It’s Friday and you know what that means. A brand new Let’s Talk Bookish post. Today we are going to be talking about balancing blogging and my everyday life. Which is something that I enjoyed writing about for today’s blog post.
If you don’t know what Lets Talk Bookish is, it is a bookish meme that was started by Rukky over at Eternity Books and has been hosted by Aria over at Book Nook Bits ever since April of 2022. It is where bloggers like myself talk about the topic of the week. And next week will be a freebie since months with 5 Fridays have a freebie post.
Prompts:
How do you balance blogging with the rest of your life? What strategies have you found work best? Do you always feel like you can make time for blogging and books? Or do you often find yourself unable to make blogging a top priority?
How do you balance blogging with the rest of your life?
Honestly by setting aside time each day to do it. I do try and get started early enough in the day so that way it is not 10 at night and I haven’t even started or finished with the blog post that goes up the next day. I had that problem where blogging was the last thing that I wanted to do.
It also depends on what I have going on that day. I will say that even though each day looks the same from the outside looking in, each day can and is different. I honestly just go with the flow and sometimes riding the wave of productivity is what is best for me and what I need to do when it comes to blogging. Because there are some days where I want to work on it when I am eating breakfast and there are others where I just want to have a show on in the background while I am working on it. It just depends on the day and what I need to be the most productive.
What strategies have you found work best?
I will say that each blogger will have a different strategy that works for them and this is just what works for me.
I do at least one to two brainstorming sessions a month just so that way I can figure out what kind of content I want to post for the following month. Yes, there are a few times when I already know what it is that I am going to post. Like reviews. Just because those have been going up on Mondays with the occasional Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. I do like having books that I have read already ready to go just so that way if I hit a reading slump I still have reviews that just need to be written to go up. But honestly, planning out your content at least a few days before the new month starts will give you a clear direction of how you want that month to go. And it can give you some wiggle room if you are feeling that a blog post feels better going up on a Wednesday rather than a Friday.
I have also found that scheduling can and is your friend. Because I feel like since I have gone three days a week, I have found a scheduling system that works the best for me. And it is easier for me to not feel less stressed since I know when I am going to post. If you want to post 4 times a month then go for it. Blogging is supposed to be fun and not a job even if there are some niches that you can make money from. Book Blogging is one of those niches where you are lucky if you are getting paid for your blog.
Taking a break when needed. I will say that this isn’t part of everyone’s strategy but since going to the 3-day posting schedule, I have found that I can at the very least have 1 to 2 days off from blogging a week. And that is usually Friday and Saturday. Just because I need those days off. But if I need a longer break then I might miss a day. Which I did earlier in the month. I felt like I needed to put blogging on the back burner and need a longer break than the two days a week that I give myself at minimum. I will say this, listen to your body because when you don’t think that you are feeling burnt out, your body will tell you that it’s burnt out in one way or another. So keep in check with that.
Do you always feel like you can make time for blogging and books?
I always feel like I can make time for both blogging and books. But it is a lot easier said than done. If you are a blogger as well then you know what I am talking about. Regardless of niche. It all comes down to planning and when we can fit blogging and reading in. This is why I said if you only have time to put up 4 posts a month then that is all your schedule can allow.
I am grateful that my schedule is a little bit more flexible to where I can put up more blog posts in a month. I know not everyone can have the same schedule that I do where we can work from home and make blogging more of a priority. I do enjoy blogging and will say that it does bring me joy. So if I can make time for something that I love and something that I enjoy doing then I am all for it.
Or do you often find yourself unable to make blogging a top priority?
There are days when blogging isn’t the main priority. And that is okay. Because there are times when it doesn’t need to be. I don’t often feel like my blog isn’t the top priority mainly because I make sure to make time for it within the day. But there are times, not often, when I am unable to make my blog my top priority, even when I want my blog to be my top priority. I bring it back to what I said earlier in this blog post, my body will tell me when I need a break. I might not feel like I need one but sometimes your body knows you better than we like to admit. Because the signs will be there if you are mentally, emotionally, and physically burnt out. So it is better to listen to your body on the days that you need a day instead of trying to push it.
So yes, there are days were blogging isn’t a top priority and where I need to make myself the top priority. Does it happen often? I don’t think so but I am still trying to figure out the best routine for me when it comes to making sure that my blog and my body are taken care of. It is important to take care of myself and make sure that I have what I need to thrive. And if that means taking a week off from blogging then that is what it means. Because I know at the end of the day, my blog isn’t going anywhere.
There is this week Let’s Talk Bookish. What do you do to balance blogging with your everyday life? I would love to know. And if you want to talk about this on your blog then feel free to use the questions above. I would love to read your answers if you chose to write about this.
Kathryn Books 