Friday, July 19, 2013

15-Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 12

I can't believe the challenge is almost over.  It's day 12 of April's 15-Day Book Blogger Challenge.  For more info, visit her blog Good Books and Good Wine.


Day 12 -  Fighting blogger fatigue

This is something I struggle with A LOT.  When I first started blogging, I never thought that there would ever be a day where it would feel like a job, or that I'd ever feel tired of blogging.  But it happens.  Especially when you forget why you're doing what you're doing, or when you put yourself under too much pressure.

My blogging fatigue got so bad that from March 30, 2012 to September 27, 2012, I didn't post a single blog entry.  I was feeling blah about the whole thing.  (And sad to say, it wasn't just my blogging that suffered, but my reading too).  I'd put myself under all this pressure that my blog had to be a certain way, and I had to post x-number of times per week, and I needed to get so many page views.  I mean, I couldn't even get my family to read my blog; why would anyone else?  It lost all the joy, and I didn't get back into really blogging again until November 6, 2012.

So how did I get out of it?  Top Ten Tuesday.  The weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish was exactly what I needed.  It was something fun to do, it introduced me to the blogging community (aka the perfect support system), and it was a good foundation for me to build a schedule around.

Now that I'm "back in the swing of things," I still hit those moments of my blog feeling like a job.  But I also know, thanks to talking to lots of other bloggers, that it's normal to feel that way.  And I've come up with a list of things to do to combat it (which also helps with reading slumps too).

  • Just remember - Life happens.  There are going to be days or weeks that I won't be able to blog.  Maybe I'm on vacation, maybe I'm sick, maybe my family comes first.  So I try not to pressure myself - it's okay to go off schedule, miss a day.
  • Participate in a meme or challenge.  Things like Top Ten Tuesday or this Book Blogger Challenge are perfect for helping me get back to blogging.
  • Binge a little.  When I'm feeling overwhelmed by something, whether it's my blog or my TBR pile, I turn on Netflix and allow myself some time to just relax and be a couch potato.  I usually feel refreshed and ready to get back to blogging afterwards.
  • Re-read some favorites.  I've always found that grabbing a book or series that I love and re-reading it is an awesome way to fight fatigue.  Reading something I feel really passionate about helps me remember why I started blogging in the first place.
  • Finally, talk to other bloggers.  The awesome part about being a blogger is that I'm part of a community, and they've all been through this or are going through it now.  I've personally found that everyone's really friendly and will have no problem giving advice or pep talks.
How about you?  How do you fight blogging fatigue?  Or if you're not a blogger, do you have a hobby that sometimes feels like a chore?  How do you get past those slumps?

2 comments:

  1. Ashling, that's a great and heartfelt post. I'm sure we will all go through blogging slumps, and I'm so glad that you pulled out of yours :D

    Day 11 & 12 Book Blogger Challenge

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm just really glad that I now know that I'm not the only one who deals with it.

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