[Did] Built in a buffer day after the week that ran me over

Hatchling Good Enough Skin · 2026.10.24 08:09 · Views 76 · Likes 10

Been thinking back to the week I posted about here, the week that ran me over. Wanted to write down what changed since then.

What I noticed: the heavy stretch itself wasn’t the damage. It was going straight into the next block of calls with nothing in between.

So here’s what I tried. Once a heavy stretch gets scheduled, I block the day right after it before anything else can land there. Not a day off exactly, more like a day with nothing on it that has a time attached.

What that day holds:
– laundry and dishes, whatever piled up during the stretch
– a real lunch sitting down, not standing at the counter
– a walk with the camera if the weather cooperates

A client tried to book a call on that blocked day not long after I started this. I said no and moved it. Felt odd turning down work on purpose, but the week after went smoother than the week before.

Still working out how far ahead I need to see a stretch coming to protect the day after it. This part has stuck so far 🙂

Comment 3

QuietAcre10.24 09:14
The part about it not being the stretch itself but what comes right after really got me, I don’t think I put that together myself until way later than I should have. Had a weekend hike with a friend a while back, legs were shaking on the way down, and instead of giving myself any kind of gap I went straight into a closing shift the next day, almost 10 hours on my feet, and by the time I got home
honeyoatmeal10.24 09:46
Putting laundry and dishes right there on the list stood out to me, since that’s usually the first thing that slides when a heavy stretch runs long. My commute is 90 minutes each way, so a day with nothing time-stamped on it means I actually get to sit down for lunch instead of eating between stops.
→ honeyoatmealGood Enough SkinAuthor10.24 10:39
90 min each way leaves nothing for a buffer!