company—until almost 7 PM! Normally, my hours are 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and I’m out the door right on time. But today was different because I had to wrap up some things for tomorrow morning, so I had to hustle a bit.

Speaking of overtime culture in Singapore, I feel like it’s not too intense in my company. But I’ve heard stories from friends who’ve experienced it a lot. Take my landlord’s daughter, for example—she usually gets home after 7:30 PM, and even then, she’s still working until midnight! Honestly, I don’t know how she does it.

I have my own rules when it comes to work-life balance: no Microsoft Teams or Outlook on my phone! Sure, some people like to check emails or messages at home, but I’m like, Why? I’m already home! Work stays at work, thank you very much.

I mean, think about it—I already give 9 hours to work every day. Then subtract another 8 hours for sleep, and that leaves me with just 7 hours for me-time. That’s not even balanced! So yeah, my phone is strictly a no-work zone. But let’s be real—sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid people finding you, especially with WhatsApp. That’s why I have two numbers: one for me and one for work. For the work one, I use WhatsApp Business, and guess what? I’ve muted all the work-related groups on it.

It’s my little way of saying, “Sure, you can reach me... but I’m not promising I’ll notice right away!” Balance is key, and boundaries are golden!

By the way, I went back to the doctor for a follow-up today, and she said my recovery is looking good—no blisters, especially after 24 hours since the burn. Now I just need to apply the cream she gave me twice a day until it’s fully healed. Fingers crossed it won’t leave a scar on my arm…

Same birdie, same...