Is your blog starting to grow spider webs because your last entry was dated ages ago? Do you fall into a daydream instead of a writing spell whenever you face your computer? When you can’t seem to find motivation or muster up the energy to start blogging again, you’re probably experiencing blogger blues.
Every blogger goes through a ‘blogger blues’ phase. You know you have it when you feel like blogging is such a stressful task and creative juices just won’t flow. It’s the blogger’s version of the commonly known writer’s block. This phase can cause a lot of stress. Luckily, there a ways to get out of this obstacle. Here are 7 tips to help you overcome blogger blues:
1. Get out. We’ve all done this before. When something becomes too much to handle, we momentarily step away from it to relieve the pressure. Shifting the focus away from the task could help give you a new perspective and a fresh restart in doing it. Fresh air, a change of scenery, a different activity – these are just a few things that you can soak up on while taking time off the internet.
2. Get entertained. For some people, the distraction of entertainment is enough to get them re-energized. Turn off your monitor and turn on the tube instead. There’s also the option of playing computer games, sports or watching a good musical. Getting back on track this way can hurt your wallet, though, so choose the entertainment that best suits your budget.
3. Find inspiration. A blogger can lose his motivation when his inspiration is lost. Remember what got your blogging wheels going way back when you were just starting out. Visit familiar blogs and search for new blogs to be insipred once again. Use your blogger blues as a time to re-focus your blogging goals.
4. Talk to friends. Catch up with friends and engage in some good ‘ole conversation. This is another way to distract yourself from the pressures of blogging. Keep the conversation free-flowing but at the same time make mental notes about interesting topics you may want to blog about. Make sure you bring home something blog-worthy – you can start with a review of the coffee shop! It would be twice as better if you could talk to blogger friends. It’s always nice to relate problems with somebody who has ‘been there’.
5. Join a blog carnival. A blog carnival is a blogging event where bloggers write about a single topic. Blog groups regularly hold these kinds of ‘events’ – usually monthly. Taking part in a blog carnival will motivate you to create a new blog post. The topic is given so you don’t have to stress on that; plus it could provide valuable backlinks for your blog as the hosting blog will link to all the blog carnival entries.
6. Give yourself a reward. Since blogging is a solitary activity, you only have yourself to nudge whenever a blog entry seems due. But you’ll probably need more than a nudge when you’re having the blogger blues. Maybe a reward system is in order. Set a target date and do your best to finish a blog post before the deadline. Entitle yourself for a nice treat whenever you finish a task before the deadline.
7. Go against the flow. Computer routine gets people bored the way a desk job routine does. Sometimes, mixing things up can help. If you’re normally a morning person, doing all you blogging before the clock hits noon, then try extending your coffee time in the morning and move on to blogging in late afternoon. It can have a good effect on your blogging mood that day.
Just like the writer’s block, blogger blues is just a phase that anybody who has started a blog may encounter. It’s bound to pass, but the time it takes to endure it depends on whether you’ll do something about it or not.
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