I don’t know about you, but I’ve been facing this problem recently. I have a hard time trying to find time to time to blog, which I love doing and live life, which I have to live (duh).
Sometimes, when I want to prepare posts and just blog, life gets in the way. (Why life, why?) And sometimes, when I want to experience life, blogging gets in the way. The worse part is, there is nothing you can do about it really.
I’m currently attending college as a sophomore student and between keeping my GPA up (did I mention that school just started again yesterday?), studying for tests, doing my homework, passing my classes, and working at my part-time job, I also have other hobbies I want to continue doing like playing Pokemon games, watching television shows, and doing all the other things I like to do. I know that other people are busier than I am: they have children, a full-time job, a family to take care of, etc. but they still manage to blog effortlessly like it’s nothing.
Lately, I’ve been struggling to find time to blog between doing all the other things I want to do. It feels like I spend almost all of my free time blogging: I write up posts, schedule posts, and find some new ideas for posts. Blogging is pretty much taking over my life. The bright side is that I have up to three weeks of posts scheduled, but that isn’t much.
Because of this, blogging personally feels more like a job now than something I like to do just for fun. Every morning I get up and wonder, do I have a post scheduled for today? Do I have anything to do for my blog today? It just gets tiresome. Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging, but there are those small moments where I’m just tired of blogging because there just isn’t enough time in the day to do everything that I want to do.
How do you balance blogging and life? Are you one of those people who can blog and live life effortlessly at the same time or are you like me, trying to balance blogging and life with no success so far? I want to know!
I can’t answer this question because I absolutely fail at keeping up with both. BUT I am very curious to see what other people say : )
CeCe recently posted…Book Review – Believe by Erin McCarthy
I just try to blog whenever I have time. I do not post every day nor do I ever want to post every day. I post on my own schedule. Knowing that people aren’t relying on me to post every day I’m able to just blog as my schedule allows. I usually find a little bit of time in the afternoons and night. Reading is also something I try to squeeze in as much as possible.
Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages recently posted…A Winter’s Respite Readathon Goals and Progress
Yes, exactly. I don’t post everyday and I even have side blogs for middle grade and childrens books. I only post if I have a review, or have serendipitously comes across something bookish to post. This means I sometimes post more than once in a day. :)
La La in the LiBrArY recently posted…Nominate Your Favorite Books of 2013 | Teenreads
I have this issue all the time! I’m glad I scheduled a bunch of posts before starting my blog over again otherwise I’d be SO overwhelmed. I find it hard to balance blogging with reading and homework and studying and volunteering and extracurriculars and applying for different programs and stuff. I’ll often completely disregard all blogging in favor of school work (not because i want to but because I have to), but there will also be many times when it’ll be vice versa. IT’S SO HARD to balance everything and still have some “me” time left in there. Awesome post!
Jessica @ Fly to Fiction recently posted…Review: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (ARC)
I tend to just carve out time on Sundays to do some scheduled posts for the week. It is tough to read other blogs and comment too – but I know how important community is for blogging so I try to do that daily
Missie recently posted…This is Where I Leave You
I’m new to the book blogging world, so I don’t have an impressive following. I haven’t yet felt the pressures of having to write posts, because I doubt I have any followers visiting my blog specifically to check for posts. I keep a list of posts I wanna write and when I find time and motivation I do them, and I have a lot of free time because I’m not in school or working at the moment. Every person has their own unique living situations and I understand that as a reader of blogs, so I never mind when blog owners hiatus or simply forget to write :@)
Sarah recently posted…Life Log #2
I can totally see where you’re coming from blogging is so stressful and time consuming that I don’t know how so many people do it with school and their jobs going on! For me I honestly take it one day at a time and if need be I cut out a few days from my posting schedule. Like for the last two months I only posted once a week and then this month I started posting two or three times a week and I’m only getting back to posting every day next month but that huge gap in posts really helped me and I somehow have gotten 50 scheduled posts during that time! :D Sorry to hear that blogging’s been getting more and more like a job though :(
Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain recently posted…Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd
Being 3 weeks ahead is pretty good! I think though, none of us have time for everything. To find time to blog I don’t watch tv during the week. I don’t blog everyday (Thursdays and Saturdays are days off). The issue really isn’t trying to fit it all in – there are going to be plenty of things that you won’t find the time to do right now. I think it’s more important to find the things you most love, and then do those. Although I don’t watch tv during the week – I’ll catch up on a Saturday night with a marathon of shows – or a Sunday night or both. If I get behind on the blog – oh well – it’s not paying the bills.
Tanya Patrice recently posted…Making a To Do List (Any.Do) – Is Yours Paper, Digital Or None At All?
