Work/life balance...it's something that psychologists talk about a lot, and you see it in the news every once in a while, but how many people actually think about it? I know I didn't, and have never had to, really, before I got promoted in March. I've always had a job, up to that point, where the tasks of the job were clear cut and, at the end of the work day, when I was done and clocked out, I was no longer responsible for work. For better and for worse, that is no longer the case - my job is one where the responsibilities are very flexible, and the salary makes sure that I'm not bound to specific work hours.

However, in my excitement over my new job (and often also as a result of my "venting" video game play when it stresses me out), I've come to find that I'm truly neglecting my home life. I have a new roommate who I absolutely adore who's a really great friend to me, and I've barely spent time with him since he arrived. My mate...my beloved Matt...I barely see him but on weekends, and even then between him and I it's a miracle if we get a couple hours alone together. And my friends...the people I care about most...have barely gotten to see me at all or talk to me since March. And it's my inability to balance that is solely responsible for that.

I'm not good at this. I've never had a salaried, management position before. I'm so anxious to do well and to impress the people who put me in this position, to prove worthy of the pay that I receive (which isn't small), that I've forgotten that I'm still allowed to have a life. What's worse is that the stress of my job has put me in a circle where, whenever I'm not working, I'm playing video games to vent off my frustrations or anxieties from work, rather than focusing on the people who can really make it better.

So to everyone who I've neglected since I got promoted in March...I owe you a huge, huge apology. Matt, you are at the top of that list. I know you're not happy with me. I know that I've failed in this relationship, keeping it strong since then, and there is no excuse for it. So to any who've felt slighted by my "lack of interest" over the last few months, please know...it isn't a lack of interest that's the problem. It's a lack of knowledge on how to properly balance my time and to properly deal with the anxiety of my job.

I want to be better at this. I long for that more than anything. I just really don't know how to be. Anyone who's had a work life like mine before who can provide some guidance, other than simply "do it right," I'd really appreciate your feedback right now. I'm struggling, and I feel like I'm drowning, and I'm going to lose the people who mean the most to me if I don't figure out something soon.