Balancing work, life, and war in Ukraine

Somewhere along the way, we all lost the privilege to think about work-life balance.

Do you know that banal human struggle when you constantly try to strike a perfect balance between your work-life and your life-life?

Here — in Ukraine — we’re doing that, too.

In general, people wake up every weekday at 8 am, have a quick breakfast, leave their homes, go to a metro station, take a train to their work, stay there till 5 p.m., take a train back home, and try to strike that perfect work-life balance for the short rest of the day in whatever form it takes.

I’m different. I’m privileged. I can do the striking all-day

Yesterday, I lost a filling in my tooth and tomorrow I will have it checked at 4 p.m., which is the perfect time, really, since anytime is perfect when you can start or stop working at any time because you’re that flexible. Lately, my boyfriend and I got into a new habit: whenever we feel bored, we take two badminton rackets, go down to the yard and play for half an hour.

Do you get the idea? I can leave home and go to a coffee shop whenever I want. I can cook food whenever I want. I can play games whenever I want.
I can go for a walk whenever I want. I can do many things whenever I…