I fail at it a lot. Right now I fail because I just can’t seem to sit down and write the reviews I need to and I can’t read because it’s been too cold. I love reading on the couch, but my downstairs is an igloo, even with a space heater and an electric blanket. It’s horrible.
When I’m not dealing with being a penguin and can actually read though, I find that blogging comes very easy. What I do, is I spend two hours on the each day of the weekend putting up posts. When I finish a book, I will write up a bunch of notes on it and then when I have the moment, I will write up the review. Usually, I find that I can give my blog about a half hour a few days a week and then a few hours on weekend days. When I have a day where I have a ton of extra time, I will set up the drafts for books I plan on reading so I can get all my information in there so that all I have to do later is add genre tags and the review.
I’m a housewife and I’m only just now expecting my first kid, so I have more time than most, but I have terrible time management skills. I find that setting an egg timer next to my computer helps me out royally so I don’t waste away hours and hours working on my blog when I should be doing laundry or something. It helps me out though so I don’t over blog myself and get burnt out.
Sometimes taking a week or two hiatus can really help too.
Ariel recently posted…Cover Reveal: Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine
I have a full-time, very busy job, extracurricular stuff, plus, you know, a husband, friends, and family, and I failed a LOT in my first year of blogging. I failed so hard that I had to take two blog breaks. And you know what? That’s okay. I am not a blogger who can do every day, or even every other day. After my last blog break, I decided I was going to make it a goal to do two posts a week. That’s not a lot, but so far, it’s been working out just fine for me. It gives me time to read and to get ahead on blogging, and it’s made blogging such a lovely experience.
This is the thing I’ve learned – if it feels like a job (and you’re not getting paid), you’ll get burned out. You won’t want to do it. Really, I shouldn’t even be a blogger what with my crazy life. But I still blog because I love reading and I love the community, and they’ve been so supportive of me doing what’s best and what works for me.
By the way, being three weeks ahead is CRAZY good. But don’t make yourself crazy. If you don’t blog every day, it’s okay.
Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit recently posted…Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
I personally think you should take a break, just to give you time to catch up on life & so you’re not stressing out. I find if I feel too stressed about my blog, I take a break & spend time doing things with my family, friends & boyfriend :) If we have got something planned or do something spontaneous, then it means when I want to start blogging again, I then have a post to write about :)
I blog every other day & normally have lots of posts in my ‘Drafts’ section :P I have about 6 at the moment & will probably have more by the end of the week, due to a thought for a post or just inspiration I get :) I also keep a notebook on all the posts I want to write too :) just so I can tick off what I’ve done :)
I hope you don’t get over-stressed :) take a moment to chill out :)
xxx
I have/had this problem too. I was getting pretty stressed there for a bit so took most of November off. I just did the bare minimum and it really helped. Within that time frame I decided I would drop the memes I participated in (only kept Stacking the Shelves) and decided it didn’t matter how often I posted. I would do it for the fun and not bother with it when I had other things going on. This is much harder than I thought–I still feel the need to check things and make sure I have stuff scheduled. I will say that I do feel less stressed not doing the memes (though I enjoyed them). I think it’s a constant balancing act but I’m improving because I know it’s ok to let stuff slide (on the blog) once and awhile. Good luck!
Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction recently posted…Veronica Rossi’s Into The Still Blue Cover in Blocks
I think I have found a balance, yes. Although I spend a lot of time on blogging, it doesn’t feel like a job to me. I just enjoy it. But when I don’t blog for a long time, I don’t feel too stressed about it. It’s important to remember that a few days without posts isn’t a problem :)
My balance is that real life is most important together with my enjoyment. So when I don’t feel like blogging, I don’t do it :) I think that’s why a lot of people get into a slump. They feel like they HAVE to spot something or HAVE to write a review. If you don’t want it, take your time and spend is on something else!
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Fairytale News 25. My love for Disney.
I’ve wondered this, too! I took some time off late last year since I had a lot going on.
I try to blog as much ahead as possible so that when inspiration strikes, I’m fine (I’ll just be even more ahead!) and when it doesn’t, I’m fine since I still have posts scheduled. Also, I try to not blog too many times a week since my schedule is tight and I can’t guarantee I’ll maintain my blogging schedule.
