source: dolmansaxlil
As I’m putting the finishing touches on my ebook, How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too — all about being a mother and pursuing your own passions — I’m reposting some of my favorite posts from the archives! If you want to be notified when the ebook is ready, just submit your email address here.
If you’ve been blogging for long, chances are you’ve had weeks where you struggle to get your posts written. Whether you call it writer’s block or blogger burnout, if you’re blogging “professionally”, it’s a good idea to plan ahead of time for how you’ll deal with it when it happens.
I’ve experienced this at various times since I started blogging, although sometimes it’s been more like life burnout, to be honest. I’d sit down to write and then read over the words I typed, wondering who would even be interested in the mumbo jumbo.
However, when I launched Organizing Your Way at the beginning of 2009, I decided that I was either going to jump in with both feet and treat it like a business or not do it all. I’m not going to disappear on an extended blogging break unless there is a true emergency and I’ve always posted at least 3-4 times a week.
That said, there are weeks when I am just not up for writing 3-4 full-length posts, and I have a variety of tools that I use when I need a break:
1. Re-post a favorite post.
This one obviously won’t work if you’ve only been blogging for a couple of months, but if you’ve been blogging for a year or more, reposting a post that really resonated with your readers is a great way to draw new readers into the conversation while giving yourself a break. (This post? Case in point.)
2. Feature a guest post.
Even if you don’t consider your site a multiauthor blog, sharing guest posts several times a month is a great way to a) highlight topics that may be outside of your area of expertise, b) offer your readers a different perspective and c) support other bloggers who are looking for exposure for their site, all while giving yourself a break from writing.
3. Slow down your posting schedule.
I’ll admit that this one is controversial. If you read Problogger, then you know that he stresses that consistency in your posting schedule is key because it gives your readers an idea of what to expect. That may be true, but somehow I don’t think you’d be crushed if I skipped a post or two along the way, so I think occasionally deviating from the norm is okay.
4. Ask a question.
I love our weekly question of the day posts, but the truth is I started that series as a way to invite you all to join the conversation so that I could sit back and learn from you. Regardless of when I post them, that’s a day that I can just enjoy reading what you have to say rather than feeling like I need to put together another thoughtful post. And sometimes I hit on a controversial topic — like coordinating children’s clothing or Mac vs. PC — and then the comments are really fun to read!
5. Keep a posting queue.
These days, I schedule almost all of my posts at the beginning of the week, which makes a huge difference in my weekly schedule. Having posts ready in advance really allows for flexibility during the week!
6. Post links to other articles.
I’ve come to really enjoy putting together my Weekend Reading posts each Saturday with links to other posts from around the blogosphere. It’s fun to highlight other bloggers and the topics that have made me stop and think without having to cover all of those topics on my own.
7. Write a post about how to fight blogger burnout.
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) When all else fails, get creative. This post was easy and fun for me to write, while still — hopefully — providing value for you all as readers. Maybe it will even be what I need to get out of this blogging funk I’m in!
How do you fight blogger burnout?
