‘I find it so hard to switch off, but when I do switch off, I find it even harder to switch back on. So I am gonna stay on’.
This was my Tweet some days ago and it got me thinking about blogger burnout. What happens when we can no longer stay on but afraid to switch off? What happens when we rely on our blog for income and cannot afford to just not blog?
(picture has nothing to do with the post, just like it)
Blogger burnout is real and it happens to many of us. Here are some tips to avoid burning out:
Have a To-do List
I start my day knowing exactly what needs to be done in order of priority and I tick off every completed tasks. It keeps me organised, and helps get the work done quicker.
Schedule Posts in Advance
I try to write a week’s content in advance. This saves the stress of having to write a post and publish on the same day, and it helps me relax. However, sometimes, I may have to write and publish a collaborative post on the same day but this rarely happens.
Take Pictures in Advance
As you can tell by now, a lot of my blog work is done in advance. I take pictures of samples weeks before they appear on the blog, outfit pictures are usually taken days in advance. This helps me plan my blog content and saves the stress of having to complete too many tasks on the same day.
Go For Walks
I try to go for walks as often as possible as walking helps clear my mind. Whenever I am stuck on a post, I shut my laptop and go for a short walk and it usually helps. I come back fully energised, bursting with ideas.
Plan
I plan content for Fashion and Style Police and my client’s sites in advance and I dedicate separate days in the week for each of them. So for example, I could have the whole of Monday to plan posts for my blog, dedicate the whole of Tuesday to plan posts for a client’s site, then have Wednesday to write my book. That way, I am focused and the writing flows easier.
Write Everyday
This sounds crazy but it works I promise. For me to avoid a writer’s block, which results to a blogger burnout, I make sure I write at least 500 words a day regardless of what I am working on. I usually write way more than that but I make sure to hit 500 words a day. This keeps my brain exercised. If I take a day or 2 off writing, I struggle to get back in the game.
Read a Book
One of the ways I take time off writing and blogging is by reading a book. I enjoy reading on my Amazon Kindle. I love the fact that I can think of any book and start reading it in minutes. I usually read a book a day, and it relaxes me and gives me fresh ideas.
Sleep
A good way to avoid and recover from blogger burnout is to have a power nap or a good night sleep. So when next you feel like you have had enough, go straight back to bed. It works like magic.
Read Other Blogs
I am always on the lookout for a cool blog and I find that I relax and get inspired when I find such blogs.
Learn to Say NO
Now this last tip is very important as most of us find it so hard to say NO. For example, I reject half of the product reviews requests I get now because I am struggling to cope. I try to limit the product reviews posts to one a week (don’t want to bore you guys too much), and I have months of product reviews posts lined up already so I only accept and say yes to products that have me jumping out of my chair. Try to say YES and focus on what will help your blog get to the next level and say NO to everything else. Every collaboration has to be mutually beneficial for it to be worth your time and effort.
So there you have it. These are the ways I avoid and handle blogger burnout. Do you have any tried and tested tips to add? Drop me a comment, let’s chat.
Thanks for reading.
I think for regular or daily bloggers it is very easy to hit that wall but for me as a hobby blogger I find at the moment I always have something to say and at the moment I am not jaded by it all.
http://www.naomitalksbeauty.com
Yea the burnout bit usually affects daily bloggers.
Reblogged this on The Mummy Balancing Act and commented:
Ok, I loved reading this post so much that I wanted to show the author some love. I also think that the more other bloggers this post reaches the better it will be for them. I am pretty rubbish at planning. I go through phases of getting lots done in advance, to rushing through 5 posts in a day. The latter is not the best, especially in terms of content, spelling etc. Following these simple steps will help me for sure, so if you need a reminder and find these helpful, then pop along and show Stella some appreciation for this fab post!
Thanks for the reblog.
No problem. It’s a great post
I think these tips are fantastic. I would reitterate the need to plan in advance and try and stay at least a week ahead if you can. This isn’t always easy of course 🙂 Thank you for this post. I liked it so much that I have reblogged it 🙂
Great tips! This is so true and so handy to know especially for the new bloggers out there. I definitely agree with the saying no bit. If I haven’t finished a post, and it’s not up to standard, I won’t post it because I’d rather sacrifice that for quality rather than quantity. xx
Yea. I have reduced the frequency of my posts and I have seen a rise in my stats because I spend time writing quality content and promoting them.
Yes and I’d say that’s definitely the right way to go! Wish I’d read this when I was first starting out.
Yea I wish I knew these when I started too.
Some of these tips are so helpful! As a new blogger I’m trying hard to get onto having my post’s written a week in advance, but it’s so difficult to get into the swing of that! I’ll definitely give a few of these other tips a try though.
Kirsty
x
It is at first but it gets easier. Just keep at it.
I always ensure I have tweets scheduled throughout the week to help ease that burden and I schedule one or two of my posts too x
Scheduling tweets is something I am yet to do but will look into it.
Love these tips – I’m going to share on Linkedin!
I took a week off in the Summer as it was all getting too much, it actually helped. Sometimes you can have a build up of work and struggle to write – I have found taking some time out and then writing a non-sponsored post about something you love gets you back in the swing of things x
Feel free to share. Thanks for reading.
I’ve recently started to say no a lot more to things. I’ve learnt that I don’t have to feel obliged to get involved with everything that lands in my inbox and sometimes it’s good to sit back and know your worth.
