You’re probably wondering what is blogger burnout? Is it like bloggers block? No, blogger burnout is when you’ve been blogging and you get to the point that you are fed up with blogging. It doesn’t have to deal with lack of knowledge or resources, or the lack of motivation that is tied with bloggers block.
I’ve observed a lot of bloggers over the years. Some burnout faster than others. However, I’ve found that bloggers burnout occurs when one or more of the following happen:
- You’ve been blogging constantly, like daily, and without a proper break.
- You’re not seeing much of a return on investment for your efforts.
- You’ve got a lot on your plate, or you’re stressed from something.
How to Recover from Blogger Burnout
Honestly, all of the reasons that could be a cause for blogger burnout that are listed above, have a lot of preventable solutions. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers just give up and never return. I’ve also seen other bloggers that just kind of faded out, came back again, and then faded out once more.
You don’t need to be a blogging machine. If you can handle blogging once a day on your website, then that’s fine, but don’t make it a life or death kind of deal. In doing so, you end up starting to feel like blogging is a chore. It’s fine if you want to be ambitious, but sometimes when running too fast for too long, you just end up with no more energy to continue.
If you’re not seeing a return on investment, then that means you need to change up your marketing plan for your blog. Maybe it’s not reaching the right audience? Maybe it’s changing the design or even editing parts of the site to focus on what you want people to do.
Rather than give up, make new plans, and be smarter about it by testing to make sure those plans work. Don’t be afraid to hire someone to take a look at your website and have them tell you what you should consider doing in order to improve it.
It’s okay to take a break. If you’re stressed in your life, it will usually seep into most aspects of it, including your blogging. Don’t be afraid to take a little hiatus. You can take a little time to reflect and see where you are, and where you want to be. However, don’t let your blog rule your life.
Don’t obsess over the money. Blogging may be something that you’re wanting to try to use as a way to supplement your income, but if you’re putting all bets on it, then you’re going to lose. It takes a lot of work and dedication.
It’s not about getting paid to review products. Those things only pay so much, and a lot of brands out there are more likely to either ask you to buy their product, or send you a product, only to either ask for it back, or poorly compensate you.
It’s also not about affiliate links and advertisements. All of this can still be chump change, especially in the beginning when your website is still new and you don’t have enough traffic to reel in interested people that will buy your products that you’re affiliate marketing, or for them to click on your banner or text ads.
Build relationships. Build a cornerstone product or two or three, like an ebook that people can buy. Build a proper business or marketing plan.
In the case you’re suffering from blogger burnout, it definitely is the time to take a short break, and live your life a little. During this time, you’ll want to enjoy yourself, but also doing a little thinking.
When you get back from your hiatus, it’s time to make new plans in order to improve your website and marketing plan.
In conclusion, I probably could’ve written the title as “How to Prevent Blogger Burnout”, but in most cases, some of you reading this article may be at the brink of it, heading toward it, or probably wanting to avoid it.
Do you have any tips to add to this on recovering from blogger burnout? Have you experienced a blogger burnout?
oh my goodness !!!! what an incredible article you just posted Nile !!!! that line “you end up starting to feel like blogging is a chore. It’s fine if you want to be ambitious, but sometimes when running too fast for too long, you just end up with no more energy to continue.” just awesome 🙂 keep it up this line is good enough to inspire those bloggers who left blogging for sure 😀
I’ve suffered blogger burnout on both my professional and hobby blogs. I think it’s inevitable no matter how passionate you are about the subject or how much you like writing. Everybody needs a vacation. It is absolutely worthwhile to take a break from blogging and relieve the burnout. There are so many other things that can be done to benefit the blog if you feel that you have to keep working at the it to keep things going like shift more time to social media engagement, redesigning the website, researching longer pieces or new topics, interacting with other bloggers and so forth. I’ve been spending less time writing on my hobby blog and more time redesigning it and that has been both refreshing and very productive and I am excited to get writing on the new design.
