I'm not going to lie, being a blogger and working from home does have its perks, but like anything, it does have its downsides. It takes a well organised and committed person to be able to distinguish their work life and well, their life... life when both take place at home. I'm still trying to learn how to balance between the two, as blogging never really stops for me. I'll say I have finished blogging for the day, and I'll get a really good point I want to make for a future post, and I know I'll forget it if I don't note it down. The problem is, 30 minutes later, and I'll still be writing. It's great of course, but I have taken away from my "me" time, and I know I won't be giving myself that time back from blogging the next day. My brain just can't switch off.

I had the same problem at university. I hyped it up as the biggest thing in my life, and in some ways at the time, it was, but it should never have been something that takes away from the important things like my health or enjoying my life. I think my problem is, I am too focused on everything I do. It sounds great, and I would never swap my passion for anything, but it can be so draining when everything I do needs to be at 10000%, 10000% of the time. Anything less and it gets discarded, and I get really harsh on myself for not working hard enough. This puts so much pressure on me for the next day, and it slowly becomes a vicious cycle of working long days, but producing less. I've always been a perfectionist, and I've always pushed myself way past the limit, but it takes over your life, and you stop enjoying everything you love.

Blogging started as a hobby for me. When I started becoming really passionate about it after my relaunch, and I wanted to make something of it, I started to overwork myself and ended up blogging less. At the start of 2017, I promised myself I would try and purposely not be perfect.

• I won't take 100 more photos just because a tiny bit of the picture I love isn't in focus.
• I won't beat myself up because the post I wanted to spend a little longer writing went up 2 hours later, or even the next day.
• I won't feel defeated if I didn't reach my blogging goals, but feel motivated because I received some of the nicest comments.

I'm a hard worker, and I love my work ethics, but I don't want to burn out just yet. The key is balance, something I'm still trying to fully commit to. One thing I have learnt though, it to always make yourself a priority. Nothing else is more important than your wellbeing. I know exactly what it's like to push yourself to the limit, and the results are never good. I end up sleeping less, I don't eat well, and my concentration level shoots right down. Definitely defeats the object of me working that hard, but that was the way it always was with me. Going back to the point I started this post with (I have gone on a bit of a tangent, sorry!), as I do blog from home, I feel like I have no excuse not to work, but again it's all about balance.

I am envious of anyone who can blog 5 days a week, lead the most productive life, and sleep 8 hours, but that is not me. The best thing about working from home and being your own boss is having the ability to not stick to a 9-5, but, if you're like me, you can end up working much longer hours. To help with my workaholic lifestyle, recently I have decided to schedule fun tasks throughout my blogging day. This is by no means me saying blogging and break should have equal time, but taking 30 minutes to read a book, or 1 hour to complete that colouring page can actually really help with the rest of your day. When I struggled with writing content for my post, instead of taking time away from my computer, I would just start writing another post, or plan my posts for the next month, and I would just be frustrated as I couldn't keep my mind set to one thing, and I was jumping from one task to another. When I started to include fun tasks in my routine when I felt I wasn't being as productive, it helped to clear my mind, inspired new ideas, and kept me motivated.

These can also be things you can do in the evenings, days off, or just in-between your blogging time. It's so important to set time off, and not feel like you should be working more than you should. You will always feel so refreshed and ready to get back into blogging, and you never know, you might even pick up a new hobby you enjoy and want to take it further. Just try not to blog about it too much.

READING

Seems a little ironic when you're trying to not blog, but there is nothing better than reading someone else's work when you've spend hours staring at your own. Reading has become a huge part of my blogging routine. I try and get an hour of reading throughout my blogging day, which has inspired me more than anything to become a better writer.

DRAWING

Drawing isn't about becoming the next Picasso, it's about finding your own style. I used to be scared to draw because I have never been very good (my perfection brain on again), but sometimes it's about grabbing a piece of paper, your choice of medium and just expressing yourself. If that seems daunting, I was given a One Sketch A Day journal, where you do one sketch a day over one year. This will definitely become a great keepsake.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I have said this many times before, but my favourite part of blogging is photography, and if you enjoy it too, spend your time experimenting with a new style. It's not necessarily something that would be used as a blog photo, so it doesn't class as blogging. Not only can you experiment with photography, but with the cameras you use, how you edit your photos, or just playing with different techniques.

RELAXATION

This is a completely personal choice as we all have different ways to relax. You can have a pamper break and go for a quick (if that's possible), bath, soak your feet, or just paint your nails. I've recently been getting up earlier to do a morning face mask, and it has completely changed my life. You might want to do some meditation or exercise, which is great for your mind (and your body). As the weather in the UK is finally getting warmer, going for a walk and getting fresh air is a great way to clear your mind, and also a way to get some more Instagram content. See, I literally can't switch off, always thinking about blogging, so maybe best to leave that phone at home.

JOURNALING/SCRAPBOOKING

I looked back at my liked pins on Pinterest, and there is a sudden overwhelming amount of journal inspired pins. I was meant to start a bullet journal at the beginning of the year, and I'm still waiting for that day to come, but I have set some time this week to start that. If you prefer to use a diary for scheduling, create a visual journal and use quotes, photographs, drawings and notes. This could be for your daily life, a place to keep inspiration, or something completely random.

MUSIC/PLAYLIST

I always need music on while I work, and even though you don't exactly need to do this while taking a break, creating a playlist is always a fun thing to do. My Spotify is filled with playlists for literally every single mood, activity or occasion. On my last post I shared with you 50 of my favourite motivational and uplifting songs, which is my go-to playlist for the mornings when I'm getting ready and wish I was still in bed, or when the afternoon's motivation level is zero and I still have so much left to do. I always need music to work, and it has become the perfect company.

BAKING

I always feel like I should be blogging all the baking I do, but sometimes it is nice to just make something that doesn't look Instagram worthy but tastes absolutely amazing. Actually, an impromptu baking session always goes a lot better than a baking post I had planned for weeks. Take 1 hour out of your day and bake, and you'll have the perfect blogging snack. If baking is not for you, cook a homemade dinner. While I was at uni, during my third year, I rarely cooked and became a known face to the local restaurant staff. This definitely didn't help me with concentrating and staying awake on those long late nights. I try and not make the excuse of having no time, and make sure I cook something homemade every day... with a few cheat days of course.

SOCIAL MEDIA-ING

Even though I try and keep away from the Internet during these breaks, it's always nice to spend that time sharing the love with other bloggers. Whether it would be reading and commenting on posts, or being engaged on Instagram, it's nice to give something back. It's also a great way for inspiration and a little motivational boost if you're feeling uninspired.

I hope this has inspired you to include something fun in your blogging day. Let me know in the comments below if you give yourself mini-breaks during your blogging days and what you like to do during them, or if you don't, what you'd like to start.