The title of this post is pretty self-explanatory: I have blog burnout.
In short, this means that I have a blog for which I want to craft eloquent posts, but I simultaneously feel like sitting down at a computer to crank out a single line of text might be proverbial equivalent of pulling my own wisdom teeth sans Novocain. And that was the short version.
Before I debate the merits of blog burnout, let’s start with a little flashback, shall we?
I started getting really into blogging at the beginning of June after my graduation. My schedule cleared, the burden of exams and tests lifted, and all I had to do was keep myself out of trouble and in shape to head to college come August. I felt invincible, so I poured hours and hours into my blog and watched the stats spike.
As my follower count skyrocketed and engagement shot through the roof, I started to feel the pressure of blogging to a large audience. What did my readers want to read? Did they follow me because I followed them or are they actually interested in what I have to say? Was I saying the right stuff? Was I going to offend someone if I said the wrong thing?
The sparkle quickly disappeared. Blogging started to feel less like a creative outlet and more like a chore. I felt that I was obligated to produce new content every day so that you, my lovely readers, would be happy; so that you would keep coming back and reading what I have to say.
And thus we’ve arrived at the present situation: I feel pretty burned out.
This is in part because I set such a regimented schedule for myself: I wanted to write two posts a day until I got at least a month ahead of my posts and then I would start taking it slow. WordPress is fabulous for this with the scheduling tool, but I can only schedule posts after I write them.
On top of that, I felt a lot of self-induced pressure to read and review the “hot” books so that my readers would be intrigued and see that I was current and relevant. I’m a fast reader and can devour a book in a day, but reading new books takes time and money, both of which I seem to have little of lately.
AND on top of that, I’m trying to finish writing my damn novel. My protagonist is super high maintenance and complains when I don’t spend enough time with her, so I’ve had to dedicate hours to stroking her ego and writing new scenes for her.
I love doing all of these things. I love to read and write and blog and spend time with my main character (she’s a trip), but I can’t do them all at once. And every once in a while, I have to get some sleep too. Do you know how much I would pay to not have to sleep?
So the question I asked myself was, when did it stop being fun? When did the things I love doing turn into burdens? When did blogging become the equivalent of dental surgery without anesthesia?
I don’t have the answers to those questions as we rarely do when we as bloggers experience this phenomenon. It’s taxing and painful to realize that your passion may not be your passion at this very moment. Every time I open up my manuscript and can’t find the motivation to put words on paper, it breaks my heart a little bit.
So here’s the deal: I’m not going to quit blogging. I’m on a downswing at this moment, but I feel like the pendulum is about to shift in the right direction. You won’t be getting rid of me so easy.
What I am going to do is find ways to make this fun again. I’m going to try writing new posts, making new graphics, talking about the real stuff: the beautiful, the grizzly, the mediocre, and everything in between. I’m going to reread my favorite books and give my bitchy protagonist the attention she deserves.
I’m just going to see how it goes. Maybe I’ll write three posts one day and no posts the next. Maybe I’ll read a book in a day and then go on a two week reading hiatus. Maybe I’ll get in the zone and write 4,000 words. Maybe I’ll write four. No matter what happens, I want this to be fun again. I want to enjoy the time I spend working on my blog and reading and writing. I want to fall in love with literature again, so that’s what I’m going to do.
How do you deal with blog burnout? Got any trade secrets for making writing and reading fun again?
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I feel this. I think that the only thing to remember is that unless you’re doing this professionally, blogging is just for you. If you need to take a step back, step back. Hobbies are only fun if you enjoy them. Piling stuff on top of stuff always sounds like a good idea at the time, I’m the same way. But it’s also important to remember that reading and blogging are usually hobbies, you don’t owe your followers things. If blogging stops being fun, go on hiatus for a while. You don’t have to queue up a bunch of posts before you do. Just take a break until you feel like doing it again. Do things you enjoy. Life’s more fun that that way.
Exactly!! I like your perspective on how blogging is for the blogger and not for the followers. I’ll have to keep that in mind!!
i totally get you! i know how it feels when your hobby suddenly turns out to feel like a chore. thats not good! i think the best thing to do is taking a step back. like when you’re in a reading slump. don’t force yourself and when you’re starting to miss it, you will come back. that’s what i did in the past.
i know, this maybe sound weird, but this is YOUR blog, not other peoples blog. you should write for yourself and not for others. at least thats what i do. i am not trying to get as many followers or likes as possible. when someone interacts i am so happy about it but i don’t blog just so it happens. i hope, you know what i mean?! 😅
and i hope, that you soon develop this excitement again and have fun with your blog! 🤗
Thanks so much! I totally agree–don’t force yourself to create if you don’t want to.
You are doing the right thing having a break, you will probably miss it and get to a point where you’re suddenly finding inspiration everywhere and then new post ideas will come pouring out in no time. Good luck and hope to see an update when it becomes fun for you again!
Thanks! I don’t have a hiatus or extended break planned, but I’m cutting back in the amount of posts and spending more time on each idea to bring each post to fruition in a way that makes sense to me and that I like. Even after just writing this post, I already feel a weight off my chest 🙂
I totally feel you, it can be so hard to constantly produce good and fresh content! Never be afraid to post less, even once a week, until you’re ready again. Especially if you’re writing a novel as you’re certainly not wasting your time doing nothing! I just sat down myself and made a list of post ideas to help me get through August😊
That’s a great idea!! Thanks for sharing, looking forward to reading your fabulous posts!