I agree with Mel that if you’re okay with not blogging, or missing a blog post day once in a while, you’ll avoid blogging slumps and burnouts. Also, I think if you know what you want to blog about beforehand or have a general idea, blog posts take a lot shorter time to write, which is why I don’t set apart a specific time and date in my week to write my blog posts. Inspiration is everywhere and I can get inspiration from an article I read online/in print, or from a photo I saw. Reading other blogs that are just about books helps, too, I think.
alice-jane recently posted…Review// Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
I don’t really balance blogging and my life! I wish I could schedule posts, but I don’t have the time to do that, so my blogging consists of a couple of posts I write at weekends, usually including a review I’ll time to go up later in the week. I need to get more organised. I try not to stress out too much, and always keep in the forefront of my mind that I started blogging for fun, as I’m sure you did, so try not to stress!
Sarah @ Girl!Reporter recently posted…Review: The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
I have the same problem as you do! You want to devout your time to your blog, but you can’t because school. You want to read more, but homework. You want to write more, but you have to get all your posts ready for the next blog tour. You want to sleep in on a Saturday or Sunday, but your blog is calling you. You want to catch up with Doctor Who, Sherlock, Downton Abbey and Reign, but no, the blog needs you!
I don’t have a job, so I don’t know how you do it, but I just want to say, I totally feel you. Sometimes, I just schedule WOW posts and some blog tour/blitz posts and say it’s fine. I always have the same question too: how do people with full time jobs and families post on their blog frequently? I really wish I could balance my school life, my blogger life, my writing life and my social life much better!
By the way, I love your blog! How’d you get it to look so awesome? And I hope you have a good semester back in college! I just finished my exams (I’m in HS), and be happy that you start on a GOOD day! Second semester for my school board is on FRIDAY! FRIDAAAAYYY!
Anyways, I like this post! :)
Allison Grace recently posted…The Blogger Life: Life After Exams (#1)
I have difficulty balancing everything as well. I usually can get 3-4 posts in each week, which I think is pretty great. The hard part for me, I think, is keeping up with reading and commenting on other blogs. Often I feel it’s either blogging or reading, which are both super important especially since it’s a book blog. So I kind of go back and forth between the two. Sometimes I end up on a reading binge and neglect commenting on blogs. Other times I’m blogging so much I’m lacking any inspiration for reviews or discussion posts. So really I have no handle on it at all. Ultimately though, I try not to stress to much about it. Blogging is a hobby after all.
Amy M. recently posted…Book Review: Out of Ashes by Diana Gardin
I definitely understand what you mean. I find that blogging takes up more time than I would have expected. I have two blogs – a personal blog and a book blog, and I have been neglecting my personal blog for my new book blog. I try to blog and do something else at the same time – multitask! So, when I’m watching TV, I might write up a few posts. I might also do that while I’m eating lunch at work. Sometimes I blog while listening to an audio book. I think it helps to be able to combine things and get more than one thing done. But sometimes you just have to scale back so you have time to enjoy all your hobbies and this doesn’t turn into a chore.
Julie recently posted…Necessary Lies review and author Skype with Diane Chamberlain
I work full tome, I’m a full time nursing student, and I have two kids (7 years and 9 months) and it’s really hard for me to keep up with the blog. I’ve had to cut down on reviews because I don’t have time to read as much anymore. What I usually do I’d schedule posts for the week when I get a free moment on the weekends and I’ve even used my kindle to publish posts when I get a break at work. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up, though. I’m trying to do better at not worrying about posting every day.
Christy @ Christy’s Book Addiction recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Worlds I’d Never Want To Live In / Characters I Wouldn’t Trade Places With
This was one of the big reasons I took a break, to reevaluate what was important and what deserved time/attention. Eventually, I realized reading/blogging was something I enjoyed enough to make it a priority.
So, after work I’ll spend an hour or so visiting blogs, leaving comments or working on my own posts. I usually read for a bit in the evening after work as well. But the weekends are (now) when I get most of my blogging stuff done. The hubs works Saturdays, so I’ve got an entire day to spend on the computer, guilt-free!
But if there’s one thing my break taught me, it was to make sure to live my life at the same time. So on nights where I might have planned to blog/visit other blogs, and someone asks me to do something else, I make a point to do it! My blog will always be there for me, and no one will hate me if I don’t end up posting every day.
Kelly recently posted…Blogging Manifesto, Version 2.0
One of my biggest difficulties with finding time to blog is that I feel like it can take away from my reading time. I have always felt that I want to read all the books and by blogging/sharing my love of these books I take time away from myself. I always tell myself I need to spend less time doing X or Y so I can spend more time either reading or blogging. I have even thought about dropping TV shows because I get so far behind! It is a struggle to feel like there are not enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do or love. It is all about finding balance of the things that make you the happiest.
