People, I got it: blogger burnout. It isn’t even that I suffer from writer’s block or a lack of things to say, but I feel blah (not depression blah, normal blah … maybe), which made it a real battle to sit and write. My normal response is to not write, which I obviously have been doing, since forced writing has a certain stench to it or least mine does. And while I wouldn’t mind taking a (longer) break, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and write about dealing with blogger burnout, because every blogger deals with it at some point.
I Blog. You Blog. We All Burn Out Sometimes
Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Everyone burns out.
Post Something Radically Different
Conventional wisdom dictates that you write within your niche versus everything. This is generally good advice. Readers like knowing what to expect from you. But it’s also okay to experiment and change things up a bit, especially if you’re getting bored. The change may be the spark that lifts your blogging funk. Some ideas to consider include:
- Do something that scares you and write about it.
- Write about a topic you have interest/passion around but normally don’t discuss on your blog. Even though it may not be within your normal niche, readers like learning about the person behind the blog so they will be interested.
- Start a series. Interview someone you admire. Contact bloggers in your community to participate in some sort of round-up, whether it’s one-time or ongoing.
Read New-to-You Blogs
We are creatures of habit and tend to visit the same blogs every day. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, as you’ve hopefully made some great friends this way. I certainly have! But it’s always good to make an effort to explore and expand your blogging horizons too. New blogs can also spur ideas and help you further build your blogging community.
Keep A Blog Idea List
Most bloggers will find themselves staring at their blank white computer screen and shuddering at some point. Their brain is empty and all they want to do is snuggle with their cat. Okay, that might just be me. 😀 But still, some days nothing seems post worthy, which can lead to blogger burnout if it happens regularly. I keep a Post Idea List (as a draft post) with all the ideas that randomly pop in my head or I want to “borrow” from fellow bloggers. Some post ideas are thoughtful or provocative. Some fall into the silly and easy category. I want to remember them all so I have ideas for whatever strikes my fancy and mood and helps keep blogging fun versus work.
Reevaluate Your Blogging Purpose
Everyone blogs for different reasons. Some just want to engage with other like-minded people. To share expertise that helps others. Or to earn money. Some want to do all of the above. Reasons can evolve over time and if your blog content no longer reflects what you want to share or how you want to earn money, then that could be a major reason why you have blogger burnout. It’s hard to do things that no longer match your purpose, whether you’re doing it for fun or profit. Take a step back and reassess if you need to adjust your content. Or your posting schedule or frequency. Or hire a VA to help.
Give Yourself Permission to Take a Break
Finally, never forget it’s your blog, which means YOU make the rules. Yes, maintaining a regular posting schedule is smart, but readers are also understanding so be honest with them. Let them know you’re taking a week or two or more off. Depending on your blog (especially with a highly monetized blog), you may need/want to have guest bloggers post in your absence to keep your readers engaged while you recharge. But no matter what, it’s okay to take a break.
How do you handle blogger burnout?
Tanya
I definitely experience it every once in awhile. For me it’s not so much about what to write about, because I don’t care that much if I go “off-topic,” but I just think, “man I’d have more free time if I didn’t blog (or related activities) and sometimes it feels like a second job. That’s when I know. And I think breaks are good, but you do have to be prepared that people may not love that inconsistency.
Yes, some days blogging can feel like a second job and more work than fun. That’s when I know I need a break too. I always try to give people a head’s up if I’m taking a break. It helps people from worrying and more understanding, generally speaking!
i go through blog blahs once in a while and when that happens (like now!), i just step away for a while.
I think that’s key. To just step away and be okay with it. I’m always better for doing so.
I think its been running rampant lately…
I havent blogged every day of the week lately & its freaking my dad out 😉 haha – he calls me if I dont post “Are you OK?… ARE YOU SICK?” haha!
LOL! That’s so cute! I do think every blogger goes through it where it becomes more work than fun. And it’s so nice out, we just don’t want to stuck on our computers when we don’t have to be.
Sometimes we just need that break! I’ve been thinking about taking one lately, too. When the creativity starts to wane I usually do a survey or questionnaire or ‘about me’ post to lighten the mood and get me motivated again 🙂
A break is what recharges me the best. I typically still read and comment on blogs, although sometimes not as consistently as I normally do. But I find that I start missing everyone and connecting and that gets me excited to blog again. And yes, having survey or questionnaire or something easy to post definitely help me on days when I just don’t know what to write!
I take a break or share a post someone sent to me and asked if they could publish.
Guest posts are a good idea. It keeps the blog going while you relax a bit.
Currently, my blog is a hobby. So, if I don’t feel like writing or have time, I don’t. My goal is to eventually monetize and I think writing a lot when I’m motivated and then scheduling them out in advance will help so I don’t HAVE to write if I don’t want to, but there’s posts published on the blog. I’m just not quite that organized yet! LOL!!
I do find having a schedule helps me out. I can’t plan too far ahead because I’ll change my mind but knowing what I want to write about in advance definitely makes a difference. And keeping an ongoing list of post ideas. I always think I’ll remember all my good ideas but I don’t. LOL!
I hear ya! 🙂 For me, I feel blogger burnout when I feel like I “have to” post something, instead of being like “I want” to post something, you know what I mean? Right now, I just have complete computer/social media burnout. I don’t want to be in front of my computer for ANY reason whatsoever, and social media has just bummed me out. Everything is just so negative or extremely full of nonsense. Happy Monday, lol 🙂
The “have to” also gets me. I want to post and share and connect, not feel obligated to do so. I hear ya on the burnout. I have it too. It seems like bad news all over the place and it can really wear a gal out.