Aww that sucks, sometimes I have these too where I just can’t focus or write. But I’ll be waiting for whenever you get your inspiration back. I enjoy your blog so much so don’t worry, I am not going to unfollow you. (Maybe you can try doing some awards and tags you were nominated for while you’re in a slump. That’s what I do. Sometimes it helps, because I am still blogging but it doesn’t require too much inspiration to do. 😀 )
That’s a good idea! Doing tags might just be the way to get my groove back 🙂
I think it definitely helps to do easy posts, like tags or awards or list-type posts because they’re easy to write but still interesting and relevant! That way you feel like you’re still posting something, but it doesn’t take too much effort! I also found it easier to stay motivated during the school year, tbh. I blogged throughout my third year of undergrad and plan on continuing this year (my last year!!) and actually thought it was easier, because it was something I got to do other than school work haha so that was a motivation. But I never pressured myself to post, which I think helps a lot too!
Thanks for sharing! It’s encouraging to hear that you blogged during the school year 🙂
Whenever I’m tempted to set a more rigid blogging schedule for myself, fear of blogging burn-out is what holds me back. I blog on top of working full time, and I know that if I put too much pressure on myself, it’s going to become a chore. I think it’s important to be realistic with how much you can handle, and not be too hard on yourself if you slip up, because blogging is a time-consuming hobby. Above all else, it’s meant to be fun, and if you aren’t having fun, I think you’re making the right choice to step back and re-evaluate. Wishing you luck!
Thanks so much!!
I hear you, Annie. Loud and clear. As it happens, I am trying to write something alongside and it is a struggle to do justice to both. To counter it, I blog as and when I feel like it. It should be a pleasure not a pain in the arse! Take time to relax? The teeth should not fall out with the extra pressure of blogging 😉 x
Thanks so much for reading! I think I need to do a little more blogging when I feel like it and a little less structure 🙂
Less structure. You have the key right there. xx
I received advice about this same topic recently (yesterday? 🙂 )… You get a little success (i.e. interaction) on your blog and all of a sudden you are feeling the pressure… No one puts that pressure on you but you but that doesn’t change that you feel pulled a thousand different ways! Blog however you want to blog! Go with your heart… as much as it feels like sometimes – this is NOT a job!
Thanks Dani!!
I’ve been there myself, just with a former blog I had. I stopped forcing myself to keep to as strict a posting schedule and just allowed myself to relax. That led me to the realization that my blog wasn’t working for me. I wanted to discuss my love of books with others and on the old platform I used, I just wasn’t finding any interaction at all. Now that I have my blog on WordPress, I’m actually reading more and writing more and interacting more. It is totally fine to take a step back and post less frequently. I’m fairly certain we all understand needing to recenter and refocus. Trying to push through the burnout can make things worse. So take the time you need to find yourself and find the fun again. We’ll still be around when you come back refreshed and ready to go.
That was lovely and so reassuring–thank you for taking to write that supportive message!!
Any time. 🙂
Take a short break to do other fun things. You’ll probably start to crave blogging again, which comes with all the fun and excitement.
I’m not quite taking a break as much as I’m restructuring how I look at blogging and trying to find joy in it again. Maybe that entails a break down the road, we’ll see 🙂
Blog burn out. I’ve had a blog that got thousands of hits and one that got a reasonable number. I burned out. I took a year or so off. I re-evaluated. I plunged back in with a stronger focus on topics. It helped. You seem to have that nailed. Sometimes I just do a post I want to do regardless of “fit” and sometimes I just do something fun to shake it up a little. I also don’t agonize about not posting every day or on my normal days. I have a life, too.
You do an extremely nice job here. Pace yourself and it will continue to be great!
Wow thanks so much for your encouraging message!!
I think it’s great that you want to make it fun again! Maybe if you don’t feel like writing for the blog you can repost an older post you have? Just a suggestion!
Your main character sounds awesome!
I mean I’m kind of partial to my MC since I, you know, created her, but yeah! And that’s a great suggestion–I’ll have to try that out sometime 🙂
I just want you to know that I experienced the exact same problem(s) very recently. I too just started my blog and I’m also trying to write my books. I’ve experienced burn out with both of these things, numerous times. If I’m working hard on the blog, I feel like the book is falling to the wayside, and vice versa. Even when I’m managing to work on both, I still feel like I’m not giving them my full attention. I also feel like I don’t blog enough (well I know that’s true, that’s more than a feeling). I’m trying to get to a point where I feel confident and satisfied with the amount of work I do. I had myself on a pretty rigorous schedule until I realized that I didn’t want a schedule, and I didn’t want a lot of structure. Finding the balance between that and my motivation has been tough, it fluctuates day by day. It sounds kinda suck-y, but I’m glad I’m not alone in feeling this way, and neither are you. Just know that you have at least one fan who loves what you post, and I’m rooting for you! I’m sure we will both find our writing sweet-spot sooner or later 🙂
-Helene, https://angelspartaness.com/ <3
Wow Helene that was so motivational!! Thank you for taking the time to write that sweet note. Also, you’ve got at least one fan too 🙂
Aw, thank you Annie 🙂 xx