Around a month ago, I took my first blogging break of the year. Since January, I'd followed quite a strict blogging routine so having to turn my back on my blog for that two week period was really tough. It was around this time that all my final Uni assignments were due and even though I hadn't done too bad managing these sort of deadlines in the past, I think all the energy and inspiration I'd had at the start of the year was beginning to run low. My initial ideas for these assignments were either too far fetched or not ambitious enough. For some reason, it took me ages to establish a good topic/theme for all of my projects. I just couldn't see it possible for me to put together a blog post with all the stress surrounding my courses. It wasn't an easy decision to make but the moment I shared my Instagram photo announcing my break, I knew I couldn't back out. It was really disheartening to know that I'd ruined my blogging streak, but looking back on it now, I'm really grateful that I took that break when I did.
Putting Your Wellbeing First
With anything that requires a lot of your time and commitment, it's important to know when to stop and step away. There's always the chance of overdoing it or burning yourself out. I'd thought I'd got the hang of balancing blogging with everything else but since circumstances are always changing, this of course wasn't going to be the case forever. Just because something was easy before, doesn't mean it'll always be this way. If you've already got enough on your plate, you don't need to prove anything to yourself.
Not Writing Because You Have to
Bloggers along with other social media influencers and content creators know how important it is to be consistent with their posting and uploading schedules. Because of this, I think it's easy to fall into that trap of simply putting out a post for the sake of it. You don't get any enjoyment or satisfaction out of it but at least you can tick it off for the week. I was so focused on my Uni work, it was really hard for me to think of a blog post idea that made me feel excited or happy to sit at my laptop and write it. This was another reason I chose to take my blogging break. Not only did I have very little time to put out a post but I didn't want to have to force myself to write a post that I was only half-interested in.
Rediscovering Your Passion
At the end of my break, when all my assignments were in, I wanted to get back into blogging straight away. I realised that I had actually missed tending to my blog and even though Uni had been my everything for those two crazy weeks, my blog was always somewhere at the back of my mind. While I had left my blog feeling quite lost, I was able to return to it with fresh eyes which definitely made my little break a lot more worthwhile.
Thanks for reading!
I've actually gone through a similar thing a few months ago where I was feeling so overwhelmed by everything that was happening in life. In fact, I'm actually going through it again right now as I found myself lying awake last night just numbering all of the things I wanted to do. I wake up tired today so 'putting your wellbeing' first is SO important.
ReplyDeleteLizzie Bee // Hello Lizzie Bee
This was such a great post, I’ve only had a break for a few days while I was on holiday and it was nice but I did really miss it and wanted to get back to writing some new posts straight away! X
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! I know that feeling of 'having to post' to stick to my schedule because I hate the thought of my stats dropping when I don't post consistently but I never want to put out less than average posts so I'm planning to drop to two posts a week instead of three so I can put more time and effort into my posts and have more time for myself too!
ReplyDeleteJess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
I had a break from blogging for about a year and it was the best thing I could have done - I came back completely refreshed and now I'm happier with my content than ever. You have to look after yourself first! <3
ReplyDelete100% agree with this! I've not been as active over the past few weeks as I needed a break and it's worth it! I've come back feeling more inspired and motivated and have realised how much I enjoy blogging x
ReplyDeleteMegan | https://meganelizabethlifestyle.com/
Great tips! I used to be a journalist so I do often put myself in a deadline to get content out regularly but always felt my best posts were the ones I really took my time on! I always have gaps from when I publish, especially as I never push out content while I’m travelling! Lex | https://offasmallisland.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteSome great tips here! I went on a short break during the final year of university as things were getting too much. I totally agree and you have to think about your wellbeing! That's such a big thing to care about.
ReplyDeleteGemma | www.anoceanglimmer.wordpress.com
I like rediscovering your passion. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post, as someone who strictly posts every Thursday at least I understand how difficult the prospect of taking a break is. I've recently felt pretty stressed about juggling everything and have considered taking a little break so this has made me feel a lot better about the idea of it, if I do find it all too much!
ReplyDeleteSoph - https://sophhearts.com x
I can relate so much on this! I hadn't missed a weeklly upload in a year until a few months ago when i just had a little loss of passion for it. However, a good ol' break is really appreciated! x
ReplyDeleteLily Loves | https://www.lilyloves.net
I couldn't agree more about what you are describing here. I mentioned similar things on my blog as well. When you are blogger it's sooooo important to take care of yourself and especially your mental health. Blogging pressures can be so tough!
ReplyDeleteThanks for talking about this important topic. x
Laura / https://laustworld.blogspot.com/