AD | We’ve talked before on this blog about how to juggle blogging and a full-time job. But, what happens when blogging actually becomes your full-time job? In the U.S. alone, there are expected to be 31.7 million bloggers by the end of this year. Think about how many more full-time bloggers there are around the world! You can do this! But, there are a few things to keep in mind when you make blogging your life’s work. Not only will you have to work with advertisers, clients, and perhaps even other team members if you choose to hire help, but you’ll have to find a way to keep your work-life balance healthy.
If you’ve left a traditional full-time job to be a blogger, you might find yourself at home more often. But, that doesn’t mean the work stops. So, how can you make sure you’re getting your work done without getting distracted? Additionally, how can you make sure you’re giving enough time to your family without being consumed by your work?
Let’s look at a few tips you can use to achieve a happier work-life balance as you transition to becoming a full-time blogger.
1. Keep a Daily Routine
It might be tempting to roll out of bed whenever you want, pour a cup of coffee, and shuffle to your living room sofa with your computer to start your workday in your pyjamas, but, chances are, that won’t work for long.
One thing people who successfully work from home do is have a routine. You have to treat your blogging job like any other job. So, set your alarm for a specific time each morning. Wake up, get dressed, have breakfast, etc. Get yourself in the habit of a daily routine and you’ll be better equipped to start your day with motivation and productivity.
2. Have a Designated Workspace
It’s never a good idea to just work from your sofa with the television playing in the background. You also shouldn’t be dragging your computer into bed with you in order to stay comfortable.
To be more productive and organized, create a designated workspace for yourself. Having a full office is great since you can keep all of your work in one place. But, even a corner of a certain room with a desk and few distractions will do the trick. Make that particular space solely for working and nothing else – no television, no radio, etc. It’s also important that others in the house know not to bother you when you’re in that space.
3. Create a Schedule to Stay Focused
One of the biggest problems with working from home is how easy it can be to get distracted, especially if you have children. Keeping a daily planner with specific tasks you want to complete at different times is a great way to stay on track and stay focused. You don’t have to multitask in order to be effective. In fact, statistics have shown that multitasking can drop your productivity rate by up to 40%. So, focus on one thing at a time, and clear out a specific time for each task throughout the day.
4. Take Breaks
When you work in an office, there are many times when you’re “forced” to take breaks and step away from your computer. Maybe you have to head to a meeting or go talk with a co-worker. Maybe someone invited you to lunch, or you walk to the break room to refill a cup of coffee.
At home, some people find it harder to take breaks because they feel “trapped”. When you’re working alone, there are fewer distractions that will force you to take a break. So, whether you have to set a timer to periodically remind you to get up and get moving, or you write it in your planner, make sure you take periodic breaks. Get something to eat, call a friend or go out to lunch with someone for interaction, or just take a walk around the block.
Taking breaks through the day is important for your overall mental health, and it can help you to avoid burning out.
5. Establish a “Quitting” Time
You wouldn’t stay at a traditional job all hours of the night, right? So, don’t do it with your blogging job. Set designated working hours for yourself, and when it’s time to stop for the day, make sure you stop. Spend time with your family, cook dinner, relax and watch television, etc. Setting hours is so important for a healthy work-life balance, and it can help you to feel like you’re in total control of your career.
Blogging from home on a full-time basis is an exciting adventure, and it can completely change your life. But, you still need to make sure you take care of that life outside of work! Keep these ideas in mind to achieve the work-life balance you need to make this new career chapter successful in every way.
If you enjoyed this head over and read my 30 Email Opt-In Incentives To Grow A Mailing List In 2021 and 5 Ways To Make Money Blogging With Less Than 10,000 Pageviews
These are all great tips! I think the one that it’s more difficult to get around is having a routine anyway and not just go from the bed to another room at whatever hour and work and also having a schedule!I am the worse one at this but trying to get better x
I am not a full time blogger, but I do schedule time and even take breaks away from it if needed! My full time job gives me that daily routine, but because of that I do work on my blog either in evenings, before work or at the weekend so again I just try to ensure I am not over working myself. These are some great tips xx
Organisation for me is so key to having the best balance and getting the most out of work time. I’ve forced a good work life balance because I’ve had to. Previous jobs have made it difficult to have switch off time, I was always on and it wasn’t healthy. Now, I have a “work” space, I have a routine and I’m discouraged from over working
Rosie
I love these tips for getting that work/life balance, it’s important to have a schedule/to do list but also allow yourself to have a break in between tasks! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
These are great suggestions Kayleigh! Even as a hobby blogger, I find it imperative to have and stick to a schedule. I do need to find my own workspace and will be trying to find a solution to that one. Thanks for sharing!
These are great and some things I am trying to implement with my content creation service. I don’t want to make anyone wait as their time is precious too. My boyfriend gets aggravated when as soon as movie or dinner is over I automatically go back to work until bedtime, which I understand. I’m getting better though. Thanks for the tips.
This is something I spent years trying to establish but now I have my office, I have an amazing work life balance. My cut off time is 6pm too, so if I’m not finished by then, tough basically!