How do I balance blogging and working full time? I don't.

How do I balance blogging and working full time? I don't.

People sometimes ask me why I only post once or twice a week. Don't get me wrong, I would love to write more, but when you work full time, there are only small pockets of time to get any writing done. Realistically the options are: in the morning before work (I'm not a morning person), over lunch (doable) and after work (I've had more than enough screen time by this point). I think the daily work / life balance is best explained in diary format so here goes...

6:00am

Alarm goes. Come to and find one cat under my armpit, 

one on my chest, and one on my feet. Classic.

6:10am

The time I actually get up. Some how I have 

managed to doze through not only the alarm, 

but also multiple feline wake up calls (thanks guys)

6:15 - 6:45am 

I exit the bathroom feeling clean as, but also

 excited that the hairs in the eczema ravaged 

parts of my eyebrows are finally growing back. 

This excitement subsides temporarily whilst I 

have a 'mare deciding what to wear (standard)

6:50 ish

Quick taming of the hair, though I do tend 

towards the bedhead look most days because cba.

7 - 7:30am

Breakfast is something I like to take time with 

and enjoy. It gives me time to sit and do ad hoc 

computery bits I should have done at the weekend 

/ the night before, have a quick snoop at properties 

on RightMove and OnTheMarket, and check the 

trains (only to discoverer they're screwed. AGAIN).

8:00am

FINALLY leave the house after sorting the cats /  myself 

/ the dishwasher / washing machine / anything else ad hoc 

that needs doing. We have this song and dance every morning 

where Mr Curiouser and Curiouser is like "stay home with me today" 

and I'm tempted, but work is old school and not very
accommodating with the whole WFH concept (sigh)

8:??am 

Due to the new rail timetable fails, there is no set guarantee 

of what train I can get on, or how long I'll be. I take this time 

on the commute to reply to Instagram comments and Tweets, 

check my emails, look for the latest blogging assignments and 

apply to any that are a good fit. Occasionally (read: when I'm 

actually organised) I'll remember to bring a notebook so I can 

jot down ideas for my novel or blog. I also post most of my 

Instagram content during commuter hours as its prime time 

for when lots of people are scrolling on their phones.

8:50 - 9:20am 

I'll arrive at work at some point within this window, 

depending on trains. Work starts at 9.30 and if I'm super early 

in and nothing urgent has come up, I will grab a hot chocolate and 

dash off some responses to emails from PRs and / or write a little.

9.30am - 1:00pm 

W-O-R-K. 

Sometimes I cast my eye over my blog email

 in case something time sensitive comes in that I 

need to jump on. But to be honest, work keeps me busy 

and this is a time where blogging has to take a back seat.

1:00 - 2:00pm

Over lunch - when I'm not at the pub or shopping - 

I reply to emails and blog comments, read other blogs, 

and edit pictures for up-and-coming blog posts. I try and 

write a lot of my own blog posts over lunch too because I like

 to go out out after work and / or head home and give my full 

attention to Mr Curiouser and Curiouser. Plus it sucks to be 

hunched over a computer screen all day and then come 

home to be... hunched over a screen YET AGAIN.

2:00 - 5:30pm

W-O-R-K. 

I do keep an eye on my personal email and blog email 

every so often, but rarely as I'm kept busy enough!

5:30 - 6:30pm

HOME TIME! On the train back (provided I'm not going 

out out), I again check social media, reply to comments 

and post something new on Insta (again, to target the 

commuter hours). However I try and keep all of the above 

to a minimum on the commute home, preferring to focus 

on offline tasks. Like reading. Or scribbling any new ideas 

into my notebook and brainstorming ideas for any 

collaborations I'm working on.

7:00 - 10:00pm

I tend to get quite fidgety and can't sit still for long,

 so try and go out for a run (weather dependent). I try 

not to blog on weekday evenings because I don't get a 

whole lot of evening as it is (less than 3 hours when you 

throw commuting and the lonnnng walk from the station

 into the mix). Occasionally for bigger jobs with a more 

sizable budget or stricter deadlines, I will get some 

photography and / or writing done. But it has to be a 

special circumstance. On weekday evenings, besides 

cooking, eating, and showering, I will be playing video 

games / watching YouTube videos / watching episodes 

with Mr Curiouser and Curiouser. We try not to use our 

phones when we are together (which I actually quite like). 

No matter what we're doing, tea and biscuits are a given. 

And at some point a cat will appear and be a wonderful hot 

water bottle until a passing car or motorbike freaks 

them out and they NEED to go and investigate.

10:00pm

As touched upon about before in my evening 

routine post here, this is the time where things 

start to get tidied away and the dishwasher goes on. 

I'm also rather partial to a glass of milk before bed.

10:30pm

By this time we're usually finished with the 

bathroom and all the pre-bed time faff, and 

we'll head up to bed. We'll read for a bit and 

then have a little time together, just us two. The 

bedroom door is closed at this point, but this 

doesn't last long. Bailey will literally cry at the 

door ALL NIGHT if we leave it closed. The lights 

go out and the cats understand that its bed time and 

will assume their positions (one or two on the bed 

with us, and the third on the floor next to me). Usually 

we fall sleep round about 11 or 11.15 so we don't 

get a proper 8 hours sleep, but it's enough for us!

If you are a blogger too, how does this compare to your daily routine? 

And are you a full time blogger or part time like myself?