What are you doing right now? Well, ok, you’re Googling ideas on how to push through your writer’s block. Or, you’ve stumbled across this article by accident. In that case, you should stash it for later. Why? Well, whether you’ve hit rock bottom of your writing or you’re at your peak – the blogging burnout is a reality for all of us.
We’ve all been there. You’re sitting at your computer while a blank page is stubbornly staring back at you. Mocking you, without giving you an ounce of inspiration. Maybe you have a topic with a fast-approaching due date. Perhaps you haven’t the slightest clue what your next blog post will be about, and the posting schedule is judging you from your to-do board. Either way, the reality is that you’ve become a resident of the Blogging Burnout Town. You spend your time looking at funny videos on YouTube or endlessly scrolling through Tumblr.
Don’t despair: your residence doesn’t have to be permanent. You just have to motivate yourself and dive into the depths of the internet for some much-needed inspiration. First, stop looking at those cat videos. Yes, they are funny, but they are also entirely unhelpful. To flip your writing switch from “off” to “on”, you have to think outside of the box. Otherwise, you may as well redirect your mail to Burnout Town. Read on for six tips to avoid a blogging burnout and escape the clutches of every blogger’s worst enemy – the writer’s block.
Stop Staring At Your Screen
Great, you’ve summoned the strength to close that YouTube tab. Now go a step further. Turn your computer off. Yes, we understand your situation. The deadline is just around the corner, and your panic level has reached an all-time high. However, taking a break might do you good. So, move your behind that’s been stuck to your computer chair all day and get outside.
Think about something else. Take your mind off your problems. Dance it out. Invite someone for a cup of coffee and listen to them complain about their problems. Or, even better, go for a run or a workout. Anything to get you out of the office and get that ticking clock noise off your mind. Whatever soothes your panic will make you more productive later on.
Take a Short Vacation
If you’ve managed to turn your computer off, this might be an excellent next step. Taking time off is crucial for productivity. In fact, you’ve probably come up with some of your best ideas while doing something that isn’t work-related. Therefore, do something not work-related.
The beauty of writing is that you can do it anywhere. You don’t have to chain yourself to your desk. Take a short vacation and look for inspiration outside of your daily surroundings. Not only will that help your writing, but it will also help you relax.
Go to a museum or visit your parents. Have a friend out of town? See what they are doing. Enjoy your time off, but look for inspiration around you. Even if that doesn’t help with your assignment, maybe it will provoke some other thoughts. Write those down as a writing warm-up.
Bounce ideas off other people
Brainstorming is great for getting fresh ideas, and you can do it with virtually anyone. They don’t even have to be in the same room as you. If you work from home, you can always turn to trusty social media by asking people for their opinions or joining in on discussions. However, don’t let the black hole of internet procrastination suck you in. It’s easy to slip up, and transition from productive research into mindless scrolling.
If you don’t trust yourself not to get sidetracked by cat videos, then meet with people in person. You can brainstorm with colleagues in the office. Better yet, you can invite some friends, and pick their brains for ideas under the ruse of a coffee catch-up. You never know what comment or side remark might light that bulb over your head.
Claw your way back if you have to
Here’s the thing with the Blogging Burnout Town – it doesn’t want to let you go. It’s like Hotel California – you can check out, but you can never leave. However, the trick to get out is simple. You just have to tune out that little voice in your head that’s been telling you that you don’t have anything new, witty, and exciting left to say. That voice? It is the Mayor of Blogging Burnout Town. Don’t listen to it.
When that inner pest starts to convince you that your creative juices have run dry, tell it to find another victim. That essentially means: give yourself a pep talk. You can even do it out loud. If you feel stupid, just remember the deadline. It’s soon, right? Therefore, you should really do everything in your power to get your creative juices flowing again.
You can also inspire yourself, literally. Browse through your past and read some of the articles you’ve written. An article that you’ve enjoyed writing and that was successful will lift your spirits. Remember the mental state you were in when you wrote that piece. What were you trying to achieve? Furthermore, who were you writing it for? These questions might help you get that writing spark back.
However, if none of these options prove fruitful, you can always ask for help. If you have an editor, or a superior of any kind, lay the situation to them and ask for advice. If this scares you, don’t worry – that’s a typical reaction. However, it’s better to ask for advice than to sit in silence and stew in your misery and be empty-handed come due date.
Look Past Clicks and Trends
Don’t write about something that everyone is writing about. Try to write about something else. Find your writing purpose, and don’t recycle topics that are currently trendy.
If you don’t have that purpose, you need to find it. That’s probably the main reason for your blogging burnout. Sure, you can write a fluff piece that will look like thousands of other articles out there. In fact, you’ve probably done this before. However, that won’t get you out of your funk.
If you find a topic that interests and fascinates you, you’ll write with vigor, and your readers take notice. Don’t just milk popular topics of the day for clicks and popularity. Write what you know and what you care about.
Read something else
You can read something besides your Twitter feed, you know. If you’re unmotivated, the pull of social media is stronger than ever. However, it might be a better idea to read something that isn’t riddled with poor grammar and hateful opinions.
There you have it: 6 tips to avoid blogging burnout. Now go out and put them to work and let me know what great content you come up with.
Wow, these are really awesome tips. For me, as a novice blogger, these tips will be very useful, I am sure that I will be able to remain productive for a very long time. I hope that you will continue to make this type of content.
I didn’t have any expectations concerning that title, but the more I was astonished. The author did a great job. I spent a few minutes reading and checking the facts. Everything is very clear and understandable. I like posts that fill in your knowledge gaps. This one is of the sort.