Work Life Balance | Sian McPherson
Sian McPherson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Estliving Magazine
Q. What does a regular day look like for you?
In an ideal world it would begin with me waking up and doing 20 minutes of meditation. In reality my day starts at 5.30am with any one of my three teenage sons standing at our bedroom door pleading for us not to be late in taking them to training. If I win the game of paper rocks scissors with my husband on who does not have to drive them I will hop straight onto Instagram and post to our Est Living and Est Essentials Instagram account – all the while promising to myself I will not get distracted by the feed of images I have not seen for the past 12 hours.Social media just it sucks up so much time if you let it.
I am usually at the desk at 8am and start plowing through emails – marking those I need to come back to and happily deleting any of those that do not address me by name. I try to set time each week after I have sorted through the admin issues for writing, whether this be at night or during the day. If I have things hanging over my head I find it very hard to concentrate and struggle with creativity. I work until 5pm, which is when the boys need to be picked up from school. We have dinner around 7.30 pm and my husband and I will do another hour or so before we head to bed to watch an episode of something we are following on Netflix (currently it is The Outlander). I could not tell you the last time I watched the news or even free to air TV for that matter.
Q. Do you feel as though you have enough ‘time to live’ in your week for things that you like doing?
No not at all. I have even forgot what it is that I do like to do – other than read a book or watch a movie. And there is definitely no time for either of those during the week! I do love cooking when I have the time but mid week it’s the chore that I despise most of all.
Q. How do you manage work/life?
I am not really managing it – I am just doing it. We do have a bit of a routine going on but it’s a routine I would like to change, as there definitely needs to be more time in our week that is spent ‘off the tools’. Finding a better work/life balance for us is a continual work in progress.
Q. What are three things you can’t live without?
My family and friends first and foremost as I would be a complete basket case without them. Then my iPhone and Macbook.
Q. Do you have any ‘guilty pleasures’ in regards to your time?
Yes – watching the Real House Wives of NYC. It’s embarrassing but I love the mindlessness of it – and the NYC backdrop of course. I don’t watch it every week but I save it for those weeks for when I really just need to switch my mind off from my day to day. I have to say that the women on these shows fascinate me as I just can’t imagine ever wanting to expose my life to the world like they do. It is just so intriguing to me.
Q. Do you have any outside help?
No. But I really wish I did. The boys are all really good when it comes to folding the washing and unpacking the dishwasher etc. I would mostly just like someone to come and clean the bathrooms every week – and wipe down cupboards and kitchen drawers, as teenage boys seem to leave marks on everything
Q. How has having them changed your lifestyle for the better?
I can only imagine how much tension it would release from my shoulders to have someone come in and cook dinner each day and clean the house twice a week.
Q. What next big exciting event is on your ‘list’?
The launch of the new Est Design Directory filled with products, resources and information for anyone looking to furnish or design their home is really exciting. We are looking to launch it alongside the September issue of EstMagazine in a few weeks and I am really excited as I have wanted to create this design resource for consumers for years.