Anyone who blogs will tell you itโs all-consuming. What started out as a little hobby on the side to be indulged in in your free time quickly escalates to become a finely-oiled machine requiring maintenance every day of the week, taking up more time than you actually have available.
I sometimes refer to my blog as the monster I created, because sometimes thatโs what it feels like.
One of the golden rules of blogging is consistency so thereโs posts to be dreamt up, written and published on the same day every week, photos and videos to shoot and edit, linkies to take part in in order to promote said posts and feel part of the blogging community, comments to make on other blogs as part of said linkies, your own comments to reply to, not to mention the hours you spend on social media promoting all your hard work – because what’s the point in writing it if you’re not going to tell anyone about it?
Non-bloggers might say โdonโt do it thenโ, or โhave a day offโ, but itโs not as simple as that, especially when youโve got your Tots100 score to nurture, the monthly proof of your worth as a blogger lurking in the back of your mind. (Anyone who says numbers donโt matter is a big fat liar!)
I routinely find myself exhausted by it all, behind in my commenting and wondering how on earth Iโm going to find the time to write my next post, but then something happens โ like the latest Tots100 ranking or a great paid opportunity โ and I forget all that and bash away with a renewed sense of vigour.
Since I went self-hosted in June 2015 I have posted consistently and religiously on the same days each week regardless of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, Christmas and whatever else was going on, like BB being taken into hospital with pneumonia. There have been no exceptions.
Iโve been fuelled by a terrible sense of fear of what will happen if I donโt publish my post on the specified day โ will readers go away and never come back? Will I drop off the Tots100 chart? Will brands not want to work with me anymore?
All this came to a head in the May half term when Misery Guts and I were due to go on a mini-break and I hadnโt written any ofย the posts Iโd planned to schedule. Desperately in need of a total break from screen time I decided the only thing for it was to go cold turkey and take a complete blogging break.
It filled me with dread but I did it, and actually it wasnโt that bad – in fact it was liberating! There was no notable dip in my stats, I continued to climb the Tots100 ranking and I doubt the brands even noticed.
So, if anything Iโve written here sounds like you, hereโs how to take a blogging break without feeling guilty:
1. Go completely cold turkey. That means no checking your wordpress app for stats, no โcheckingโ your comments and definitely no going on Twitter.
2. Donโt feel guilty. Everyone needs a break and you canโt give your blog 100% all the time if youโre running on empty. Go away, take a break, clear your mind of all things blogging and youโll come back refreshed and raring to go with lots of new ideas.
3. Plan your blogging break over Christmas, Easter or school holidays when your readers andย many linky hosts take breaks anyway, so you wonโt feel like youโre missing out on so much.
4. If you canโt bear the thought of a break in your publishing schedule, be super organised (unlike me) and schedule your blog posts and social media before you go so no-one even need know youโre away.
5. Use guest posts. Organise some guest posts to fill the gap while youโre away, and schedule them in advance.
Admittedly I only actually took one day off blogging (or three daysย if you count the Wednesday I usually post and the Tuesday and Thursday either side of it which are all linky days), but itโs a start.
I might try and progress to four days next time.
Do you blog and have you ever taken a blogging break? I’d love to hear your tips!
Linking up with…
We are going on holiday next week and I’m so disorganised with nothing scheduled. I’m panicking a bit, but after reading this maybe I shouldn’t worry X #picknmix
I haven’t taken a blogging break yet and it my year anniversary on 21st August. The thought has crossed my mind when sometimes I sit and my computer and not know what to say….. maybe one day soon I will just take the plunge and do it #picnmix
I often have blogging breaks, more so due to circumstance than to a conscious decision, but I don’t feel guilty about it at all. I tell myself that if I’m not blogging it’s because there is something more important needing my attention, usually the kids or my own sanity! I’ll be having a break while I’m away next month, I think it’s so important to have that time when you’re away as a family without distractions! #PicknMix
I haven’t been seriously blogging for that long, but already it is extremely time consuming. I do not feel the need to take a break right now, but when we have our family holiday I might do.
#KCACOLS
I had a holiday a few weeks ago, and despite intending to have scheduled posts going out while I was away, I just didn’t manage to get that sorted in time. I ended up taking a complete break, only posting photos on Instagram, and it was liberating! I was feeling slightly down on my blog before going, but I came back refreshed, and brimming with new ideas. My page views have certainly suffered as a result, but I’m not sure anything else has, and I’m sure things will pick up again in no time. #KCACOLS
I haven’t been blogging long enough or seriously enough to even have a schedule yet which is probably why my blog hasn’t flourished more. But I promised myself I wouldn’t let it all-consume me as I am already very all-or-nothing with everything else in my life! So I am going to stick to that and let the writing continue as personal therapy – anything else is a bonus! I don’t know how you all do it and I really admire you all! ๐ So many fantastic bloggers out there. Maybe one day I’ll get on top of it! #KCACOLS
I haven’t taken an official blog break, but I did have a week recently where I didn’t post at all as I was busy moving my blog from Weebly to WordPress. I love your tips though, will keep them in mind for the future when I do have a proper break! x #KCACOLS
I haven’t officially took a blogging break but it was mine and my sons birthday a couple of weeks so so was too busy to be tending to my blog regularly. I know what you mean about feeling nervous about it. I’m not at a point where I post regularly, on specific days but I do try and keep things going as much as possible. I do worry about going a few weeks without posting, or not tweeting regularly. It’ll have to happen when i go away at the end of July though! #KCACOLS
This is a very timely post for me to read. Blogging is such a time sink and my determination not to return to my old life of pharmacy is a key motivator. I can’t do things by halves so it is hard to switch off. But, I’m only 6 months in, so there is more than just content to write…It’s all the other stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy it but I realise already that I must set boundaries…BUt you do feel like you have to keep the blogging plates spinning so to speak.
