I’m tired.

It’s Wednesday morning, and, like some of you reading this, I’m already nearly exhausted. From working. From keeping house. From taking care of my loved ones. From volunteering for organizations which are so worthy. From things unknown but upcoming.

My life is full. But don’t get me wrong–I feel like I perform better, in general, when I have action items on my agenda. That’s a Catch-22 of managing depression: you don’t feel like doing anything, but doing nothing makes you feel worse… makes you feel worthless. It’s a vicious cycle.

If you’re keeping up, Dear Readers, you noticed that I did not post yesterday, Day 8 of #Blogtober. I’ve had several conversations with myself about this, and I’ve graciously decided to let me off the hook.

I worked a total of 9-1/2 hours yesterday, over an 11-hour span. That was my choice. You see, tomorrow, I’m leaving for five days to give my time, energy, and talent to a camp for families that have kiddos who are deaf or hard of hearing.

I have been volunteering at camps like this one, all over the US, for seven years now. It brings me a lot of joy to help families communicate better with their littles–and it’s a way I can give back to the Deaf community, who has given me so much (in case you’re new here, I make a living as an American Sign Language interpreter and cued language transliterator).

Because most of my interpreting work is done on a freelance basis, I do not have some of the benefits that others have. For example, I do not have paid time off, for sick leave, vacation, or otherwise. If I’m not working, I’m not getting paid. The balancing act requires thought and planning, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are your work-life or life balance challenges? What tips do you have for finding balance?