Exactly. You’ve been around my site for a long time, Adam, and you know, when I take my break… I really take my break. As you’ve seen, I’m starting to get back into that drive again because of a fresh breath.
Hi Nile,
I’ve seen so many bloggers burnout. One of the main causes I see is that they hedge everything on their blog. They get fed up when money doesn’t roll in. But what they need to know is that a blog is only part of your business.
With a good business plan activated, our blogs are a good part of it all. Indeed, I see those blogs with the blinking lights on the side bar of advertisements and it only looks desperate to me. But that’s not how it all works.
Our blogs are important because that is where we can give our best information to share with others. We grow a community and meet other bloggers and get involved with them. All good practice. But when it comes to marketing, it is a different story. Even if you are selling something on your blog, you will only get a small percentage of buyers.
However, when marketing online, many will come over to your blog for that good old social proof!
-Donna
Exactly, Donna! I love it that we’re on the same page just about all the time. 😀
I like your this point
Don’t obsess over the money
Prooblem starts from this point…we are very curious to make money online
I spent too much of time on my blog. As I’m new to blog, eventually, need to spent more time to improve my blog..
I used to have infolinks, chitika ads on my blog and later realised that those were not worth for my blog..
So. 2 days ago I changed my plan to affiliate programs and change a little on my blog design..
Now have to wait and see how it’s going to work…
I read one of your sentence. “Don’t be afraid to hire someone to take a look at your website and have them tell you what you should consider doing in order to improve it.”… why don’t you do that for me..
I would be grateful, if you suggest any changes to do that in my blog for affiliate marketing.
Thanks in advance. 🙂
HI Thyrone!
Your best bet in affiliate marketing is to build content around those products that you want people to get interested in.
As for taking a look… yes, I actually offer a website review service that does that. 🙂
Howdy Nile,
I’ve seen such a variety of bloggers burnout. One of the primary driver I see is that they fence everything on their online journal. They get encouraged up when cash doesn’t come in. Anyhow what they have to know is that a web journal is just piece of your business.
It definitely is, Rahul. People do get discouraged when the cash doesn’t come in. They forget to create content around the products, especially even in other mediums like video, audio, and images. They sometimes forget to engage…. and even stay on top of the information in their niche.
They just need to think smarter. 🙂
I have been blogging for over 5 years and I am not sure if I have ever experienced this. I have had days where I didn’t feel like doing it, but I haven’t gotten fed up yet.
Hi Nile
I used to suffer with blogger burnout on a regular basis. But I soon realised that blogging is not the beginning and end of life on this planet! So I sat back and relaxed a little and created the mindset of ‘blogging for love not money’.
Now I enjoy blogging and if I make a few bucks, hey that’s a bonus.
Best wishes, Mike
Hi Nile, These are excellent points – and I’ve been through and worked out blogging burnout – getting into a system and taking breaks as part of my blogging – reminding myself that this is why I chose to work from home!! lol
Blogger Burnout is very common these days,many people start blogging with the sole of earning money only and then drop out after some time when they find that its not that easy to earn money from blogging and lose their interest.
Hope your tips help them recover and help them move forward in their blogging life.
I’ve experienced blogger burnout before. I usually wait a week and return to blogging.
I have been cutting back on posting because I am just getting so bored with blogging. Also, summer is coming up
I have been blogging for almost seven years now and I am still very active. It’s my addiction but once in a while I do take breaks because I feel exhausted. Blogging is my avenue to express my opinion and thoughts.
This has happened to me to a certain extent. It has been difficult to keep up with regular posts and still adhere to the standards/guidelines I set for myself. I may need to reevaluate.
Great ideas here Nile, especially about having a marketing plan, that is sooo important. I think also, there are too many beginner Bloggers who believe that all they have to do is post content and people will see it (the old “build it and they will come” ). And, when they see that’s not working, they give up. As you say, if they have a plan in the first place, it will be easier. How to get visitors to the Blog should be a part of that plan.
