8 Ways to Beat the Blogging Blues
Blogging is a dream job for many — after all who wouldn’t want to spend their work days sitting in a trendy coffee shop sipping fancy coffee and typing out random thoughts about life? Yeah, this is the dream but not usually the reality (although it is fun to do this occasionally! See below). Truth be told blogging is hard. Really hard. There’s more to it than anyone realizes, and the path to success is never a smooth one. Setbacks are par for the course — from writer’s block to trolls and nasty commenters to making an embarrassing professional mistake, if you haven’t experienced a setback yet, you will. It’s not about how you can avoid it, but how you can recover from it.
Here are 8 ways to beat the blogging blues after a setback. Mix and match and get back on track!
Take a step back
Shut down the computer and step away from the writing and your blog for a bit. Go outside, watch a movie, clear your head. Reset your perspective.
Get back to your blogging roots
Take a few minutes and let your thoughts drift back to why you started blogging in the first place. PR expert Nancy Behrman says some of the best advice she’s ever received is “remain true to your own personal convictions.” Center yourself on the passion, drive and excitement that spurred you to begin this journey in the first place.
Indulge in a “blogging lifestyle” perk
Go to the coffee shop, order yourself up something lovely, and sit with your laptop open. Work if you want, people-watch if you want, stare out the window if you want. You’re a blogger! People want to be you. Seriously.
Focus on the wins
Go back to the beginning of your blogging journey, or just the beginning of the year if it’s been a long time, and write down all your blogging “wins.” Every challenge you’ve overcome, contract you’ve won, every goal you’ve met, every fun surprise that’s popped up along the way. Write them down and celebrate them! Appreciate how far you’ve come.
Start a writing journal
No matter what your niche, blog writing is emotional! And sometimes the best thing to do with negative emotions and anxiety related to a blogging embarrassment is to let it out in diary form. Journal the whole setback, from beginning to end, detailing your feelings and getting everything out. Then tuck that journal into your desk and feel better. As journals go I like this one and this one.
Surround yourself with positivity
Perhaps Nancy also said it best when she said “Keep a strong circle of capable, hardworking and trustworthy people around you.” This circle can be in real life, or via online blogging groups, chat, and email. Find your tribe, and let them support you.
Learn from your mistakes
If the setback is related to an error you made take some time to analyze what went wrong and how you can prevent it from happening again. Maybe you know something now you didn’t know then, or maybe you can fine tune your work flow, or simply declutter your work area to lessen the overwhelm. Take action to prevent another similar setback in the future, and you’ll be better able to put this present one behind you.
Consider it a badge of honor
Experiencing a blogging setback is a rite of passage of sorts. There are no successful bloggers who haven’t had a really bad day (or ten). Now that you have too you’ve crossed a line. You’re not quite as new today as you were yesterday. You’re that much more seasoned, that much more experienced, you’ve gone through a tunnel and come out the other side bigger and badder and better. And by golly, you’re going to make it.
Share your experience
What are your go-to methods for dealing with blogging setbacks? Share in the comments!