Blogging can be hard work, especially if you’re writing content every day. In the same way authors get writer’s block, bloggers get that same feeling of exhaustion and demotivation.
Whether it’s a bit of burnout, lack of spark or simply exhaustion, there are many reasons bloggers can run into this block. Fortunately, there are ways to help get you back into the blogging groove.
Just like taking a vacation from your day job or taking a break from technology, taking a break from blogging can do wonders.
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Benefits of taking a break from blogging
A lot of people see taking a break as a waste of time and feel that they should be constantly focused on creating new content. While it’s important to stay focused on your blog and spend lots of time on it, failing to take a time out is a recipe for disaster.
From my own personal experience, content that I have written while feeling exhausted is nowhere near as good as the content I’ve crafted when I was feeling motivated and energetic. Taking a couple days off from blogging to refresh your brain can do wonders for bringing your writing spirit back to life.
Activities to create that blogging spark
You can also try other activities that might help create a spark. Taking up a new hobby, such as playing a sport or learning a new language can help create a sense of purpose that reignites your passion for blogging. Just having a new focus can help to allow the dullness of what you were once feeling fade away and give you a boost of energy.
My personal favorite is spending time with my family. A little vacation to the mountains, even just hanging around the house and spending more quality time together. The moments we share really refresh my brain and inspire me by reminding me why I do what I do.
Having fun is another great way to get out of a rut. Playing adult board games with friends and family can help take your mind off writing. Taking on a hobby such as painting or drawing is also another relaxing way to reset yourself. Or you can get a little exercise and get outside to play a sport. Shoot some hoops in the driveway, play tennis, toss a ball around or whatever your sport of choice might be. The point is, have fun and let loose.
Instagram post: taking a break from blogging
What to do if you still aren’t feeling refreshed
If you’re finding that, even after weeks of taking a break from blogging, you still don’t feel motivated; sometimes slowly getting back into writing can help. A little writing here and there can suddenly turn into long writing sessions that can turn into great blog posts.
The best tip I can give you is to have no zero days. A zero day is a wasted day – it’s where you don’t do any work at all. You don’t even have fun or relax. You just sit around and feel stuck and don’t do anything to help generate progress in a positive direction. If you can avoid these, you will find that getting back into blogging and getting the creativity flowing comes easily.
Remember, the top bloggers are producing hundreds of thousands of words every year. Keeping up with that kind of rate requires you to have breaks in between. They aren’t writing 24/7, so you shouldn’t be either.
You can’t expect yourself to be able to do all of that, especially if you’re not seeing results right away or if blogging isn’t your full-time job. This is especially relevant for new bloggers who might find that even though they are producing great content, no one is coming to see it. It takes time for content to find an audience, so be patient.
What if blogging isn’t for you?
If this is your first time blogging and you’re really struggling to get words on paper (digital paper), it might be that writing a blog just isn’t for you. It can seem like a glamorous lifestyle, but in reality, there is a lot of grinding out words and putting in the hours – sometimes more than a normal 9-5 job.
You’ll never know until you try though, and blogging can be one of the most rewarding activities you can do online. So, if you find you have a passion for blogging, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Just go into it understanding that you need to find that sweet spot to balance the hard work involved with the need to take a breather now and then.
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Thanks for the article, Anthony. I, too, find that breaks are essential, especially those that uplift and invigorate because it involves something you love to do. Even if I’m not writing, I still keep a journal to write down random ideas as they occur every day. It sort of keeps the creative connection open, and as Lisa mentioned above, it prevents me from getting stale.
Hey Andre. Thanks for the comment! Good to hear from you! I do the same thing. While taking a break, ideas still pop into your head, and it’s definitely important to jot them down. Helps maintain the connection to and passion for your blog.
Hi Anthony,
I find breaks are really key to continually blog year after year. But I recommend not breaking for too long (more than 2 weeks) as it will take you longer to jump back in and get back into the swing. Once you get stale it’s hard to get back to where you were before you began. The same for doing videos.
I love getaways in nature – they are so refreshing and bring on a lot of creativity for me- take care!
Hi, Lisa! Thanks for the comment. I agree completely. You need to take a step back now and then and refresh. Otherwise, you put yourself at serious risk of burnout. That said, you’re right. 2 weeks is about the threshold. If you take longer than that, you can find it challenging to get back in the groove. Sometimes just a day or two away (fully away) can be enough.