Taking a break from anything you’re suffering burnout from does work wonders. Thank you for sharing your tips!
I had a blogger burnout at the end of last month. I had to take a week off and get over the stress and disillusion I was feeling.
I have been telling people for years that if you are getting in to blogging for the money then you should look for another career. For every 10 bloggers who start a blog, 5 will drop out by month 6 and of the 5 remaining 1-2 will make income into the thousands. People don’t understand how much writing and time goes into blogging. You have to love to write or it’s just not going to work if you’re only focus is money. All bloggers are writers, but not all writers are bloggers.
I have definitely suffered Blogger Burnout before. It became all-encompassing and I ended up stressing out about it. It took my attention from living in the moment and enjoying those moments with my kids because I was always thinking blogging! I’ve learned a lot since then and have refocused my blog and am trying to set more structured time frames for when I work.
Yes, slow and steady or definitely have two people working on the blog. If one person is writing and the other does promo, it can be a lot easier!
ahhhhh I don’t think I’ve had complete bloggers burnout yet, but almost! Afew weeks ago I was just so over working 24/7 that I just was like screw it all… I’m taking afew days for myself. Honestly best thing I could of done because after that few days I came back ready to take over the world lol….
Hello Nile, I loved all your idea’s on how to go about recovering from Blogger Burnout! I think it is a great idea to take some time out, instead of giving up, it is a lot of work But I have really grown to Love it.
Thanks for sharing.. Chery :))
Burnouts happen more often. You must make time away to clear your head.
My cure for blogger burnout is to switch it up a bit and write something really fun or creative. Something that will be as fun to read as others to write. Not just something informative like I normally do, but more something someone bored would want to read to get a good chuckle.
I’ve had burnout and I’ve had “blogger apathy” – my version of “I posted 8 times & quit because I wasn’t rich yet.” 🙂
I think it’s ok to take a break as long as you have a way to come back. Too often people “take a break” that lasts 2-3 years. Then they get bored one weekend, write a couple more, get reinspired, jump back in for a week, realise it isn’t all that great yet and jump back out.
Hi NIle,
I think with blogging it’s so important to take a break if you need it to make sure you are on the right path and all in. Writing a blog is just one part of your marketing plan. You also have to be committed to knowing how to market your blog properly and build relationships and trust with your audience and this takes time and effort on your part to make it successful. Thanks for sharing such good advice for recovering from blogger burnout!
Blogger burnout! Oh oy. I experienced this once and it wasn’t fun. I’m glad I was able to snap out of it quickly, and I’ve been on track and not taken on too much since! These are really great tips!
What a wonderful topic to discuss! I typtically take a sabbatical of about a couple of weeks to a month from blogging and social media, in general. Like anything else, doing something you love over and over can also lead to burnout. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Don’t obsess over the money is a great tip. You get what you focus on when blogging, and if you start fixating on the money and not the really important things, then yeah, with the other things you will burnout. I find a reasonable plan also helps prevent burn out, along with taking adequate downtime.
We are really lucky to have two people working on our blog to avoid burnout. My sister writes the posts and I do our promo. Otherwise, she gets really streesed looking for sponsored posts and keeping up with social media….all while trying to also write about what she wants. It feels impossible without help.
Great advice, Nile. You’ve put things in the right perspective. I especially like the parts about not letting your blog rule your life, and what blogging is NOT about. For many of us, our blog is our “hub”, our “home” — but it shouldn’t be everything. Keeping the bigger picture in mind will help avoid burnout.
Burnout is something I suffer from regularly … mine is due to stress in my life. It is hard to be a blogger, as well as a freelance writer. By the end of the day, I’m just fed up with writing. However, blogging is also my outlet. This is a beautifully timed post, as I have been feeling that “bleh” again. I need to remember that my blog is my soapbox, it’s okay to break from the regular and speak what’s on my mind.
