With a full three months at my new remote gig at athenahealth (I work in an app coding medical articles. Me. A coder. Who would have thunk it?) I have a better grasp of what my job entails and where my writing fits in this new reality.
Let me just say, it’s a good thing I’m single because there is literally NO time for those shenanigans. At least not with this current release schedule. Perhaps doing a rapid-release series while starting a new job was not the best plan? To be fair, I got the job after the first book was already out.
So with a full 3 months of this new balancing act, what has changed, and what has stayed the same?
The Same
- I still do my yoga every day. 10 min to stretch out all the things. Especially my hands and back. I’m still not very bendy, but at least I can still get down off the floor. I call that a win.
- I still use a goals/gratitude journal in the morning and at night.
- I still have a writing a power hour M-F (7:00-8:00 AM) in which I write/edit whatever manuscript needs the most attention.
- I still use the weekend to prep the content for the following week: 2 blog posts, a newsletter, TikTok videos, etc.
- I still use Sunday to write my suspense (while the series Where You Left Me Vol. 1-5 takes over M-F.)
The Change
- I don’t stress as much about the housework getting done right away. It really IS okay if the floors don’t get vacuumed until Sunday. The laundry CAN sit another day. It’s fine. I promise.
- Reading more. Sounds strange, but prior to this work shift, there never seemed to be TIME to read. Now, I MAKE time. I need the escape from the screen and the daily stress of a 9-5. Since starting the day gig a few months, I’ve read four books. That’s more than I used to read in a year. Hmm. A boyfriend would come in handy as a soft pillow to lean against as I read, now that I think of it…
- Taking breaks. Prior to the day job, I would sit for hours on the screen, typing away, doing this or that, and neglect my body (and eyes.) Now, I make a point step away. Stretch. Make a cup of tea. Take a walk. Brain breaks are good.
- Naps have become a distant memory. I miss them. Naps used to be a daily thing for me. A quick 10 min power nap around 2pm. Having an autoimmune illness takes it out of you. Now, there simply isn’t time to take that power nap. Instead, I rely on Vitamin Water to help me power through. Weekend naps, however, still are very much a thing, thank you very much.
One thing I haven’t been able to even entertain yet is getting back into theater. I can’t even IMAGINE being in a show right now. There would be NO time to have dinner, and I’d have to stay up past 9:30! *gasp. As much as I ADORE acting, at this point, I don’t see how it’s possible. Maybe with time, I’ll get better at the balance and be able to get back on a stage. But for now, I’ll have to live vicariously through the characters I put on the page. You know, the flawed and frazzled heroine who is struggling to get her life in order and maybe find a guy to snuggle up with to read on.
Ah, fiction, you mirror, you.
Until next time!
Danielle Bannister, Author 