If you’re a blogger struggling with burnout then you’re in the right place today! Blogger burnout is a very real thing and it’s no joke. It hits you hard and makes you question everything about your blogging experience.
How do I know this? Because I have hit blogger burnout. It’s not a fun place to be. I have been blogging seriously for 5 years and have been a full-time blogger for just over 2 years now. In all of my years of blogging, I never hit burnout until recently. There were a few times where I was on the brink of burnout but thankfully, I was able to refresh myself before hitting it in full. Well, that wasn’t the case this time.
When it comes to a topic like hitting burnout as a blogger, I truly believe that you can’t give solid advice on how to avoid it or overcome it until you’ve actually experienced it for yourself. Being completely transparent right now, I am still on my way out of blogger burnout. It’s my hope that writing this post will help me to heal and finally overcome my burnout experience.
One common misconception out there about reaching burnout is that you’ll always see the warning signs. I used to believe this myself. For me, I hit burnout out of nowhere.
I had an amazing start to the new year with my content and it had me feeling unstoppable! All I could see in front of me were the good things that were happening and my creativity was flowing really well. And then all of a sudden I found it really hard to write and create. April was a crazy month for me in my personal life so at first, I just figured that my lack of ability to write with ease was because of that. It wasn’t until the start of May that I realized that I hit blogger burnout. It was really hard to admit to myself.
[bctt tweet=”One common misconception out there about reaching burnout is that you’ll always see the warning signs. That’s not always the case.” username=”SummerTelban”]
Ever since admitting to myself that I really did hit blogger burnout, I have been doing a lot of thinking about why I did. As I said, it really came out of nowhere for me, so I’ve been determined to identify the roots of why it happened. Here’s what I have been able to pinpoint…
1. Blogging is an emotional rollercoaster of positives and negatives all day, every day. Whether I’m in talks with a brand about working together or I’m evaluating my growth (or lack thereof) on Instagram, it’s constantly a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Yeses and nos. We have a budget, we don’t have a budget. Gain 10 followers, lose 25 followers. Page views skyrocket, page views plateau. It’s a constant jumble of positives and negatives… so much so that it’s hard to process during it all and it affects us more than we realize.
[bctt tweet=”Blogging is an emotional rollercoaster of positives and negatives all day, every day.” username=”SummerTelban”]
2. Blogging and social media have conditioned me to be on high alert all of the time. If I don’t check my email multiple times a day, I could miss something that needs a response right away. If I’m not active on Instagram, I could miss a DM from a brand or follower. If I’m not present online, I could miss out on something big or important. It’s not a matter of FOMO for me, instead, it’s a matter of thinking that I need to respond immediately. That’s not reality.
3. The pressure I’m constantly putting on myself is unhealthy. I have always been someone who’s worked towards excellence but I let myself start focusing on perfection (which I know is not attainable), rather than focusing on working well. The expectations that I hold myself to are not always achievable at certain times. Just because I am a full-time blogger doesn’t mean that I need to be pushing out new content each and every day.
[bctt tweet=”How To Beat Blogger Burnout” username=”SummerTelban”]
I have been slowly navigating myself out of blogger burnout for a month now. I’m not totally there yet but I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been doing my best to focus on what I need to in order to beat this burnout for good. Here are some of the steps I’ve been taking and I’m going to continue to take from here on out.
HOW TO BEAT BLOGGER BURNOUT:
1. Take A Step Back From Blogging // I’m not saying you should stop blogging altogether but you should definitely take a step back from your regular blogging schedule. Chances are if you’ve hit blogger burnout, you’ve already taken a step back. That’s a good step back. It allows you to have the space to gain clarity.
If you need to take a step back from posting at all, do it. If you need to cut back on the number of times you post, do it. Do what’s best for yourself and don’t pressure yourself into creating when you’re burnt out.
2. Identify The Root(s) Of Your Burnout // If you can’t get to the bottom of why you’re experiencing burnout, it’s going to be difficult for you to get out of the rut. I’m going to be real with you here… You’re not going to identify the root(s) of your burnout in 1 day. That’s not reality. For me, it took weeks to figure out why I was experiencing burnout. Of course, everyone’s experiences and roots will be different, but nevertheless, the roots take time to nail down.
Here are some things to remember when taking time to identify the root of your burnout…
- Be honest with yourself.
- Be patient with the process.
PIN ME FOR LATER!
3. Refer Back To Why You Started Blogging // Why did you start blogging? What is your mission and purpose for blogging? These are a couple of questions you should ask yourself when you’re burnt out from the blogging world. The answer to these questions is your “why”. Your “why” is your focus, mission, and passion behind all that you do with your blog. When it comes time to start creating again, keep your “why” at the forefront of all that you do.
4. Take It Slow & Be Patient // When you’re experiencing blogger burnout, all you want to do is get better ASAP so you can get back to blogging. Well, that’s not how burnout recovery works, my friends. I know, it’s a painful thing! The best thing you can do for yourself is to take it slow and to be patient with yourself. I have experienced so much frustration with myself throughout the burnout process and I know it’s held me back even further. Be patient with yourself and have grace with yourself.
5. Repurpose Old Content // To help ease yourself back into the blogging world, start by repurposing old content. Again, you want to take it slow. Start off with subjects that you’re passionate about and are usually easy for you to write about. Even if all you can focus on at the time is creating new pins for old blog posts, do that.
Related Reading: 7 Ways To Repurpose Old Content
[bctt tweet=”7 Steps To Take To Overcome Blogger Burnout” username=”SummerTelban”]
6. Reevaluate Your Self-Care Routine // Self-care is one of the most important strategies that you need for your blog. Yep, it is! If you don’t have a healthy and regular self-care routine in place, every aspect of your life will suffer – that includes blogging. April was a crazy month for me and I totally slacked on my self-care game, which wasn’t a help at all considering my burnout. I do think that played a role in my burnout process, too.
Related Reading: The 5 Dimensions Of Self-Care
7. Remember: There Are No Rules To Blogging // Ahhh yes, it’s true. There are no rules to blogging. Your blog is yours – do what you want with it. You shouldn’t buckle under the weight of the expectations that are thrown around in the blogging industry. Full-time blogger or not, your blogging experience is your own and you’re entitled to running your blog however you want to.
[bctt tweet=”Remember: There are no rules to blogging.” username=”SummerTelban”]
Wow! That was a long one. If you got through the whole thing, major kudos to you. Thank you for being patient with me in my own experience with burnout. If you’re struggling with burnout, know that in time, you’ll come back stronger than before! Let’s chat!
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