Hi Nile,
This came at the perfect time for me at this point of my business journey. Although I do take breaks, and am pretty careful of not burning out, I feel it coming on.
The quick fix I’m doing right now is to take one day off….totally unplugged. I started it on Sunday and the world didn’t end lol.
I also planned a 2 week vacation in July to the west coast. I’m house swapping with my brother in Seattle. So I’ll get to see friends and family and tell everyone way in advance I’ll be checking in, but not much.
-Donna
One thing that helps me to prevent “blogger burn out,” is to learn new things and take new classes and then write about them on my blog. It’s easy to get excited about a new class and seminar and after I take it I commit to writing up a review and/or my notes on my blog. This is good for two reasons (1) Posting my notes and a review on my blog forces me to rethink everything I learned, and whether or not the money/time was worth it, and rewriting my notes helps to solidify everything I learned in the class/seminar. (2) Taking new classes helps you to blog about new things and gives you continual new readers who will widen and broaden the perspective of your blog.
Also, a lot of people also recommend “taking a break,” from your blog when you’re burnt out, but the bad thing about this is that Google doesn’t like it when blogs stop being constantly updated. It can actually hurt your ranking if you take an extended break. But you’re right, it’s better to take a break if you need one then to continue with burning yourself out.
I will totally agree with your above Post because every Blogger passed through this stage of “Blogger Burnout” and this tend to be the reason why most of the newbie Bloggers tend to quit even before they taste there first fruit of success…….!!!
Appreciate this Post yours very must …!!
Thanks Mate for Sharing with us 🙂
I’ve encountered a ton of times where I’ve felt blogger fatigue. It’s so easy to fall victim to writer’s block and not having enough time to accomplish what you’d like to see your blog become.
I would for sure say i have experience blogger burnout, my blogging “career” for sure has its ebbs and flows. I always try to motivate myself when i see the burnout on the horizon and try to catch it early. The tips you presented are killer, thanks!
Thanks for the tips on fighting ‘blogger burnout;. I don’t think it is a topic that is addressed enough. It’s difficult to not feel overwhelmed to produced more and more content. Quality not quantity is my new motto.
Blogger’s burnout is a real thing! There are times where you WANT to get up and blog, but the entire process seems so daunting and draining. This article was really, really useful. Something that helps my wife and I avoid blogger’s burnout is simply to let things go – we go out, grab dinner somewhere, talk about other things, and just return to the blog and ‘attack it’ with unhinged creativity. Thinking TOO much about something ironically kills creativity, so we find it helps to do a relaxing ritual before hand.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post!
These are some really great points Nile!
Although truth told, I’ll bet when you really boil down so called “blogger burnout’,
what you’ll find more times not, is someone that like you pointed out,
probably didn’t have a very good short & long term marketing plan of any kind.
And they also probably went into it with totally unrealistic expectations.
And when their “get rich click” fantasies didn’t automatically materialize as they had hoped for!
They bailed and are often in search of the next “can’t miss thing!” Take the time up front to adequately research what you’re thinking about getting into.
And make sure if fits your current skill level, passion and personality.
Thanks for shedding some much needed light on a subject that simply isn’t discussed nearly enough!
Great stuff Nile.
Early on, when I first started blogging I used to get quite fatigued. I felt like I had to put out content 2-3 times a week.
Now I tend to focus on putting content out once a week or once a fortnight, an dfocuss on making trying to make it good quality 🙂
Nile,
Great write up! I truly enjoy reading your posts, as do many others. keep up the awesome work! barry
Thanks for sharing this important information. I agree that one of the burnouts for bloggers is due to not seeing results from what they do on their websites and also great expectations which might not be realistic. I like the idea of having breaks.
