6 Stress Busters for Bloggers
Are you overwhelmed with all that comes [could come] with being a blogger? Are you spending countless hours “dropping cards” trying to get your blog noticed? I admit being new to regular blogging, it’s very easy to get caught up in all that blogsphere has to offer. There are so many tantalizing websites and tools out there, sometimes I feel like I’m in a bloggers playground trying to touch everything. I love blogging, but just because we write it doesn’t mean they [readers/commentators] will come; you can check your first few posts as evidence. We all recognize that if we want readers, we have to advertise or do something to get our blog noticed, which can be time consuming as well as stressful.
So what do we do? Day after day, we join, we advertise and we might add a chicklet to our blog and wait. This can be stressful when we don’t see the results we hoped for and after a few months of this process many bloggers abandon their blog.
Yesterday I was looking at a magazine cover and I noticed an article that had 50 fast fixes for stress. I thought it would be good to look at this article from a bloggers prospective, so here’s my top 6 stress busters for bloggers.
- Hakuna Matata. Don’t worry about your stats, blog visitors, subscribers, page rankings and votes everyday. There is absolutely nothing we can do that will change what we see, so why stress over number fluctuation. I’m not saying don’t check, but if it bothers you, limit your page views to once a week.
- We’re not Omnipresent. We can’t join everything and can’t be everywhere. Even as I Digg through blogsphere, I Stumble Upon a lot of sites that want us to Cre8Buzz about our SpicyPage and put our Post On Fire. While some of these sites are Del.ici.ous, it can be overwhelming trying to keep up. I’m currently limiting MySpace in blogsphere, my plan is to pick a few sites [3 to 5] and be diligent!
- A post a day. Unless you blog for a living, don’t feel obligated to post to your blog everyday. This immediately raises your stress level when you have nothing substantial to blog about, you start to worry that you missed a deadline that’s not even there. While you may have a lot of subscribers and people who enjoy reading your blog, no one expects you to post everyday, so don’t expect it of yourself, unless you can.
- Peeping Blog. There is no need to constantly check on your blog, it does not need a blogsitter. I’m not saying never check your blog, it’s necessary to check for problems, but several times an hour is a bit much. If you have a lot of people that comment on your blog, then yes, you may need to check it more often to keep up with replying. If not, set a specific time you devote to blog maintenance.
- Ignore your blog. Take a break from all blogging activities for one day a week. Go out with a loved one, go for a walk, ride a bike, exercise, read a book or bake a cake. Find another non-blog related activity instead of worrying about your blog ranking and stats. Your blog will be there when you get back, hopefully.
- Use a RSS Reader. I was a little slow to do this one, but I finally moved all my subscriptions to a RSS Feeder. If you subscribe to a lot of blogs, it can be overwhelming to see you have 100 emails of blog posts to read in addition to all the other email. I can’t log into my personal email at work, but by having everything in an online reader, I can log in and read all of my subscriptions rather quickly without flooding my in-box. Now, all my subscriptions are in one location and when I have time, I sit down to read them as well as leave a comment.
Do you have any stress buster tips for bloggers you can add to the list?
These are just some of the ways I came up with to make blogging less stressful and more enjoyable. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Digg this post!
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Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader..
Matt Hanson
That was a great post. I can’t think of anything else to add to your ideas right now. I’m in the boat right now, especially with Entrecard. I want to drop out of a lot of the card dropping, trying to drop a ton of cards each day. I have had a week off work for vacation time and it’s over now. So, back to the usual schedule. No way I can continue to card drop as I have been this past week.
Laura’s last blog post..Sunday Scribblings: “I just don’t get it…”
Hi Natural Woman,
These are all great tips. I like the “peeping blog” tip. You;re right, your blog will still be there when you get back to it.
The only thing I can add is that it takes time to learn all there is to blogging. No sense beating yourself up if you don’t “get it” right away. In time, it all falls into place.
Remember, blogging is considered a hobby. Treat it as such, unless you’re a problogger.
Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..Winding Your Way Through Blogosphere
Very helpful tips. When people talk about joining all these social networking services, I just don’t see how they time for it all. I only keep up with two or three and sometimes not even.
I’m subscribed to over 50 blogs and when I skip a day…lol… it IS overwhelming when I log on and see how much I there is to read. I don’t see it as a chore, because I wouldn’t have subscribed if I didn’t like the material. I do try and limit my time, though. I do most of my blog-related stuff at night/early morning. So, for a couple of hours at night, it’s all blogging. I try not to make it an all day thing because one does need a break from the Internets.
Jillian’s last blog post..Why Don’t You Come Over To My Place? No Really…
you covered it very well..sometimes it’s hard especially when you start a new one not to baby it along
Robert Bourne’s last blog post..The Last Roundup
Great post. I’m guilty of repeatedly checking my stats. But I did take a break this weekend with the holiday. I still managed to get a post out, but I wasn’t hovering over my blog all weekend. I haven’t found the right balance yet. I suppose if I lost my internet connection over the weekend, that’d be one way to get me to stop obsessing. Oy. I need help.
Kathy’s last blog post..The Flop Heard Round the World
It certainly can become overwhelming at times being a blogger. You are better off making quality posts than quantity ones. Placing quality comments on other blogs will hopefully bring you extra traffic.
