I know how it feels when you first launched your new blog. It’s all about excitement!
A new medium to air your opinion to the world – plus, make some real bucks and lots of pizzas. I mean opportunities.
Unfortunately, sometimes, before you even begin, you’re already stuck.
It is called:
Blogger Burnout!
But, how do you deal with it? I will share 9 tips from really my personal experience.
1. Don’t overstretch yourself
I know it feels really awesome to be a superpower. I mean the real hulk of your niche. Let me give you an example: I once read that Nikola Tesla spent 3 hours a day sleeping and 20 hours working on his inventions.
So, I thought, Tom, give this a shot. But, I couldn’t, I always need my eight hours of sleep. And that’s probably true for most peeps in every field, including blogging. We all can’t be Tesla.
So, to keep your flame up and your spirit high on your blog, here’s the first rule: “Know your limit. Then, don’t overstretch yourself.”
Why is this important?
Overworking yourself on a project can reduce your work efficiency, sap productivity and ultimately results in burnout. I love this quote by Freddie Hubbard.
2. Have a daily blogging to do list
As simple as it is: Having a set daily blogging to-do list is one of the most effective time management tips I’ve tried. Your daily blogging to-do list will include each of the following:
- Time to flip open your laptop.
- Time to reply to your Emails
- Time to respond to comments
- Time to send Email outreach
- Time to come up with blog post ideas
- Short intervals of rest between each session
With a daily to-do, you can easily set specific periods of time for everything you need to grow your blog. It also helps you to incorporate those steps into your daily workflow. That will ultimately prevent you from losing focus.
Personally, I discovered that doing this improves my productivity and also prevents burnout.
3. Learn to touch type
Oh, what? That’s pretty basic Tom! You say? Not really. I know a couple of folks who search for the keys and perk on them.
But, here’s the truth:
If you want to really increase your productivity and avoid burnout as a blogger, then you should make typing easy for yourself.
“Learn to touch type.”
Touch typing helps you to focus on the screen while typing your posts. So, it’s a big plus when you’re are both typing and editing your posts at the same time. That helps to reduce typing mistakes, increases your productivity, reduces stress and – of course burnout.
Personally, my speed and productivity quadrupled when I took the plunge and dived into some touch typing lessons. That also gives me more motivation to jump up every morning and open up my PC.
You probably won’t believe this:
But, I have had days when I came up with up to four posts for another blog. It’s because, touch typing makes it stress free.
4. Connect with Blogging Peers
This is a secret I learned from the college days. I will like to put it in a quote:
“We can do a couple of things by ourselves, but we can do a lot more things, much better, and quicker with others”
That’s always been my philosophy throughout the college days. I call it my golden ball of entrepreneurship.
Let me give you some example:
What could have happened to facebook if Zuckerberg never met up with Peter Thiel? Where would Microsoft be today if Bill chose to do it alone, and never networked with Paul Allen?
Who knows? But probably not as successful!
The game is not different in the blogging world. Surrounding yourself with blogging friends makes blogging interesting, grows your motivation and boosts your drive for success.
Of course, it would be difficult to burn out when your motivation is high.
5. Have a placard of your goal pasted
Since coming into blogging, I have faced my own shares of challenges that come with such decisions.
Let me tell you some:
- Working 10 hours a day sometimes – coupled with some freelancing jobs on the sides
- Having to slug it out in a competitive niche
- Staying up at night streaming some texts like Jackie’s drunken master.
But, I never gave up. Here’s why:
Right in front of my desk is a goal I’ve set for myself. I see it every single day while sitting in front of my computer. I see myself living in goals, and when the goings get tough, I get uplifted by the visions.
See this quote from Robert Schuller
6. Key into the psychology of colors
Oh, what Tom! What has color got to do with this? Here it is: Colors influence human emotions.
Dull colors can sometimes dip your emotion and down your mood. I’ve experienced that a couple of times. It’s like a bug that burrows into your motivation and saps up your zeal.
But, bright colors are called uplifting colors or flying colors. They lift up your mood and boost your productivity. Have you ever wondered why most executive offices are always bright? That’s it!
So how does this apply to bloggers’ burn out?
If you want to lift up your mood, don’t fill up your airspace with dull colors. Go for uplifting colors.
7. Take some breaks
Work smart – not just hard…
Now, I can defend this with my precious cup of tea.
Yes, I know Blogging is a real job, you want to come up with posts, grow your traffic, optimize your email list, make money – plus lots of stuff. You know!
But, what about taking some time off to the gym or hoping on the train to a cousin’s birthday? You would probably think “this Tom! is on the binge with a gallon of coffee”.
But, this is my point:
Taking breaks to socialize relieves your stress, inspire you with new ideas, boost your energy and prevent burnout. Dont forget: “The goal is not just to work hard – but to work smart”.
8. Wine the time away
If you are like me, you must have wondered why the human nature finds it easy sitting all day in front of the TV watching “The simpsons”. But, the same man finds it a bit difficult to pick up his laptop and stream texts all over like a code Ninja.
Here it is: Humans are naturally passive! We don’t like anything that costs us us to exert energy.
So, what do we do?
Turn it around: Make your work seem like your play. For me, that means taking some time off to listen to some musics before returning to my desk..
9. Finally, take your blog as your business
I know some people blog for JUST for passion.
Now if you don’t want to make a kobo even though, you’d always spend some more bucks on it, then you are one of those peeps from Pluto. But, if you want the same blog to fetch you some bucks, I’d probably tell you to take the wool off my eyes.
So, what?
- If you take your blog as your business, then you would take your blog serious, get some blog courses, relate with blogging friends and make money from your blog.
- If your blog makes you enough money to settle the bills. trust me, you’ll be motivated to flip open your laptop every single day. You don’t want to hear the word “burn out” when that blog pays your bills.
10. Be Persistent
Finally, don’t forget, sometimes, you will be discouraged. Okay!
It’s in human nature. But don’t forget:
- Take a little time off if necessary.
- Then Forge ahead
- Be persistent…. and don’t ever give up!
Over to you…
Have you ever experienced bloggers’ burn out?
