In Pursuit of Happiness, Challenge 2: Stop Working Every Single Day at 5 p.m.

The recap: Last week I suggested you “treat him like you talk about him”, which is easier said than done. Don’t you agree? I feel set in these “ugh, are you kidding me?!” ways, and turning the focus around to doe-eyed Disney princessy relationship status can be challenging. But that’s why I called it a challenge.

When I managed to switch my perspective to how I talk about him, I was instantly happier and saw O in a different light. I stopped seeing him as the leaver of the dishes in the sink.. and more as the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with. Ya dig?

That being said, it’s going to take more than a weeklong experiment to make a dent.

Here’s this week’s challenge, which you might like a bit more:

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Stop Working Every Single Day at 5 p.m.

Being self-employed, it’s easy to work a lot. Like 8 to 5. And then 8 to 6. And then 8 to 7. And 8 to 8. And then your boyfriend starts yelling at you because he can only have a conversation with you through Twitter.

For example.

In the documentary, Happy, they explained that being happy is actually key to success in the traditional areas of life–work, relationships, family. Wait…

Success at work? Happiness is key to success at work?

I’ll try anything once.

This week’s challenge is to stop working at 5, or whenever you ought to stop working, or stop working in theory, and just let it go. Don’t check work emails unless absolutely completely 100% necessary (It’s not), don’t start sketching out a new marketing plan for that nonprofit, don’t even Google what your competition is up to.

Instead, do something that makes you happy. Every night.

For me, that means going on a walk along the river with O and our wildly over-energized puppy, Magnolia, or going to a Memphis Grizzlies game, or–I’ll admit it–finishing up the season of Bridalplasty on Netflix. What could possibly make you feel better about planning a future wedding than watching a dozen women fight tooth and nail to become the “perfect bride”–achieved only by multiple plastic surgeries?

Report back next week with your finding.

Do you feel like you get sucked into work.. and that you’re working, in some form, every waking minute? Do you have rituals or routines that help you break from the workday?

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