4 Clever Ways To Beat Blogging Burnout

If you've ever struggled with blogging burnout, writer's block, overwhelm, or just too much work - this is for you! Click through for 4 ways to get back on track today!

This guest post comes to us via the gorgeous and talented Corinne of the now sadly defunct Frock and Roll fame. She was such a great blogger!

It all happens so suddenly, so strangely; one minute you’re posting away lovingly, filling the pages of your blog with pretty words and nurturing it with the kind of adoration. Then bam! As if from nowhere, burnout abducts your inspiration in the night.

You curse, you shake your fist, but alas, your writing inspiration? It’s GONE! Well, temporarily, anyway.

Don’t despair! Don’t give up hope yet! There IS a solution!

4 types of blogging burnout + how to cure them

Blogging Burnout #1: ”I Just Can’t Be Bothered!”-itis

The Symptoms: Tiredness, feelings of mild resentment towards blogging/computers in general. Guilt. The  urge to spend copious amounts of time watching Gossip Girl/shopping/doing anything that’s not related to blogging.

The Prescription: Watch Gossip Girl! GO shopping! Take a break from all things website-y and allow yourself to do so without feeling guilty! ”I just can’t be bothered!”-itis strikes all of us down at some point. The only sanity-saving solution is to decide to step away from the computer, and return to it when you’re feeling refreshed and motivated to write again. (And you will!)

Blogging Burnout #2: ‘I Don’t Know What To Write About” Syndrome

The Symptoms: Empty pages. Lack of content.
The Prescription: Get back in touch with your original reasons for starting your blog. What are your interests? What excites you? Donatella Versace’s tan? Monkeys who can do The Hustle? What haven’t you investigated, discussed or tried?

Still running empty? Ask for ideas! Ask your readers which topics they’d like you to cover.  Ask your friends what they think would make for an interesting piece. Ask your siblings, your parents, your teachers or even the person you buy your coffee from in the morning!

Blogging Burnout #3: The ”I Know What I Want To Write About, But Do You Think That I Can Manage To Get The Words Out Today? Ha! And Also, NO!” Infection

The Symptoms: A sequence of events: head. Desk. BANG.

The Prescription: I know, I know. The words are on the tip of your tongue but, very rudely, they’re refusing to come out. Those devils! The treatment? It’s very similar to that of affliction #1: take a break!

Have a shower, clean your bedroom, put together an inspiration board. Anything! Just let the ideas and words come to you organically. (Keep a notepad nearby so that you can easily scribble them down as they do!)

Real Life Example: In the past, I’ve struggled to nut out an article because the words just couldn’t seem to present themselves when I attempted to type them. So, I’ve sat. And then looked out the window. And then continued sitting. And then tried to type out another sentence. And sat some more. And then opened up Twitter.

After another hour or so of this, I closed down my computer in a frustrated huff, and decided to rearrange my wardrobe.  Because hey, at least that way, SOMETHING would get done!

It worked. Within half an hour of sorting, not only were my dressed all neat and tidy, I’d managed to mentally prepare everything that I needed to say. Score!

Blogging Burnout #4: The ”Why Bother When Nobody’s Reading It Anyway?!” Cough

The Symptoms: Tumbleweeds.

The Prescription: If you blog, it’s inevitable that you’ll experience wild thrills in the web statistics theme park. There will be days when it feels as though the only person reading your work is the cat beside you.

If you’re not feeling the commenting or visitor love, ask yourself the following questions: Have you told anyone that you know about your project? Are you leaving comments on other websites to gain some new readers? (It works! Most of the websites I frequent today are run by people who have left a comment here at some stage or another, leading me to stumble across their pages and fall madly in love!)

Do you seek out new people to follow on Twitter? What have you done to increase the chance that somebody will find you today?

Tell us! Have you ever struggled with blogging burn out? If you have, how’d you get past it? 

P.S. What you’re REALLY seeing when you see online ‘success’

photo by Brian Jimenez // cc

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17 Comments

  1. Jackie

    Oh man, I get the "what to write?!" at least once a month. Glad to get some tips for solving it!

    fornicatingfeminists.com

  2. santahelena.org

    Thank you!

    I really need to recover mine. Don't write a sentence since Christmas.

  3. Holly

    I have been through all of these, and probably will always go through them. Doesn't everyone at some stage not only in blogging but in life?
    So, for new years I thought I would take on a challenge and try blogging every day!
    Even if it was just an inspirational photo I'd seen during the day and I had nothing else to say, it's still enough (well for me), and keeps me on track. From this continuity and routine I've found my writing, spelling and the way I write has improved so much.
    It goes to show that if you neglect something long enough you will lose it.
    So my two pence to add to this is keep it up anyway, just blog a quote that inspires you that day, because at the end of the week, month, or year you will have a big store of back-blogs to show the fruits of your labour, through the good times and bad times.

    Happy blogging everyone! You can do it! ♥

    Holly (Recovering Blogger)
    pricklythorns.blogspot.com

  4. Alexandra

    Oh yeah! been there so many times.
    I guess when I feel I'm out of ideas to write about I always post something that inspires me. My readers will love it, and I usually get ideas from those inspirational posts…
    Great advice, Sarah Von.
    Love ya!

  5. Carolina

    This helped me get a post up today–thank you!

  6. Emma

    Great post! I try to get over my blogging blocks by coming up with themes….like 14 days of love for February!

  7. Razz My Berries

    i really liked this post… thank you for your helpful words that have left me with some hope and inspiration.

  8. Rachael

    I've definitely lost my blogging mojo – I'm in this mode of "Do I really want to review stuff anymore?" I think I was trying to force myself to do reviews. Now I want to get into more personal, anecdotal posts and it's just been slow going.

  9. Sarah

    I'm just not sure where to go with my blogg… I have such a random mind some times.

  10. Corrine/Frock And Roll

    Awww, happy days! Thank-you so much for featuring my article, Sarah! 🙂 Much love!

  11. Val

    Thanks for a really useful and inspiring post. Some good ideas for getting out of the swamp of despondency.

  12. Bekah Buttons

    WHAT!? I'm not alone in feeling this way!? Thank God!

    And thanks for the tips. They help (or will help whenever I attempt to blog again!) Thank you! Truly!

  13. inspir-ed.

    Thanks for the encouraging advice. I'm bookmarking this for my next case of blogger's slump.

  14. michelle

    Thanks for posting this! As someone with a new blog, it's great to get this advice upfront. We all need a reminder that everyday is not going to produce the next great literary work, even when we think it should.

  15. Rachel

    This is really good advice. I especially suffer from #4. It's kind of a self sustaining condition too because then I start feeling guilty about not writing, don't want to think about the blog, and then have no ideas. My other problem is that I'll have an idea, but just never be able to fully flesh it out.

  16. Ash

    I was really starting to lose my blogging mojo towards the end of last semester so I decided to not blog while I was on my backpacking trip over winter break. Now that I've returned I'm in the mood to work on my blog, but I feel like I have so much I don't know where to start! Just taking it one step at a time now. Love this post and your blog.

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