So this blog post is a little personal, but I feel the need to share what I’m going through. It’s nothing terrible, I haven’t experienced tragedy or illness or anything dire. But my life has changed significantly in the past month.
I mentioned yesterday that I just started working full-time, after raising my kids at home for the past fifteen years. And that it’s been quite the adjustment for everyone. My two dogs are distraught. I used to spend most of the day with them, lying on the bed reading or sharing my home office space with them while I worked on the blog or some other project. Now both my husband and I are out of the house all day, and it’s only due to the fact that we both work nearby that one of us can come home at lunch to let them outside (we don’t leave our dogs out when we’re gone – ever). The kiddos are also at school all day for another month, so they can’t help much either. So the poor doggies are alone most of the day, and that isn’t working too well for me.
Other things are suffering too, like the laundry and the house, but for me the hardest thing about going back to work is losing hours and hours to work on this blog. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I want to, and it’s taking some time for me to adjust to spending the weekends doing mostly blog stuff, while my very limited time after work is spent focusing on my family, cooking dinner, and connecting with the kids and husband. When you’re trying to read 8+ books a month, this schedule isn’t the best. I tried to explain to a friend how I felt by asking them to imagine that after two weeks of work, I have just spent 80 hours out of the house, unable to do the things I used to do during the day. Now imagine trying to get back those 80 hours and cram them into the weekend or a few hours in the evening. It’s just not possible, and something’s got to suffer. Unfortunately, it’s been my blog.
What I need to adjust to is this: I’ll never get those hours back, and I need to reallocate my free time. I know it’s possible. Most people have full-time jobs, including many bloggers. I’ve always been a multitasker, and I don’t plan on changing anytime soon. So my plan is to get as much done during the weekends as possible, and see what happens. In any event, if you see me posting less frequently, you’ll know what’s up!
Here’s my question to you, oh wise bloggy friends: How do you deal with finding time to blog when life gets in the way? Have you ever gone back to work after a long break and experienced what I’m going through? Just tell me it’s going to get better!!
I HEAR ya. I work fulltime with two kids under 5, a book thats due back to my editor soon and an anthology out this summer that im in.
There are times I end up on the couch with my daughter and night when I write 2k words. There are times I see other authors releasing book after book and feel like im failing.
I realized one thing, I dont want to squeeze in everything and miss out on life.
In time you’ll figure out a balance and let the laundry go a few days, and thats okay. If we’renot enjoying life, we’re not living.
Wow, you are a super hero, Eliza! Great to put things into perspective:-)
I really try to schedule ahead as much as possible, but I have been really struggling with time to comment and reply!
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
I am starting to schedule posts as well, but it is hard. It will take some practice:-)
I give my blog about an hour after the kid goes to bed and my wife is winding down. Reading is harder, in the summer I get about half as much done as I do in the winter. I only had 6 posts one month last summer.
Sounds like you’re not stressed out about it, which is good. I wanted to say kudos to all the bloggers out there who are parents of young kids and still find time to blog. I can’t even imagine myself blogging when my kids were that age, so congrats!
[…] Tammy needs to talk about losing your mind when you don’t have time to blog. […]
I only work part time and can hardly find the time to visit blogs. I think you’re doing well enough. Just hang in there, I’m sure you’ll find a way to make things work!
Thanks Alyn!
In time I know you’ll be able to handle things beautifully! Probably much better than me if I were in your shoes. I too am a stay-at-home mom at the moment, though my kiddo is still very young but I’m already thinking of maybe going back to work once she old enough to start preschool, like maybe getting into part time before transitioning into full time again. Who knows how my reading/blogging schedule will be affected when I do! And poor doggies! I have two dogs myself and I know they’d probably be the same way.
I highly recommend NOT waiting until your kids are in high school before you go back to work. I wish someone had pushed me or told me not to wait so long. It gets harder the more you wait. But I sure feel lucky for all those wonderful years and I wouldn’t give them up for anything:-)
Judging from your post about this I suspect you’ll adapt just fine. You obviously already know how to structure your time and plan for the variables life tosses at you. I’d bet in a week or two you’ll settle into a pattern of work/writing that let’s you cover all the bases – tho you may need to be reminded to schedule in enough you-time occasionally to keep your sanity meter in the safe zone.. ie, don’t forget to BREATHE… Keep us posted on how it’s goin’! 🙂
Thanks Christian! Often my “me time” is reading and working on the blog:-)
Can definetly relate- isn’t it amazing how much time it takes to blog? 🙂 I was working from home for a while and that was nice cause I could take little breaks to do blog stuff, and still get work done- but I took a new job that requires me to be in the office more so my blogging time during the week has gone down.
It is a tough adjustment and I find myself squeezing time in when I can on the weekends… good luck and I’m sure you’ll find your balance.
Good luck to you too, Greg! Sounds like we’re both adjusting…
I work full time and I took a few months off work, and also when I had a long maternity leave I had way more time. i know what you mean that it is extremely hard and something or other ends up suffering. There is no easy way to handle it all. Personally i hire a housekeeper once every month to do the deep cleaning and I do the surface cleaning. Also the kids and hubs need to start pitching in more for you. I hate that it always falls to the woman to do the bulk of the cooking and cleaning. Since you have a teen you should institute a kids cook night and a husband cooks night. My husband just uses it as an excuse to bring home dinner instead but hey at least its not my job that night. I also don’t get a lot of sleep…
You’re right, I do need to get my family to help out more. I’d love to be able to make myself stay up late at night and read, but I get up early instead, so I guess it’s basically the same thing.
That’s a huge change, Tammy, and I feel for you. When I was working full time I felt behind in everything, and I wasn’t even blogging which is a job all its own. I second Tabitha’s suggestion about a getting some help with the cleaning. We had someone come in every two weeks to do the deep cleaning and it makes a big difference. And totally get help with the cooking- it’s too much!
I know you can rock this though 🙂
I think it’s all about how often you blog! I only blog twice in the week, Saturday and Tuesday. And more often than not I write the post I am going to make on Tuesday on Saturday too, because during the week I literally don’t have sufficient time to write it as well as post it everywhere! So yes, I try and use my weekends best I can, and do home chores during the week with tons of schoolwork layered on top ><
http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/05/the-recruit-book-review.html
It’s nice to know I’m not the only one. Thanks!