Katie @ Polished Page-Turner recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday : January 28, 2014
I’ve been seeing bloggers all around the blogosphere stressing about this. :( Fortunately for me, I’m not at that stage yet. I find not participating in memes and blogging when I feel like it takes a huge burden off my shoulders. I don’t schedule posts unless it’s necessary, and review books straight after I finish them. I have gaps in my blogging calendar but I don’t really mind. Like you, I’m working, interning, going to uni and trying to balance other hobbies. If blogging becomes a chore, then it’s probably time to take a step back and take a break from it!
Joy @ Thoughts By J recently posted…Silver Heart Blog Tour + Giveaway [INT’L]!
Wow girl! I really admire you for having the time and urge to go to school + do your hw + study for your tests + blog + read + have a part time job. As of now, I’m a senior in high school and all I’m doing is school and blogging. I don’t really care about social life right now, I mean, come’on, it’s freaking high school!!! It’s also hard to find real friends in my school. I just feel like most of them are two faced, and all they care about is finding a date for formal and just using the guy. One of my friends even told me “I’m so glad I have a date for formal! I’m just gonna use him.” The HELL. I was just like “errrrr….erkay?” So yeah, right when I get home, I read and then blog a little bit. At school during my stats class, I always do my commenting there because seriously, that class is a joke! So freakin’ easy! So yeah, that’s how I find my time for blogging. Also, to make blogging less stressful, I only post 2-3 posts a week. I find it really stressful if I post 4-7 times a week. That’s just too much.
Leigh @ Little Book Star recently posted…Review: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead
I work from home and my work comes in “chunks”, so it is easier for me to find time to blog because I have no commute. My son is in college, so he isn’t home much, and I basically only have to take care of myself. I don’t feel the need to blog everyday. My blog is a lot less formal than most and very serendipitous. I do have a home and gardens page on Facebook that I feel a little bit of pressure to post to daily, but I even ignored that “responsibility”, for three days last week, because I had a pile up of ARCs. Family, work, school, reading and hobbies should take presidence over blogging.
La La in the LiBrArY recently posted…Nominate Your Favorite Books of 2013 | Teenreads
Aw, I hear you. My co-blogger (coincidently my little sister) has this ALL the time. She doesn’t want blogging to be a chore. And I understand that, but I hardly ever tire of blogging. I’m pretty dedicated to it. But burn-out is NO fun. So sometimes taking a break does help that.
Cait D recently posted…Red Rising Review + Flash Giveaway
I’m one of those people who considers blogging to just be a hobby. So basically, if I have the time to read and review books, think up ideas etc etc then I’ll go for it. If there’s a bit too much schoolwork I need to do or if I don’t feel like reading a review book, then I won’t. I think because I don’t really put pressure on myself to HAVE to blog, I find it pretty stress free.
It’s unfortunate that blogging has started to feel like a chore for you! Hopefully you’ll be able to find the balance soon :D
Nara recently posted…ARC Review: Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens
I find myself having a hard time to keep up too! There are just so many things to do, and I take forever to write reviews or whatnot. I don’t even have posts scheduled. :P But I’m trying really hard to post at least once a day.
Francine Soleil recently posted…Surreal Surprises (what I got from today’s mail)
Personally, I don’t think I’ve been handling life and blogging “effortlessly”. Being realistic, I can’t prioritize blogging over studies. I love blogging, but for me, I should handle my future first. Besides, for me, blogging is about having fun. I don’t really schedule a lot of posts everyday, because I love doing it in my own time. I read EVERYDAY. I can’t handle not reading everyday, but when it comes to blogging, I blog because I want to. And because I feel inspired to write. I don’t have any concrete advise for you Kelly. Just that, you should enjoy yourself. You’re a great blogger/reviewer. And you do this because you love it. Not because its a job. But don’t worry, I get that feeling too. :>
Jules @ Jules Bookshelf recently posted…Book Review: Where You’ll Find Me by Erin Fletcher
When I first started blogging I wanted to do it ALL. I wanted to post every single day, participate in every meme, do every book tour. It burnt me out so quickly.
Once I became okay with not posting every day, the blog became much easier to manage. I only have about four or five reviews scheduled right now and those are because of release dates. The majority of my reviews are written on the fly and whenever I have time – usually in the mornings or on my days off.
If life gets in the way and I can’t write a post, I don’t let it bother me. I never wanted my blog to feel like a chore. The day it does is the day I’m going to have to walk away.