Ashleigh x
Being Ashleigh – Lifestyle, Food, Photography and Fashion blog ♡
Yea it feels good to know your worth. Thanks for stopping by.
Glad you liked the post. Thanks for sharing it.
Learning to say no is the most important blogging lesson! x
Yea it is.
Great advice here, I wish I was organised enough to write a week in advice, it would really help with my stress levels!
Yea. Scheduling content is the way forward.
Thanks for this – I’m suffering with a bit of this at the moment to be honest.
Hope you feel better now Ali.
I try and post nearly everyday to ensure that my brain doesn’t run out of steam and sleep is important too although I don’t get enough of it
I don’t get enough sleep as well. Sleep eludes me, lol..
I totally agree with all your points here! I struggled with blogger burnout earlier this year when I had loads of uni work to do plus I was ill and had to step away from the blog for a bit. Trying to get back into it was so difficult and I’m only starting to get back into my stride now because I’m trying to do blogtober!
Lauren // OhHay Blogs!
xxx
Yea I find it hard when I don’t write for days. It is so difficukt to get back into it.
Great tips. I agree with every point. Very useful especially to new bloggers. Will ever thank you for this.
Glad you like it Osime x
This is great advice. It can be so easy to get over whelmed by blogging and not allow yourself time off. It’s so important to restrict the times you work and work smart to avoid burnout. 🙂
Yeap. Working smart is the way forward.
I really like all your tips. I’m really benefiting from having a to do list, there’s something very satisfying about ticking things off isn’t there
Yea there is. It makes me feel so good.
Blogger burnout seems to be one of those things a lot of people are talking about at the moment. It’s good to know there are ways out of it!
Yea it is good to know. Thanks Sarah.
Great tips, I think looking at other blogs can be useful for generating ideas for posts, I also read magazines and newspapers if I’m stuck for ideas.
Cool tips Serena. I read magazines too for ideas.
Really enjoyed reading this post and so many of these tips are so useful and really true – I have been feeling a bit burnout lately and I know I need to say No to more things and get more sleep
Laura x
Yea saying No and getting good sleep always helps.
Really good post. I often suffer from blogger burnout and always struggle to turn off. x
Thanks Jessica.
My blog is having a slow re-birth which cant be seen now as a lot of the work I’m doing behind the scenes, and as my other jobs are picking up, its sooooo impt that despite all that i find time for my blog….its freakn hard, but from you and other blogs,one of the most popular tips seems to be to write in advance…I used to do that, then I stopped, but I’m trying to pick that up again. Great tips!
Yea once you write in advance you will always have new content to publish. It helps me stay organised.
All such great tips. Great read x
Glad you found it a good read x.
I love this post, it sounds like you have everything figured out and organised, I wish I could organise my posts. I do write in advance sometimes as I only have two days off work a week so I take 1 day to focus on writing posts then schedule them but as it is still a part time thing for me sometimes I just write and post there and then. Great advice
Glad you love the post Tracey.
great tips!!! I am a blogger myself, and even though I dont do it, writing in advance and scheduling post is definitely the best thing we all can do- I really want to write articles ahead but I struggle finding time at the moment but definitely soon… I also totally agree about having a list of tasks – that way I was studying for final exams at uni and it brought some amazing results!
have a great weeekend,
Dominika
http://dominika.co
Have a lovely weekend Dominika.
I totally understand blogger burnout. Sometimes, I am totally hperactive, spending all day on blog-related things, and other days I can’t motivate myself at all. I do seriously need to start scheduling posts in advance.
Yea scheduling posts help on those days when you can’t be bothered to do anything.
Learning to say no is so important!!!! I’m currently snowed under with posts for products I’ve recieved but I have writers’ block and can’t seem to get the words out! :/ Thanks for all the tips!
Laura | What’s Hot?
Thanks for reading Laura.
I have also learnt to say no. I find my blog has so many reviews I forget why I started it in the first place!
I know right. I limit reviews to one post a week now.
I “write” a lot of posts in my head when walking the dogs… I really have to buy myself a small recorder
I do that too, lol…
Great tips – I write a post every day – or try to. I am in a kind of routine now which is good. I have had to learn to say no too. Kaz x
Nice. Good job Kaz..
fab advises, i like the say no one. its hard to resists frebies hahaha but you have to do sometimes 🙂
Yea I need to say No more often too, lol..
Great tips here, I get this very often, I write A LOT of lists, daily and even though out the day, I always take a lot of photos, especially on my phone and instagram, but when it comes round to feeling like I want to blog about it feel it is dated but then I guess that’s only to me as no one else has seen these photos. I also find that bulk writing works best for me and scheduling posts for the next couple of weeks.
Meimei xx
http://www.meimeisays.co.uk
Yea it does. Thanks Meimei.
Really good tips, as someone who has to blog to make a living I know all about blogger burnout, think it is at its worst when you are ill, as I am today, you just want to curl up, but work won’t do itself.
Aww. Hope you feel better hun. Take it easy.
I see this post was meant for me, a hundred percent!!!! Seriously. I shall be implementing your tips starting RIGHT now. You are a blogging powerhouse, Stella, seriously, and writing 500 words per day everyday. That is something I’m seriously working on too! <3
Yea the writing everyday works for me. That way I can still publish content on off days.
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