I’m so glad you have discussed a topic that so many of us wrestle with and as a newbie it’s reassuring that it isn’t the end of the world to leave things for a bit.
Oh dear, forgot again…#KCACOLS
It’s so easy to get on that hamster wheel and feel like you can’t take a break because of the fear of what it might do to your stats and glad you managed to take some time off. The advice to do it over Christmas, Easter and school holidays is a good one – I took a break over Christmas last year and it was great to take that step back and I’ve taken a mini break from blogging more recently whilst we’ve been on holiday. It does make a difference coming back to it all and feeling refreshed and as you say, it doesn’t really have a big hit on your stats to do so every now and then. Scheduling posts is also good advice – I’ve done that a few times so I can have a slightly longer break and still keep the blog ticking over.
Anyone who says thery don’t care about the stats are lying, so true! I am just starting blogging and you are so right. So addictive. I will have to slow down when we go away this summer but cold turkey style like you suggest, I can’t believe I will be able to do it!
#KCACOLS
Great post! I think sometimes, people feel like if they take a blogging break, it has to be for six months or a year or crazy timescales like that. I’ve just taken two weeks off and come back feeling refreshed and ready to go again – sometimes we all just need a short detox! #KCACOLS
These are really great tips. I find it so difficult to take a break and haven’t had a complete proper break since I started almost 3 years ago! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
I take Saturdays and most of Sundays off but I’m only 2 months in on blogging. And as I’m continuing to blog- the more time it consumes and the more linkys I join so these are good tips for me in the future #coolmumclub
I really don’t do consistency at all, obviously some posts I am tied to do on certain days as they’re linkies I run etc, but other than that I am very much a as and when person, I am possibly way too laid back but it keeps my sanity ๐
Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix lovely
Stevie x
I love Misery Guts!! You are absolutely right to take a break – aside from anything else – writing and being on the PC all the time is quite isolating and I think it’s important to take a break from your own head (not yours specifically, bloggers in general I mean!). And now you have proved that you can and it was OK! #KCACOLS
Ooh great minds! My post this week was on tbe same subject I’m not even anywhere near as dedicated as you but still felt the benefit of a blog detox! #coolmumclub
Hehe my post on #coolmumclub from last week was on this topic – trying to keep the balance between blogging and life. It seems like blogging is becoming a bigger and bigger proportion of my life. I think going cold turkey is definitely the way forward. My self-discipline is not very good in this area so I have a rule now that if I’m going on a proper holiday, I leave my phone behind. That way, I can’t ‘check’ even if I want to! #coolmumclub
This year I’ve taken several blog breaks and each time I’ve come back with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. We are all different, but if blogging (and hosting a linky) is going to be a feature going forward, for me, breaks are an absolute must. This is great advice!
Thanks for sharing with #coolmumclub.
…and let’s not forget the inspiration/brainwaves/epiphanies you can indeed have from taking a break from blogging! ๐ #ablogginggoodtime
I have tried to take a break – but it’s never a complete break – which is a shame as I think we all need time to switch off. I like the idea of guest posts I think I might arrange some for my next planned break #KCACOLS
I’ve thought about this recently as we’re going away in August and I think it might be the perfect opportunity for a break. Like you say, sometimes it’s good to take some time out and come back refreshed! #coolmumclub
I really need a break! I feel exhausted lately. I would like to really be away and not blogging at all. But in order to do that I need to be organised and have all scheduled so I can relax. Having said that I won’t be able to get away of social media or my emails as I’m addicted to it! LOL But at least just having a break of writing, publishing posts and not having to get the linky ready will be lovely! ๐ Thanks so much for sharing this at #KCACOLS. I love having you here, ๐ xx
I quite often take a blog break, or if I was going on holiday I might schedule one post instead of my regular three. I honestly think that the only person this matters to is the blogger themselves. Readers don’t care as there is always something new to read somewhere, and brands definitely don’t. Maybe if a blogger dropped off the face of the earth and it looked like there were major problems in their life people might notice, but otherwise not. I think we can get a bit too caught up in how much our blog matters when it doesn’t matter to anyone half as much as it matters to the blogger themselves. Breaks are good, everybody’s mind needs a holiday from time to time. Then you can come back with renewed enthusiasm and enjoy it all more.
#KCACOLS
Ah this is really useful. I’ve been wondering what to do with my blog whilst I’m on holiday for two weeks. I think I’ll follow your advice…post a few social media posts, then relax & enjoy a bit of blog-free time with Archie & the Mr!x
I just took a mini break whilst my blog was transferring and I have to say it was rather welcome. I think if I ever have another I do need to shut off more completely and you have given some great advice!
Thanks for linking to #ablogginggoodtime
[…] week I took a littleย blogging break and decamped to a field in Sussex where we went yurting for the very first time (no idea if yurting […]