Managing Stress as a Blogger
How Bloggers Can Manage The Stress From The Constant Demands of Content Creation
Becoming a blogger can be a fun and fulfilling experience. If you are passionate about your niche and relish sharing with your audience, it probably won’t even feel like work. For many people, blogging is not just a passion project, it is also a business.
If you blog as a way to make money, it may mean having to constantly be producing relevant content. Writing tons of articles helps to show off your knowledge in a particular field, and some subject areas require your posts to be rather in-depth. Continuously writing blog posts is also necessary from an SEO perspective. But if you have found yourself feeling like a content mill and wondering how to cope, it might be time to re-evaluate your goals. Below you will find seven tips on how to deal with the pressure of constantly writing content for your blog.
1. Review your blogging career
Why do you do what you do? If you feel near to blogging burnout, it may be time to ask yourself this question. Think about why you started blogging in the first place. Is that the same reason you are doing it now? Is it still fun for you, or are you just going through the motion trying to meet your monthly content goals? Asking yourself these questions and being honest with yourself will help you determine whether you are blogging for the right reasons at the moment and what changes you need to make to get back to it being fun.
2. Figure out your limit and stick to it
Let’s face it, feeling stressed from writing is often tied to making more money. Many bloggers started out with posting one or two articles per week, often as a part time gig. Then, as they realize there is potential to earn more, the desire to produce more content intensifies. Pretty soon, 5 – 10 blog posts per week, or more, becomes the norm. And while there are some writers who can sustain that type of production, many start feeling tired and burnt out after a few months at it, even if the dollars start rolling in.
In such a situation, a balancing act might be helpful. Figure out how many blog posts you are comfortable writing each month, without feeling pressured, and stick to that amount. If it means going back to one or two posts per month, so be it. While it may seem as if you need to be pushing out a constant stream of content to make money, numerous opportunities exist.
For example, you can look for guest blogging opportunities that can bring in more readers or that allow you to earn more from less work. You can also research ways to promote your blog that can potentially grow your audience without you having to increase your workload. Finding the right balance for your blogging output can require some research, depending on your goals, but it will be worth it in the long run.
3. Take a break
Sometimes when you are feeling stressed out, all you may need is a break from it all to rejuvenate and re-energize. From time to time, take a week or month off to go on a vacation or to focus on something other than blogging. During this time, try to indulge in activities that will help you to relax as well. Don’t worry about your readers and clients missing you and getting disinterested. If your writing is any good, they will be more than happy to wait for your next post, even if it takes you a few months to start blogging again. Besides, your time away from blogging may help you to come up with new ideas that could inspire you to write even more when you get back from your break.
4. Take care of your body and mind
Sometimes stress and fatigue can be an indication of your body not receiving the right nutrition or getting enough rest. Are you eating balanced meals and sleeping for at least seven hours regularly? If your answer is “no” to any of these, it may be time to pay serious attention to your health. Your mental state may need addressing as well. Are you worried about something or facing depression? Consider getting therapy or at least talking to a trusted friend about whatever is bugging you. Sometimes, small lifestyle changes and self-care are all you need to remain productive as a blogger without getting burned out.
5. Say “No”
Like people in other professions, there are often plenty of demands on your time. Pick up the kids. Do the laundry. Go to the supermarket. The list goes on. On top of that, people around you may place demands on your time, from asking you for favors to offering you more work. And while you may be tempted to say “yes” all the time – because you are afraid of disappointing others or possibly missing out on an opportunity – sometimes it is better to just decline. Saying “no” has a freeing element to it that can take the load off and help you to be more decisive about the tasks you take on.
6. Fall back on evergreen content
So, you are used to posting once or twice on your blog per week. But this time around, you are finding it difficult to muster the mental strength to write. Instead of pressuring yourself to produce content, take a look at what you have already written. If you have been writing for a while, you probably have articles that you can repost on social media to keep your audience engaged. Look for articles that were well received in the past and that are still relevant right now.
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7. Try outsourcing some of your workload
As bloggers, it is easy to obsess about maintaining your writing voice and style in your blog posts. While that is important, it is possible to hire writers who can learn your style and write blog posts that your readers and clients will appreciate. In addition, you can have other writers produce rough drafts and article outlines for you and then you simple spice up or add more to the content, so you get to adapt it to your writing style. Either way, outsourcing some of your content writing tasks can remove some of the pressure off your shoulders. Obviously, outsourcing is not suitable for every blog, but if it’s an option for you, it might be worth pursuing.
Constant content creation can be tiring and may take the fun out of blogging. If you find yourself in this kind of rut, it might be time to look for ways to reduce the pressure on your blogging career, starting with the tips above.
Until next time!
Casey
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