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You’ve heard the term “burnout” before, I’m sure. But how about Blogger Burnout? Is that even possible? Think about it. At the start of your blog, you’re extremely excited, have lots of ideas, learning absolutely everything you can. You can’t imagine ever getting tired of blogging or blogger burnout.
What is blogger burnout?
Trust me, it’s real. You can become so overwhelmed with “all the things” that you WILL burnout, if you’re not careful.
There’s a famous saying in blogging, “Throw spaghetti against the wall until something sticks”. Well, in the process of doing just that, you can easily burnout.
Blogger burnout can be totally paralyzing. It is a term that describes a person that cannot write anything, is dissatisfied with everything, so you do nothing.
There are a couple of other posts you may want to read at Annie Richardson Consulting. Also, don’t forget to sign up for Tech Talk Thursday emails! You get tips, tricks, and training on the technical side of blogging, along with news, motivation, and quick tips! You will LOVE them! Sign up here:
Do you Suffer from Blogger Burnout?
Consider this scenario:
You start learning all about blogging. You start your blog using what you think is the very best niche in the world. About a month later, you decide it is NOT the best niche in the world, there’s a better idea. So you redesign your blog for the new niche, write new content.
About a month later, you decide it is NOT the best niche in the world, there’s a better idea. So you redesign your blog (again) for the new niche, write new content. Rinse, Repeat.
Finally, you settle on your blog, and start writing. Get sidetracked with all the new pretty plug-ins. Install everything you see. Your blog breaks.
Get everything back to normal, start writing. Find out there is this great organization tool. Take the course. Get sidetracked on new tools. Rinse, repeat.
See what I mean?
So now you’re feeling like maybe this isn’t a good idea after all. Maybe you even feel like you’re incapable of doing this. I promise you, neither of those statements are true.
Tips to Help you through Blogger Burnout
I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to help you through blogger burnout.
Stop Blogging … just for a minute
Stop. Just stop. Don’t try to write, or do, or learn. Take a deep breath and look around you. What’s your environment like?
Write it Down
One of the first things you should do is empty your brain. Put all the thoughts and ideas down on paper (or electronic, but I prefer paper) to “dump” your brain. Take these ideas and make a plan for when or what days you will blog about which idea. Whatever you do…review your plan every single day and make corrections as needed.
Plan Today, Review Tomorrow, Rinse, Repeat
–Annie Richardson
Change your Environment
Change your environment. That may be as simple as cleaning up the area you work in or as drastic as moving to a real office. Recently, I was on a business trip, and my husband went with me. I was trying to blog and mentor clients in an environment definitely not conducive to blogging. 🙂 But I made it.
My husband saw my struggle. He recognized that at home, my blogging environment is, well, it sucks. I have everything crammed into one room. Aromatherapy, Cricut crafting, Other crafting, and blogging. He had never realized what all was involved in blogging previously. He said to me, “Your environment just won’t do. No wonder you’re struggling.”
So, when we got home, he went to work taking an extra room in our house and creating an office JUST FOR BLOGGING. I was so excited. I now can go to that room and do blogging, videos, podcasts, and everything else.
Now, not everyone has an extra room to use for blogging, but look at your environment you blog in. There may be a better place in your house to blog. Or go to the local coffee shop, or library. See if that is easier for you.
Add Calming Accessories
For some of you, blogging may need to be in a loud, busy environment. Good for you. Not me. Most of us need a more calming area.
With that in mind, think about what is calming for you. Here’s a list of some of the things I do to calm me and my environment. Keep in mind, you don’t want it TOO calming so it makes you sleepy!
1. Aromatherapy. Use either something calming or motivating. I recommend a couple of blends from Edens Garden. I prefer Awake & Aware, Mimosa Mandarin, and Tranquility. Edens Garden has much to choose from including diffusers and body oil. They are NOT an MLM company; they sell directly to the customer. Their oils are pure oils.
2. Music. Depending on what type of environment you prefer, you can find music for it. I love Amazon’s Music. It’s unlimited music. All types, from calming to crazy! Here’s a free trial:
Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial
3. Beverage. Coffee, tea, soft drink, or adult beverage. I highly recommend NOT blogging with an adult beverage…I’ve tried it and the blog post didn’t turn out so good. lol. 🙂 In any case, bring something to drink with you to your environment, so you don’t get distracted when you get thirsty.
4. Your laptop, tablet, phone, or whatever you use for blogging. I prefer my Chromebook and Google Docs, but you can use your phone or tablet. I think a laptop is less stressful, personally.
5. A set of good headphones. I have several from cheapo to a set of Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Headphones. These, of course, are my preferred headphones, but just any headphones that will help you shut out the noise around you.
6. A Sign. Put a sign on the door (if you have a door), on your desk, or near wherever you work letting your family know you are in the blog zone. Have fun with it.
7. Crackers or a small snack. Nothing big or heavy, just something to munch on if you get a little hungry.
Start Blogging
Just start blogging. See if the change in the environment helps. Pick a specific time or block of time. I recommend starting with 30 minutes uninterrupted. You’ll be surprised how much you can do in 30 minutes uninterrupted. I wrote a post about Batching blog posts that may help you.
More Motivation
My friend, Faith Mariah, has an awesome blog, podcast, and facebook group that is incredibly motivating. You can find Faith at Radical Transformation Project. One of my other friends, is my favorite mentor, Kim Anderson. Kim has an incredible Virtual Retreat by Kim Anderson coming up in January. Her physical retreats are awesome, so I think this new virtual retreat will be really good!
Help for Procrastinators
I previously wrote a blog post on How to Control Procrastination for Techies. Although this is a fun post, it does contain some terms and help with controlling procrastination.
Procrastinators tend to put things off that only take a few minutes. Keep in mind, part of blogging is design, updates, organization, tools, and many, many other tasks. If you only have 30 minutes, choose a 30 minute task to complete. If you only have 15 minutes, outline your blog post.
In any case, take a deep breath, find your calm, and just blog.
Don’t forget to sign up for Tech Talk Thursday emails! You will LOVE them!
Until Next Time, Happy Blogging!
Your Fairy Blogmother
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