Today we’re being honest. The past few weeks have been a bit crazy in the book blogging world and it’s raised the issue of how much is too much. To break down the barriers and foster discussion about how to juggle regular life and a blogging life, Andi over at Estella’s Revenge has courageously opened up about some of her daily struggles. In response, several others have joined the #TruthTrain and I’m hopping on. You can learn more about why Andi started this over here, but now I’m going to share a few of mine because, well, I’m overwhelmed.
- Personally, I’m married to an incredibly amazing and supportive man who works an unfathomable amount of hours to support me through graduate school but it’s tough not seeing him enough. Together, we have two rescue dogs who don’t play well with others (meaning we have to make sure the neighbors’ dog isn’t out every time we let them out in the yard). My best friend also recently had twins and, even though I’m beyond happy and excited and thrilled for her, I miss talking to her 3 times a day (luckily midnight feedings mean we get some new text-time we didn’t have before).
- Professionally, I’m in the last six months of graduate school and my thesis is challenging. I also have a part-time internship that is incredibly rewarding but sparks my curiosity and I can’t help but do more research when I’m home. All of this has resulted in me having to miss my best friend’s wedding (we’ve known each other since 1990), even though I’m the Matron of Honor and it stinks.
- I’m OCD. When I say this, I don’t mean that I’m a neat freak – I mean I’m bona fide OCD. I step over cracks in palindromes, do things in threes, and bring my hair straightener in the car with me when I leave the house because its easier than being paranoid about burning it down. Combined with my anxiety, I can spend all night with my stomach in knots thinking about a comment I made a week ago that may or may not have been offensive (and probably wasn’t).
- I’ve had two hip surgeries and even though it’s been a two years since the last one, I’m still not happy with my weight or my infantile strength.
- I have an unhealthy desire to eat Taco Bell. #9 with a soft taco and guac on the crunchwrap, please.
- I was so concerned about this being too much personal information that I had another blogger read it first.
So what have I done to stay sane? Here are a few things that worked for me:
- Source: Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing
Cutting back on ARC’s and tours. Unless I really want to read it, I’m not placing any deadlines on myself until I graduate in June.
- Posting 3 times a week (I used to post 5).
- Not feeling obligated to post a review for every book I read. This is supposed to be fun!
- Bringing on my sister as a lifestyle blogger – not only will this expand my reach but it’s helping me keep it together. And who knows? Maybe I’ll follow her wellness advice!
- Listening to my body and taking naps when I need to. I’m also cutting back on coffee because it doesn’t help with anxiety. I’ll never admit that there’s a thing called too much coffee, but I’m currently approaching my faithful friend with moderation.
Now tell us – what’s going on in your life and how can we help?
games mobi