Invaluable Lessons Learnt From Taking Time Off
So, I'm back! Even though things have been running uninterrupted on From Roses, I've actually had some time off from work, blogging and the internet in general. This is the first post that I've written in over ten days and it feels a little odd to be sitting back down and typing away. I feel so refreshed from taking my first proper chunk of time off since 2013 and it's actually ended up being a total learning curve for me, especially with my blog. I wanted to share with you today some really invaluable lessons that time away has taught me.
BLOGGING ISN'T EVERYTHING
For a while, my blog had felt all consuming and it's easy to get completely sucked into the blogging world and let it take over. As much as I adore my corner of the internet there is so much more to life. In the real world, no one cares how well your post went down that day or how many followers you have. It's so easy to get bogged down in the numbers, I'm sure we all have at some point and it can be difficult to set yourself free from that mindset.
& NEITHER IS WORK
I'm quite a career driven person. It's super important to me that I feel like I'm doing well in what I'm doing, but work isn't the most important thing in life. For months, all I've focused on was what I was going to do next and all the steps that I needed to take to reach my big goal and it's all I thought about. Finding some sort of balance between work and life is difficult and for so long I'd just worked, worked and worked some more and forgot to live. I always want to be able to look back on my life and think 'yeah I worked really hard, but I also had a lot of fun'.
YOU DON'T NEED TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF
Something I think everybody can relate to is feeling like you have to justify yourself to others. Even if they don't knowingly do it, sometimes people can make you feel like you need to justify your actions. It's no one else's business what you choose to do with your free time and if you want to take time off then why shouldn't you? People are going to think whatever they like and so what is the point in trying to please them over pleasing yourself?
THE INTERNET IS A STRANGE PLACE
As so much of what I do is online I'm completely used to the weird little internet world. Things that matter on the internet have no relevance in real life at all. Sometimes I live too much in the online world and get totally sucked into it and care far too much about it all.
YOU'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
Again, I think we all do this without realising. We hear what our friends are doing and think that's what we should be doing. I've wasted so much time whittling and worrying that I'm not doing what my other friends are doing and there is a reason for that. We're not all the same and what works for others isn't always what make us all happy. Being in a really long distance relationship has changed my life in so many ways and it can be incredibly isolating. Taking time off really made me realise that what I'm doing is right for me and even if people don't agree with that, then that's ok because it's not their life, it's mine.
IT'S OK TO SAY THAT YOU WANT A REST
There are so many blog posts out there that are all about pushing yourself and working crazy hard. For the most part, I agree with these posts, I think it's important to work hard but it's really important to take time off too. I feel like there is this weird stigma attached to taking time off, that it makes you weak and lazy and that we should be working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Working that many hours constantly is only going to result in a complete burn out, something I'm all too familiar with and they suck. There should be nothing shameful at saying that you're tired and you are in need of a rest.
Have you taken any time off recently?
R x
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