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Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed when it comes to writing your next blog post? This could be the reason for blogger burnout.
Blogger burnout is the term used when you lack the motivation to blog or when you run out of ideas on what to write about.
But there are plenty of ways to avoid blogger burnout such as taking breaks, setting smarter goals, and looking up something motivational.
In this post, you’ll learn 10 ways to overcome blogger burnout and stay motivated:
Blogging can be a tough cookie 🍪 and is not as easy as some people will make out. So, today, Ellen from Zyrakuma is going to teach you some smart tricks to help you stay motivated even when things don’t go to plan with your blog. Or if you’re already feeling overwhelmed and burned out. Then don’t worry, these tips will help you get your blogging mojo back too!
- Why Blogger Burnout Happens?
- How To Avoid Blogger Burnout
- 1. Do Something Else (That Doesn’t Involve Blogging)
- 2. Tell Yourself “NO”
- 3. Organize Your Space
- 4. Take A Break
- 5. Play Some Lo-Fi Music
- 6. Watch Something Motivational
- 7. Lookup Something Motivational
- 8. Talk To Your SUPPORTIVE Circle
- 9. Set SMART Goals & A Schedule
- 10. Take a Shower
- About Ellen | Zyrakuma
Why Blogger Burnout Happens?
There are many psychological reasons why you might get blogger burnout. But simply, it’s the norm.
It doesn’t mean you don’t love blogging anymore. It is technically your brain telling you it wants a break and to do something else.
Everyone gets blogger burnout once in a while. Based on ProBlogger’s post. Here are some reasons why it happens to you:
You might be overwhelmed with work overload.
You struggle to find time to relax and it feels like you need to get all of your to-do list done.
For example, your blogging goal could be pumping out 2-3 blog posts a week. However, you can get burned out when you consistently pump out multiple blog posts every week without having a break.
Your mind urges you that you need to keep going or you’ll be a “failure”. This could lead to other issues involving your health.
You feel like your blog isn’t going anywhere.
What was the very first reason you started your website?
If it is to make money or to get a ton of traffic/views, then that may be the reason you constantly have these blogger burnouts.
Blogging is not a “quick cash” or “get famous” quick scheme. It takes time, hard work, and patience to start earning and gaining traffic.
I’m not going to lie but I’ve had these thoughts many times (even now I still have these thoughts).
However, what has helped me push these thoughts to the back of mind is to write what I love while keeping the reader’s interest in mind.
You run out of blog topic ideas.
This can happen to every single blogger out there (even the big ones). Anyone can run out of blog topic ideas and again, this is normal.
You get overwhelmed with the goals you set yourself.
Do you remember the blogging goals that you set for yourself?
You may be setting them up “wrong” and I’ll tell you later why in this post (as well as how to set it up).
You don’t have a blog schedule.
I mean, this can be obvious. For example, you probably have a full-time job other than blogging.
So you try to spend as much time on your blog as possible. Or if you have all the time in the world you could be working on your blog a lot more than you realize.
Ever heard of the saying “work smarter, not harder”? I’ll also explain later why it’s important to set yourself a blog schedule later on in this post.
With the reasons covered. Here is a list of ways to overcome blogger burnout and get motivated:
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How To Avoid Blogger Burnout
1. Do Something Else (That Doesn’t Involve Blogging)
You can do a hobby that you love or start something new like gardening, crafting, playing sports, or even play video games with friends.
Try to do something relaxing like self-care (I’ve created a post listing a bunch of things you can do to self-care).
You can even watch Netflix, listen to podcasts, binge YouTube, relax in the sun, talk to friends, or even take a walk in the neighborhood.
Other ways to move your mind away from blogger burnout is to learn something new like a language, a new skill, or a musical instrument.
There are a bunch of ways to find something else to do. I have a sticky note with a list of things to do stuck to my computer monitor whenever I get burnout from blogging.
2. Tell Yourself “NO”
One of the most important things you should take into account for blogger burnout. Is that sometimes you’re going to have those days where you’re overwhelmed and you’ll find it hard to tell yourself no.
