10 Tips to Help You Overcome Blogger Burnout

Most bloggers start off strong, full of enthusiasm and more article ideas than they know what to do with. Then at some point reality rears its ugly head and they realize how much time and planning it’s going to take to grow a top-notch blog.

Next thing you know you’re feeling like you’ve run out of steam, exhausted and dreading that looming deadline for your next article post. Factor in external pressures such as family, money and a job, and the result can be a full blown case of blogger burnout.

There are ways to regain your enthusiasm and enjoyment of the process, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to first do a bit of soul searching to make sure you really want to continue. Assuming you’ve decided to hang in there, and what you’re feeling is starting to look more like writer’s block than terminal burnout, here are a few tried and true tips to help you get back on track.

1) Write less — There are no rules about how often you need to submit blog posts, in fact there’s a good chance your regular readers don’t read your blog on the same day you post anyway. Posting two or three times a week is ample and will allow your readers enough time to process and enjoy what you write and to submit comments.

2) Avoid Perfectionism – Stop putting so much pressure on yourself by thinking you must dazzle the cyber world by producing a masterpiece of literature each time you write. That alone will cause your brain to freeze up.

3) Stop beating yourself up – Do your best to steer clear of negative self-talk or visualizing catastrophes, and focus on how great you’re going to feel when you’re next article is published.

4) Read more — Read about your industry or niche to keep up on the latest trends and share the news with your readers. Read other blogs, especially the really good ones, to learn how the pros do it. Follow the trend setters and take the time to provide relevant comments. Keep at it and one day you will be the trend setter other bloggers are following!

5) Expand your blog’s content — Of course you want to write articles relative to your particular niche or market, however there’s nothing preventing you from expanding your topics. Why limit yourself?

6) Start piecing the puzzle together – When having an especially tough time getting your next post started, see if there’s a small part of your article that you could finish quickly, possibly some research or finding that perfect image that would move things forward.

7) Sponsor a Blog Carnival – A Blog Carnival is when you invite other bloggers to write and submit a post based on your chosen theme or topic. You then select articles to be featured on your blog on the date you’ve chosen for your Carnival. Some bloggers sponsor monthly or quarterly Carnivals. It’s a great way to draw additional traffic, exchange links and to find potential Guest Bloggers. There’s even a “Blog Carnival” website where you can set up your Carnival and promote it to other bloggers.

8) Create a Ritual - Some authors write standing, while some write lying down. Some write early in the morning, while others stay up all night. It’s said that Da Vinci Code's Dan Brown keeps an hourglass on his desk and, on the hour, puts aside his manuscript to perform push-ups, sit-ups, and stretches. Rituals become a trigger point telling your mind it’s time to get to work.

9) Talk to yourself - Explain out loud what you’re really trying to say, in fact this has become my own ritual. No matter how good I'm feeling about what I've written, before submitting or publishing the piece, I take a break and do something completely different. Then I go back and read the article out loud to see how it sounds and fine tune before publishing.

10) Celebrate – Pat yourself on the back each time you push that publish button – you did it!

Remember that no matter how it may feel when you’re stuck in the midst of your struggle to get the creative juices flowing, writer’s bock is a temporary condition and it should pass.