One of the best things about being a blogger or freelancer is being relatively free to create your own schedule. But one thing I’ve noticed is that even though we can do that, we tend to work so hard/long that we don’t take advantage of our freedom. Despite x job something we love, we all love lots of other things too. We love crafting and hiking and traveling and hosting dinner parties. We want to make more time to learn photography or see old friends or hit the gym. Just because we quit our day job in favor of or dream doesn’t mean our dream is to neglect everything else in life we love!
Since it’s our job to be online, we’re guaranteed to be behind the screen for a certain amount of time. We don’t need to necessarily work less, actually, but take work with us instead of hanging out at our desk all day so we can be productive in meaningful ways. Then, when we get back—refreshed and a little less burnt out—we can get straight to producing, editing, uploading. This is how I’d get offline when I first started, and what I plan to get back into while working more than ever! (Btw, I know people will think they’re too busy for this, but a lot of those same people are constantly distracted by digital clutter, so why not give that up for a more meaningful way of producing?)
How I spend more time offline as a blogger
Everyone who knows me personally knows that I walk basically everywhere. So you can believe me when I say that walking works wonders for clearing the mind and becoming more open to new ideas or able to organize thoughts. I talked about this in my post on productive breaks. You don’t need to be online to get inspired, brainstorm ideas, organize your schedule, or get prepared for the day. Over the last few months I’ve found myself neglecting my morning walk. When I don’t walk (coffee in hand preferably) I feel thrown into the day. SO, wake up, grab
Bethany says
I absolutely loved this post. I think it’s so important to spend some time offline and agree with you that in many cases it’s beneficial to whatever you do online afterwards – It lets me clear my mind and come up with much better ideas! You’ve inspired me to get down to my local cafe and do some blog brainstorming tomorrow!
Bethany | curlyandwordy.blogspot.co.uk x
Angela says
Thanks Bethany! I’m sure you’ll come up with some good ideas for the blog :)
Bri says
Great post! Thank you for sharing!
chelsey says
love this, thank you!
Kristyn says
I go on a walk with my dog every morning just around my neighborhood. Working from home means I rarely get out and that’s my time to do it. Also throughout the day I try to take specific breaks to make lunch, read, or do something other than be on the computer. It really helps.