Oh woooooo. I’m now back at work after two weeks off. I am down in the dumps about it because although yes, I am lucky to have a job blah blah blah, being a lady of leisure is just the best.
Most of my holidays are booked for a reason. We have loads to do and I don’t feel like I’ve had a holiday. This time was different. I had two weeks off. The first week was busy as we had plans, went away for the weekend and it was my birthday. But the second week was chill AF.
I was up by 7:30 am on most days. I would go to the gym for a couple of hours, come home and shower. Potter about a bit, doing bits of housework, blogging and then cook tea. We went to the pub a couple of times and watched TV.
Nothing wild, just chilling out and enjoying our new home.
After the stress of moving house and getting my CIM assignment in, it was so nice just not have any pressure to do anything.
I know people often say if they didn’t work, they would be bored out of their heads. I have to admit that I feel a bit different. I feel like I could never get bored. There’s always so much I want to do, books I want to read, games I want to play, TV shows I want to watch, places I want to visit, exercises at the gym I want to work on…
I think I’ll play the euro millions on Tuesday!
What My Ideal Week Actually Looks Like
Looking back at that second week, what made it feel right was simple.
Getting up early because I wanted to, not because I had to. Going to the gym without checking the clock. Coming home and making a proper breakfast instead of cramming something in before work. Having the afternoon open. Pottering — I cannot overstate the joy of pottering. Tidying the kitchen slowly. Watering the plants. Not needing to be anywhere by a specific time.
Evenings: cooking something that took longer than necessary because nobody was waiting. Watching something good on TV. Going to the pub for a couple of drinks not because it was a special occasion, just because it was Tuesday and we felt like it.
Nothing wild. That’s the point, I think.
People always ask if they’d get bored without work, and I’m always bemused by the question. I’ve never had the experience of running out of things I want to do. There are always books I haven’t read, gym goals I’m working towards, places I want to visit, posts I want to write, TV shows I’m behind on. The problem is never having nothing to do — it’s having too much.
A note from 2026: I wrote this in July 2019 while still working full-time. I went self-employed as a full-time blogger a couple of years later. The ideal week I described above is, more or less, my actual week now. I was right — I don’t get bored. Not even slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does your ideal day look like as a full-time blogger?
Up early, gym, home to shower and make a proper breakfast. A few hours of focused work — writing, editing, planning, whatever the week needs. Lunch at a normal time. An afternoon of lighter tasks or getting outside. Cooking tea properly. Evening off. It sounds boring and it is brilliant.
Do you get bored working from home and being self-employed?
Not even a little bit. I had this exact worry before I made the jump, and it turned out to be completely unfounded. There is always something to do — always a post to write, a skill to learn, a walk to take, a bit of garden to attend to. The limiting factor is never boredom. It’s usually the opposite.
How do you make the most of time off when you work full-time?
Don’t plan every hour of it. The week I described in this post — gym, pottering, a bit of housework, cooking, pub — was one of the best holiday weeks I’d had in years precisely because it had no agenda. Leave space for the boring-but-actually-lovely stuff. You’ll miss it when you’re back at work.