The Impact of Taking a Small Break From Medium
It‘s not as dreadful as you might think.
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When Summer Break comes around, more of my time goes towards entertaining my daughter, resulting in fewer articles and stories written on Medium. But does it mean less readership, engagement, and money?
Taking A Break
We all need breaks from work, children, news, or life. Sometimes, it’s inevitable, as it was in my case. At the beginning of Summer Break, I had already taken a break from many things: watercolor painting, voxel creation, writing in my journal, cooking (most days), and playing video games. My health and my 4-year-old took priority.
Usually, I would write during my daughter’s school hours or when she sleeps. We’re very loose with her bedtime right now. She has enormous energy, even after a full day of activities, and when we get her down at a decent time, she will wake up before me. It’s a tough summer for me-time.
With my writing time mostly gone, I depended on the articles I had written and scheduled in advance. I had a few pieces prepared and ran out of them by the end of June. And I didn’t keep up with reading articles from other authors.
Statistic Changes
As shown in the above graph, the number of reads decreased and remained steady. These numbers look normal to me.
My audience grew as well during my 3-week absence. I’ve gotten 12 new followers who, hopefully, enjoy my articles to some extent.
The most significant difference resides in the Partner Program earnings. I’m not the biggest earner — I usually make $2-$3 a month (with a surprising $6 last month). We’re three weeks into July, and so far, my earnings have been lower than I usually receive.
Impact
Being absent from Medium for a while showed me what I anticipated when I first started here in…