All I can tell you is that it is OKAY to say no. It is OKAY to take a break. And it is OKAY to not get things done off your to-do list.
Saying yes all the time is one of the reasons why you can get burned out easily.
Because as I mentioned, you can get overwhelmed with the work you’re holding on your shoulders and that could lead to stress.
By saying “no”, you’re allowing yourself to boost your overall health, manage stress, and have a clearer mind of what tasks are important and which are not.
3. Organize Your Space
Ok, this may sound like a chore but it’s actually kind of relaxing (well that depends on you).
Use this technique as a benefit to “take a break” from blogging.
Because decluttering your environment can decrease the feeling of overwhelm. As well as reduce stress and anxiety.
You’ll also get a boost in your productivity (as well as creativity) to blog again. But in a clearer environment.
You can try decluttering your closet, vacuuming the floor, making your bed, shifting your room arrangement around, or even purchase a few affordable decors to glow-up your workspace.
The bonus rewards involve finding long lost treasures (that you probably tried to find 2 months ago) and even donating old items to a charity (this can make you feel good about yourself).
A helpful tip when organizing your space is to make your desk “minimalistic”.
What I mean is clear the stuff that doesn’t need to be on your work desk (except your laptop or computer).
This can help you be less distracted the next time you feel productive and refreshed to blog again.
4. Take A Break
If you’ve been blogging for a long time (like 6 months and over). It’s time for you to step away from the computer and focus on doing what you love (other than blogging of course).
Try going on a holiday, take a vacation, or relaxing outside with a cup of coffee in your hand.
You can also use the Pomodoro Technique. This time management technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.
It involves having a timer of 25-30 minutes of productive work and a 5-minute break in between every task.
I use this technique all the time when I’m working on my blog or creating new products for my Etsy shop.
Literally, it’s a life-changer because it really helps with my eye strains from staring at the computer too much.
5. Play Some Lo-Fi Music
Did you know that music can help you be more motivated to blog?
No, I’m not talking about the music that has lyrics to it.
The ones I’m talking about are the non-lyrical ones (such as lo-fi, jazz, cafe music, or piano).
Lo-Fi (hip-hop) is short for “low fidelity” (the opposite of high fidelity).
In the definition of low fidelity, it is the “reproduction of sound using technology that results in unwanted distortion or imperfections”. In simpler terms, it’s typically DIY, aesthetically-pleasing music but with low quality (rather than the normal high quality).
I use Lo-fi music or cafe music whenever I’m creating new blog posts. It’s less distracting and gets you productive.
I used to use Lo-fi music when I was studying for exams and tests during my university days. There are tons of these playlists on YouTube and Spotify just by searching up “lo-fi playlist” or “lo-fi hip hop”.
6. Watch Something Motivational
YouTube and TikTok have loads of motivational videos.
But it doesn’t have to be “empowerment” videos that can get you inspired to be motivated.
To get some ideas you can search up on YouTube “a day in the life [blogger/influencer]”, “my life as a blogger”, “blogger life” or “workweek in my life”.
In the past, when I was at my lowest of the lowest blogging stage I used to go on YouTube and binge-watch these “day in the life of a blogger” videos and get the motivation to continue my blog.
If these videos didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be blogging right now!
When looking upon TikTok (if it doesn’t get banned of course).
You can search up #smallbusinesses or #entreprenuer and there would be a whole bunch of behind the scenes videos of people creating their business and wrapping packages. That can help you get motivated to build up your own business.
7. Lookup Something Motivational
Somehow, whenever I’m on Pinterest or Reddit looking for ideas for my next blog posts, I get motivated to blog again.
Not only that but looking up quotes on Pinterest also makes me want to grab my laptop and write out a full-on article.
You can write your favorite motivational quotes or affirmations down on a sticky note and stick it to where you would most likely see it on a daily basis. (This could be on your mirror, computer screen, in your journal, phone, laptop, etc).
