It seems like these days everyone has a side hustle. And most of the time, the term “side hustle” doesn’t even do the hustle justice. If you have a side gig, you likely can attest that it takes up just as much time (and maybe even more) than your 9-to-5!

You obviously know that I have a side hustle – this blog – plus I run my Contracts for Creatives business too! All on top of having a traditional 9-to-5 corporate job. There are so many different ways to hustle on the side whether that be shooting weddings on weekends, running social media for a small brand, designing websites for small businesses, or being a consultant for a brand like Cabi or Stella & Dot, just to name a few.

The biggest challenge for me and for most of my friends that have side hustles is finding the time to dedicate to the hustle outside of having a traditional 9-to-5 job. Today I’m sharing three tips on how I’ve managed to balance my side hustle(s) with my desk job!

3 Tips on How to Balance Your Side Hustle

Master Time Management //

A few weeks ago, I shared a look into my everyday schedule. I’ve always been pretty good about time management, but having to juggle so many tasks with running two businesses on the side has really made me step up my game on how I manage my days.

For me, list making is key to time management. When I know what’s in front of me for the day, I have a better idea of the time I’ll need to allocate to each task. I try to take advantage of every moment that I’m not sitting at my desk at my 9-to-5. Does that mean getting less sleep during the week? Yes. Does that mean prioritizing to-dos over happy hours? Yes.

If you have a hard time finding time to dedicate to your hustle, first, decide if it’s really something you want to be putting all of this energy towards! If you’re not willing to make a few sacrifices here and there to pursue your hustle, then the extra work might not be worth the stress. The whole point of the hustle is to be doing something you really love outside of your 9-to-5, right? Second, check out this post and learn to say “no” more often to things that don’t add value to your hustle and/or your life in general. Cutting out unnecessary, low-value tasks and commitments can free up so much time that you can then devote to your side gig!

Take Advantage of the Weekends //

Boy have my weekends changed over the past few years! While I still like to make time to relax and hang out with friends over the weekend, nothing gets me more jazzed than having huge blocks of time over the weekend to work on my side hustles. You literally have two entire days each week that you can (mostly) devote to whatever you’re trying to make happen! When you have a little business on the side, along with a 9-5 job, it can be a lot to handle. You’ll find that you can easily burnout and have no motivation. You deserve to take breaks and even take shortcuts. Finding ways to manage parts of your business will make everything so much easier to handle. From using a sample invoice template, to planning projects and content ahead of time can make such a difference. But make sure you have the balance of work and time for self care.

I like to knock out a few of my to-dos Saturday morning so even if I get sidetracked in the afternoon or need to squeeze in a photoshoot or two, I’ve already checked off a few things from my list. My ideal Saturday includes working until 5ish and then taking a break for the evening – a cocktail and dinner with friends is always ideal!

Sundays are perfect work days! And I mean “work days” in a good way! What’s the saying, A Sunday well spent brings a week of content? So. True. Tackling lots of to-dos on Sunday sets you up for a less stressful week. For me, that means finishing up any contracts that I have due for clients that upcoming week and drafting blog posts for the week (ideally Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday’s post).

Make Time for Self Care //

It’s REALLY easy to get so caught up in taking advantage of every second outside of your 9-to-5 and dedicating it to your side hustle. Believe me, I know! I definitely got caught in that trap around the holidays last year (without really even realizing it). I threw working out to the side, was getting less than six hours of sleep a night, and was just generally burning myself out.

After taking a full week off between Christmas and New Years, I was able to reset. I’ve been back in a great workout routine, I’ve been super cognizant of taking care of my skin lately, and I’ve done a few health challenges so far this year (dry January, half-marathon, and I’m currently in a no meat phase).

Self care is SO incredibly important. If you’re not taking care of yourself, how are you supposed to take care of everything else?! I really try to get at least six hours of sleep each night during the week and at least eight full hours on the weekends. I treat myself to face masks at least twice a week, and I allow myself to completely unplug from my phone and computer post-five-o’clock on Fridays.

Do you have a side hustle?! How do you balance it with your 9-to-5? I’d love the hear from you in the comments!

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