Blogger burnout. Social media burnout. Marketing and promotion burnout. I have experienced it in all areas over the past decade plus. At times I love the crazy pace of the online world and the amazing connections I have made because of it. But there are times I long for a break somewhere quiet in the middle of the woods completely unplugged so my mind has a chance to rest and I can recharge the battery. Learning to pace yourself and finding some semblance of balance is very important for longevity in my own experience. Great post Nile.
I have always found that after a week straight of daily posting I have little energy left.
Sometimes we have this burning idea that if we don’t post every day then we will lose readers. This is so far from the truth! Our readers would love us to post every day, but if we sacrifice good content to fulfill that then what is the point?
I try to take a few days off when hit the burnout point, and it always seems to work! Loved this post!
Nile,
I have certainly felt that sense of Blogger Burnout. Sometimes it is so easy to write my blogs and I get quickly inspired to write the next and the next. And then, there comes a time when I have so much else to do, the new week is here and I have no idea about what I want to write about nor do I have the time or energy to do the writing. So — I take a break. I was so glad to see that in your list of things to do.
When I take a much needed break and focus on other things that need to be done, I return refreshed and with some new ideas about where I want to go and what I want to focus on. Then writing the blogs just naturally follows.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Greetings Nile, This is the Best Post I have found around.
I have been blogging online since 97. I had longs for being an author. I do that. I am distributed. I am an independent columnist. I get paid to blog. I compose a ton of extravagant assessment and business diaries so I can utilize my degrees.
At the same time, as of late, I have truly been dawdling on everything that needs to do with my sites. I truly needed to make a stride back. Presently I have to redesign on the grounds that I am so untidy at this moment. Structure for me is key.
I’ve experienced a couple of periods of this. Happy to realize some new tips!
Nile,
I stopped by this post awhile ago, but now I am at that point of temporary burnout. So I do what you suggested. I take a break for a week or two. Right now I’m focused on a project and don’t want to be distracted by writing about something else. But when I am ready, I will write about the project and share my enthusiasm about it.
I love writing my blogs and reading what my visitors say, very often personal and insightful. And I view the blog as building my brand and helping others to know who I am and what I am all about. Marketing my products and services is only a small part of my reason for blogging.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
I do affiliate marketing and I had to face blogger burn out in the beginning days of my Blogging career. What helped me recover from those burn out was pure inspiration from my fellow mate who was very succesful with affiliate marketing.
I love writing my blogs and reading what my visitors say, very often personal and insightful. And I view the blog as building my brand and helping others to know who I am and what I am all about. Marketing my products and services is only a small part of my reason for blogging.
What a great article. I am definitely on the brink of blogger burnout right now. The only factor that applies to me at this time is the need to take a break. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done sometimes but I’d rather choose to take a break rather than be forced to, if you know what I mean.
Hi..
I have been blogging since 2007 March, Since then I was used to write so many blogs, the first one one was mine and then I have written blog in hire for other people. I make a few money from my viewers, but I make money for my writing skill as a freelance worker. Some time I tried to write for myself but I feel lazy when I start write for me, at the time only thinking work in my mind is this not the thing I’m writing for NO MONEY!
I get blog/website burnout pretty often. When I do I either go on vacation, go on walks more often and/or hire people to do more of the work for me. I have been at it since 2000 so I did take a few years off and did something else. I got way behind on the SEO world, but it did help me regain my enthusiasm.
Hi Nile,
Blogger burnout is inevitable at some point, you’ve probably been working extremely very hard to get your blog going with little or no rest, it’s certain that you can not continue at such rate without burning out. When burnout occurs, the best thing to do is to take a well-deserved rest, this is necessary to refresh the body system, refocus your mind and prepare yourself for the task ahead. nice write-up, I enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks
Blogger burn out — something we can all definitely relate to as writers! It seems to happen at the worst times…
Luckily I have been able to pull myself out of these situations relatively quickly and have also managed to practice different motivational coping mechanisms on how to stay inspired or get inspired!