RSS readers are a great way to receive your info. There comes a time when you have to review the ones you have signed up for and decide whether to stay subscribed or delete them. Otherwise all your productive time is taken up reading your RSS feed or the influx of emails & nothing else gets done.
Your ‘Peeping Blog’ tip can also be applied to your emails. I turn the sound down so I don’t hear the incoming emails… otherwise I’m too tempted to check it out & easily get sidetracked!!
Great tips!
I don’t write on my blog everyday as my posts are not only lengthy (sowwy! I can’t help myself!), I like to be thorough and put a lot of thought into what I’m telling people. It is important that it is heart felt and “human” so that people who need it can feel it. Like.. a virtual hug or something. Not having to post every day really helps me do this.
I don’t check my blog every 20 min .. sometimes haha, but mostly because when I get new comments, I am alerted via my cell and can read it there. Lol I am guilty of staying very connected .. unless I’m sleeping, studying, or taking a test.
And those stats - MAN can they drive you crazy!
JEMi @ InMyHeels’s last blog post..Who Are You Really: The Definition and Redifinition of You
Thanks Laura, that’s all I could think of but I’m sure there’s more. I have Entrecard and I used to drop cards, not spending a lot of time doing so, but once I was watching TV and I dropped 100 in about an hour. I don’t do that anymore. If I see it, I’ll click it, but now I just outsource it….I buy EC credits..no time to click..and can still buy ad space.
Thanks Barbara, I am a peeping blog offender. I peep at work because I can, then I was like…Why? Now I look once at work and then either when I get home or in the early morning. Three times a day is good for me.
50 blogs Jillian, wow. I’m a little behind with commenting on the blogs I read, but I can’t imagine having all that traffic to my in-box…I can handle it in a reader though, but then I probably wouldn’t get to comment on them. I like to comment on OPBs (other people blogs). That’s what I’m doing…early morning or early evening.
I know Robert, it is like a baby to some of us…we want to see it go from crawling to walking to running. We put a lot of work into it, of course we want it to flourish…me personally, I’m just looking for balance.
Thank Kathy. I’m guilty too. I used this post not only to share, but to scream at myself. I still check stats on Feed Burner only, but once a week if even that…Hope you had a great holiday.
Gaida, it can be overwhelming at first when you are trying to find your way and what works. You don’t know so you join and try to do everything. Yeah, I love having my subscriptions in a reader. I can read them at work and minimize the window while I’m actually working and still keep on top of OPB’s. I know about the email thing too…I’m trying to get on a schedule with that….I haven’t seen anything in my in-box that needed my immediate attention.
JEMi, I don’t know how you do with you do with your blog, your posts are lengthy and I enjoy every bit of it. Great information! Wow, to your cell phone, that’s cool.
Great post. I too didn’t have an RSS reader for months and I didn’t realise what a massive mistake I was making. And many of the things you mention, such as checking stats is a real waste of time.
I can also resonate with what you say about putting yourself under too much pressure regarding how much you post. I felt like that recently, then I decided only to post on weekends when i really really felt like it. After all, fewer people read weekend posts anyway so it’s no big deal.
Cath Lawson’s last blog post..27 Ways to Fuel Your Imagination And Come Up With Great Ideas
Hi,
Thanks for the tips! I am in fact, trying not to post as much so that I can have the time to write longer and more insightful clips. But yes….blogging can get stressful if one adds too much pressure to oneself.
With much thanks and appreciation,
Evelyn
Evelyn’s last blog post..The Gift Of Time To Our Kids
Thanks Cath, yeah the RSS reader is a tremendous help and I can read it at work during slow times.
I try to keep my post short, I know people are blog hopping or don’t have a lot of time. If something is too long, I won’t read it unless it’s really interesting.
Good little article/post here!
I tend not to worry about stats, comments, etc. I write my blog for my own pleasure. That keeps it completely stress free. That I do get visitors is just gravy.
Lana’s last blog post..Inspiration Strikes
It sure is easy to get all caught up in “the action” and trying to get some buzz going for your blog. Got here through entrecard and looks like you are doing great, keep up the good work!
Mirjam’s last blog post..I Bounce You Bounce – Check your Rates!
I really appreciare these stress tips. They will are for me. If these were rules, I have broken every single one of them.
Kelvin’s last blog post..A Casual Wednesday
Matt, up top, appreciate it. Thanks for your kind words.
Lana, you’re two steps ahead. I guess keeping things in perspective helps.
Mirjam, it is easy, especially if you don’t know. You work hard in the beginning to get your blog notice and it’s easy to be swept away.
Kelvin, you’re welcome. You’re not alone, I think we all tend to get caught up at one time or another.
Natural’s last blog post..6 Stress Busters for Bloggers
Well at least I see I’m not the only one constantly checking my blog! Thanks for your advice! Will keep that in mind and take a day off.
gina’s last blog post..Grilled Zucchini and Tomato Salad - 0 ww pts
No Gina, you are not. Yeah take a day off and think of something else. I’m learning to do that more.
That was a good post. That’s why I take breaks now and then - I feel pressured to please. Now I can relax, Thanks Natural
Tondy’s last blog post..In the Cold I lay!
Thanks Tondy…yeah I’m learning to take breaks myself. Don’t you stay away too long though, I do love reading your writing..I told you, you’re fire!