Leah recently posted…Secret by Brigid Kemmerer
Life? Free time? What is that? xD I love blogging, but sometimes… you know. There’s a lot of thing to do, but no time
Ella Zegarra recently posted…Trailer Bajo la Misma Estrella #TFIOS [Video]
It is hard, and I think that it is something that all bloggers struggle with. Personally, I think it is awesome that you have three weeks of scheduled posts all ready to go up on the blog. I have been trying to do that for weeks but I am so busy in my real life that I can normally only stay a day or two ahead. You just have to find a balance that works for you. If blogging is starting to feel like a chore, take a breather and go do something else you like. And then when you are refreshed and not as stressed scheduling posts and blogging won’t feel like a hassle. Some bloggers post all the time, and others not as much. I have had to reevaluate my blogging schedule for a couple of reasons. 1) I work full time now that I finished law school and I just don’t have as much time as I used to. I’m tired when I get home from work, and I still also have friends, my boyfriend, my family and tv shows that I want to watch. So picking up a review book isn’t always as fun as I wish it would be. and 2) I wanted to cut back on review books and tours to start reading what I want to read, when I want to read it. I think that also helps me stay interested.
Hopefully by March, I will be settling into a new schedule on my blog and with my books (I still have tours scheduled through march. Crazy isn’t it?)
You have to make time for the things that keep you sane and make you happy. Thats the bottom line ;)
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Michelle @ Book Briefs recently posted…{Review} Defy by Sara B. Larson
I about died when I seen that you had Dylan O’Brien as a gif for this. Gorgeous man. I would say maybe find the need to post on your blog a little less or write a few blogs in advance so then all you have to do is publish it then you’re free to do whatever else you want during the day!
Amber @bookishwonders recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday-Mistwalker
I can relate! It’s hard trying to balance school (and life in general) and blogging, and I think taking breaks really help. I don’t want blogging to feel like a job, so it’s important for me to know when I’m at that tipping point and just do something else – catch up on TV shows, go outside, and do other non-reading/blogging activities. It’s kind of ironic because I started blogging to take breaks, and now I need to take breaks from blogging, haha… but hopefully it’ll all even itself out for you once you get some non-blogging time!
Sophie recently posted…Book Reader Species Report #1: THE OMNIREADER
I know how that feels! Some days I really feel pressure to have posts. I’ve been pretty good in the last couple of months with keeping a week ahead: Every Monday I schedule a week of posts, so then I’m worry free for the rest of the week. But I feel like I spend so much time blogging that I don’t have enough time to read! I’m lucky to read 7 books a month anymore (I used to be able to get 10-15). It’s definitely stressful sometimes. But seriously, designating one day for blogging and scheduling in advance is very helpful!
Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat recently posted…January 2014 Monthly Recap
I find that sometimes blogging is effortless and easy, and sometimes I have to struggle. Lately it’s been easier because I’ve been reading lots, so I have lots to posts. I find that blogging gets harder when I go through a reading slump.
I usually take a few hours on the weekend to blog, or an hour or two at night before bed, depending on whether I have posts ready or if I feel like reading instead. At one point I used to always have 2-3 weeks scheduled ahead of time, and then was writing my next-day post the night before. Right now I have about a week pre-scheduled.
Sarah recently posted…2014 Ebook Challenge â February round-up
I have no answers because I FAIL at this miserably. I’ve been trying to get a full week ahead since early December on my posts and as of right now I’ve only got posts fully written for 1 day. So yeah, I have no clue how people do it. I will say that if you get some amazing answers in this post, I’d love to come back and see what everyone said. For me blogging sometimes feels like the job I wish I had, so I could quit the one that keeps making me stay behind on the blog. lol although I think I would be behind, even if I didn’t have a job.
Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Sunday Post | 29th Edition
Sorry to hear that you are stressed out about blogging :(
I’m not able to tell you what to do but I guess I can share my experiences. In my one year of blogging, I’ve had quite a few blogging slumps. I think those occurred because I treated blogging like a job, which resulted in blogging not being fun for me anymore. I think it’s important not to be too rigid with blogging, and just do what you want whenever you want. But of course, I always try to have at least one post a week. When I feel like it, I’ll blog more but otherwise, once a week is fine with me.
Jessica recently posted…[Book Review] World War Z by Max Brooks
Zero answers to your dilemma, lately I’ve been having problems with my blogging life. I was doing so well with reviews and updates but then I ran out of scheduled reviews and quick books and I haven’t had any opinions on the book blogging world, or in my world. It’s been frustrating because I like having time to think about this stuff and right now – I don’t. :(
Literally have no clue. I just make myself post something everyday. It’s my goal for this year.
I have to admit sometimes I need to take weekends to catch up and make really short posts when the week has been too full of deadlines and studying.
It also helps that I have no social like except for study parties so yeah.
Karen recently posted…Oddly Specific Book Recs (OSBR #1)