How To Balance Blogging With A Full Time Job

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Blogging – business, brand, or just your little bit on the side – no matter how you see it, your slice of the internet can often sap up a lot of your time and effort. When I created Fashion Slave I was studying my BA, then swiftly went onto my MA, so my life was somewhat leisurely enough to be able to manage a blogging whenever I felt like it. But as I started full-time work after my graduation, the pressure to blog coupled with my apparent lack of organisation resulted in me struggling to find the time to produce, write, and create content. It got so bad I almost stopped blogging! But after spending some time figuring out how the hell I could keep this side project up with the demands of my job, I worked out a dedicated routine and schedule, and funnily enough, my blog has become far more successful. So here’s my top tips on balancing blogging with your full time job!
1.
Buy A Planner
Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend clearly did not have a Filofax. Invest in a good organiser, be it a Filofax, a diary, some techy new app. There’s a few special blogger-specific planners out there such as The Blogger Planner (which is totally cute and customizable) and the Blogger Journal. Both of these have more specific focus on scheduling content, writing goals and lists, keeping your finances in order and so on! Keep it handy at all times so you never forget what’s coming up and have a place to jot down any inspiration.
2.

Say Goodbye To Weekends… (kind of)


6:30pm, I’ve just got home from work where I’ve been writing about fashion all day. So funnily enough, the last thing I want to do is write about fashion. In fact, all I really want to do is eat and sleep. Blogging? Nope nope nope. This is where weekends come in. Schedule in one day each weekend – or part of that day – to get all of your blog posts written, photographs edited, and social scheduled so that all you have to do is sit back and watch as your carefully curated work is pushed out there onto the world wide web. 


This was probably the biggest turning point that went from changing my blog to just a thing I did, to being a viable business. You get out of life what you put in, and that couldn’t be more true than with blogging. Sure, saying no to a few weekend plans can be annoying, but guarantee it’s worth it when your working week is so much less stress free. 

3.
Ace your time-management skills
Got a one hour commute? What about a lunch break? Instead of spending it napping, talking, or simply getting extra hours in your day job, reclaim your lunch break and put that hour to good use on your blog. The majority of my commute is spent scheduling tweets or browsing Instagram, commenting networking on others social feeds. As for my lunch break, it’s about researching new ideas, brainstorming, and planning what I’ll be writing up at the weekend ready to schedule for the following week. 
4.
Download scheduling Apps
What would I do without Hootsuite? Oh, I know, set an alarm on my phone to remind me to tweet hourly about my new blog post. Not ideal when you’re out having after-work drinks, or trying to have a Sunday morning lie-in… 
5.

Give yourself a break
When you’re blogging and working full-time, it can feel like a non-stop rollercoaster. And it’s hard to get off that rollercoaster because you don’t want to lose momentum. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a weekend off, or break from your routine of scheduling 3-5 posts per week. One week off wont hurt you, and can give you some great time to relax and gain new perspective for new ideas. You can always link back to older posts that have been popular, or just collate a post linking to your most popular features so far that year to keep your hits up. 

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13 Comments

  2. It's such a struggle, and I know exactly what you mean about blogging at work then coming home to blog. It can get too much. I usually do a day or so too – and weekends are for photos!

    Hannah | Oh January

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  3. It's deffo ALL about the filofax!! Although people think it's crazy I own one and don't write everything in my Iphone. I think they're crazy. 🙂 xx

    fashiontatt.blogspot.com

    Reply

  4. I definitely need to get that blog-work-life balance in check. I'm constantly juggling things! Loved this post. I'm going to start planning my time more wisely xx

    Jessie | allthingsbeautiful-x

    Reply

  7. Saying goodbye to at least one day of my weekends was definitely the turning point for my blog. Without doing so, I'd never have regular content. But it can feel like a sacrifice when all you want to do is sleep in!

    Rachel | http://www.currentlyrachel.com

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  10. I seriously feel like this is easier than done! I started my blog when I was in a full time job but now as my job is my career I don't have time to do anything but work! So unfortunately my blog gets pushed to the side! *sad face*

    http://Www.virgosandkisses.com

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  12. This is a constant struggle. A filofax has now moved to the top of my to-buy list – hopefully that and a one-day weekend will be my saviour. Thanks for the tips.

    Aishling
    http://www.le-stage.com

    Reply