On Reddit, there are tons of subreddits which involve blogging tips, affiliate marketing tricks, SEO, start-up, and business advice. Usually, I find posts by other content writers involving their own troubles growing their site, blog achievements, and sharing their blog journey really motivational.
8. Talk To Your SUPPORTIVE Circle
What I learned from Lyn Allure’s video “5 Reasons You ARE NOT Achieving Your GOALS” is to be surrounded by supportive friends and/or family members.
The reason why I mentioned the word “supportive” is because we don’t want to be let down by the type of people who think of your blog as a “joke”.
Look, I had friends and family who used to tell me that my blog wouldn’t be successful.
That really made me think that I should just give up and close my blog. So you know what I did?
I didn’t take their opinion to heart and I distanced myself from them to find people who DO support my blog goals.
That’s why it’s best to go to people who have the exact same goals as you and get the best support you need during your blogger burnout days.
You can find these people in Facebook groups or blogging events.
9. Set SMART Goals & A Schedule
You’re most likely to get blogger burnout if you set yourself a “big goal” with no reasoning behind it or you set no schedule for working on your blog.
The first reason why you’re getting blogger burnout is your goal settings.
So you probably set yourself a big goal for example “Make blogging a full-time job by the end of [insert your year here]”.
Then a few weeks later, you give up trying to turn your site into a passive income.
Because you’re not making a single dime from it and you’re overwhelmed with not having your blog be “a success”. (That could also lead to you giving up and shutting down your website completely.)
The reason for this is that you’re not setting SMART goals.
SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Specific
Let’s start with “Specific“. Your goal needs to be clear and “specific” in order for you to be motivated to achieve it.
Ask yourself the:
- What (I want to achieve?)
- Why (do you do this?)
- Who (is involved)
- Where (Is it located?)
- Which (are the resources or limitations involved?).
Here is an example:
“What I want to achieve is turning my site into a full-time blog. Why I want to do this is so that I can clear my student debts and be my own boss. I can achieve this right in my own home with help of a few other fellow bloggers. I need to have a self-hosted blog, social media pages, a newsletter list using an email marketing service, content calendar, and the internet (of course).”
Measurable
The second is “Measurable“. This is where you need to be able to track your progression in order to stay motivated.
It will help you stick to your goals, meet deadlines, and be aware of how close you are to your goals.
Ask yourself:
- “How much?”
- “How many?”
- “How will I know when it is accomplished?”
You can use Excel, Google Sheets, or your notepad to keep track of your goals.
For example: “I will need to invest time and money into my new blog. I would need to make connections and study courses within 1 year and 6 months.”
Achievable
Thirdly is “Achievable“. So how can you achieve this goal in order to be successful?
The thing is, you actually need to be realistic about it. You need to look into what opportunities or resources that can help reach your goal.
Ask yourself:
“How can I achieve this goal?”
And make sure to be realistic about your goals. Know what other constraints that get in the way of making these goals happen.
For example: “My goal is to buy a luxury car”
You can’t achieve that goal if you’re not in a financially stable situation (e.g no job, got debts to pay off).
Relevant
The fourth one is “Relevant“. This allows you to know if your goal is aligned with how important it is and how you can achieve it in your life.
Ask yourself whether the goal is worth it and is it the right time to achieve it?
Time-Bound
The last one is “Time-Bound“. What is your due date to complete your goals?
Setting a target date allows you to focus and be motivated to reach that date.
Ask yourself “when” and what would you do within the span of 6 weeks or 6 months leading on?
10. Take a Shower
This may sound strange but taking a shower really helps with getting your mindset out of the “blogger burnout” stage. It’s like mindfulness meditation and can even be considered as a “break”.
You don’t have to take a cold shower but there are many benefits to it like reducing the levels of stress, losing weight (ok pretty strange), strengthening willpower, increasing your alertness (for productivity), and increasing white blood cells (the cells in your body that help protect against diseases.)
Hold up there’s more!
Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about hot showers. There are many benefits to this too. Including relieving congestion, stiffness, and stress. Reducing migraines and helping with insomnia.
So if you’re feeling burnout from blogging, take a shower!
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