Being a father of 2 and having a day job, building a side hustle is definitely not easy. Since I started building side online businesses in 2016, I realised it is still possible without suffering a burnout. Here are some ways you can find the energy to have a side hustle plus a day job
- Waking up Early or Sleeping Late
- Have a Short Lunch Break
- Exercise frequently
- Eat healthily
- Meditate and Yoga
- Set Boundaries
- Cut down on entertainment
Before we elaborate further in the above ways, let’s understand briefly what is a side hustle.
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What Is Considered A Side Hustle
Any form of activity or income generated apart from your day job is considered a side hustle. It sounds similar to having a 2nd day job but there is some difference to that. You are still working for others by having a 2nd day job while a side hustle has an entrepreneur element in it.
It can be a business idea, side interest or freelancing that may generate income for you in the future given enough time and effort nurturing it. It also gives you a taste of running your own business while still having a day job to pay your bills which is less risky than going full time straight away
The internet has given ordinary people to run a side business for extra income to supplement a day job income, financial independence or reduces the risk of having just one source of income
How Do You Find Time For A Side Hustle
I feel that everyone can afford to find time for a side hustle. A better question would be to understand why you will want to start a side hustle. For example, I realised the need for a side hustle, when I was unexpectedly fired from my sales job before a festive holiday and with my 1st child due in a few months.
I swear to myself that I would never want to put my family future in other people’s hand and have a choice to control my destiny or choose what projects I want to do in my life instead of building other people’s dream.
Building a side hustle is tiring and can be unrewarding for a long while before it can exceed your day job income. If you are leading a comfortable life and in a comfort zone, it may be tough to maintain the same commitment or drive after a few months.
Read further to look at some ways to squeeze out precious energy for your side hustle
Waking up Early Or Sleeping Late
Determine which part of the day is most productive and allow you to churn out more work without any unwanted disturbances. For example, if you feel energised and refreshed in the morning, consider waking up 2 -3 hours earlier than usual to work on your side hustle. In this way, you get more things done and still able to spend time with your family during the day.
Have A Short Lunch Break
Most day job should have around 1 hour break. Instead of spending time gossiping or chit chat with fellow colleagues, might as well use the spare time to build your side business.
Exercise frequently
Working in a day job and also building a side hustle is taxing on your body mentally and physically. It is good to maintain a regular exercise routine like 30 minutes a day.
New research suggests regular exercise can increase energy levels even among people suffering from chronic medical conditions associated with fatigue, like cancer and heart disease.
A walk is even more effective than taking a nap to boost your energy levels.
Eat healthily
I believe you have heard before that it is possible to live over 100 years old with a healthy diet. Together with exercising, a balanced diet to boost energy levels includes a variety of unrefined carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with an emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils.[Source]
You may also like to consider eating small frequent meals to provide your brain with a steady supply of nutrients and reduce fatigue levels. Avoid crash diets as poor nutrition and inadequate calorie intake can cause fatigue.
Meditation and Yoga
According to a new study from the University of Waterloo, having brief sessions of Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation can actually improve your brain function and energy levels significantly.
“Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation both focus the brain’s conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing and posing, and also reduce processing of nonessential information,” said Peter Hall, associate professor in the School of Public Health & Health Systems.
Set Boundaries
This is very important especially if you have a day job and side hustle. You have to know that you only have a limited amount of energy to burn on a daily basis. Learning how to say no and setting priorities to ensure that your day job does not eat into your personal time that allows you to have energy left to build your side hustle.
Of course, although it is tempting, do not work on your side hustle while you are paid to do a 9- 6 job. That will be unethical. I personally felt you should also avoid sharing the excitement of your side hustles to your direct superior or colleagues in the company.
Even though you are doing your job, it may prevent unnecessary misunderstanding that you are using office hours to build your own side hustle.
Cut Down On Entertainment
Whether is it binge-watching Netflix drama series or having regular drinking sessions with your BFFs, you do have to sacrifice and cut down on these activities to grow your side hustles. It may sound harsh but this is a part of delayed gratification that will allow you to enjoy the fruits of your labour a few years down the road.
Are Side Hustles Worth It
I have been doing sides hustles since the year 2016. The side income generated allows me to have excess savings to build up my emergency fund, an investment portfolio and also passive income that will act as a buffer if i ever lose my day job.
I also gain a lot of exposure on how to run a business, hiring and training employees and also other skills along the way. This is something I will never get to do from my day job. If you treasure financial independence and freedom, side hustles are definitely one avenue you should look into.