Discussion – Is This a Blogging Burn Out?

Good evening friends. Now, in my 5 and a half years of blogging, I’ve seen a lot of changes within the community and the way people interact with blogs. I’ve also seen the shift turn to other platforms, and with all the discord about the treatment of book bloggers in the industry, which is a massive blow to us, it made me think about my current standing with My Midnight Musing. There’s no denying that there’s been a significant drop in my engagement within the blogging community, but then there are also external factors, like work, that have also had an impact on how I blog. The conclusion? I think I’m in the middle of a blogging burnout. Seeing just how little regard there is for the time and energy that bloggers spend on creating their posts, editing graphics, and freely promoting their passion is disheartening. Subconsciously, I think that reality does weigh on a person, and it makes you wonder why we even bother in the first place. However, beyond that, there are also other contributing factors to this burnout, and here is a quick insight into what I believe has contributed to my blogging burnout.

Fresh Out of Content

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The first hiccup is the lack of content going out regularly. On average, I aimed to get an average of 10 posts out a month, equating to 2 posts per week. However, as many of you may, or may not have, noticed that number has drastically been reduced to an average of four posts a month. The things is, there are always ideas running through my head. There’s also a stack of draft posts begging to be finished. The problem is making time to write them and finding the words to write a price you’re proud of. Finally, there’s the anxiety of having said post go out just for it to flop. These feelings all come together and create this writer’s block. Do you get moments like these? How do you combat them?

Identity Crisis

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Most of you may have noticed that my content now includes a lot more TV, movie, and general entertainment posts. This change was necessary to fill the void that comes with my reading slump. However, there’s always this fear that by incorporating different content you’re essentially self-sabotaging yourself. Does your core audience, who are mainly book bloggers, actually want to read about what you’re watching? Especially, when said content is not as popular in the media. If so, what do I do? Do I adjust my writing style to link these different interests? Or do I persist in just writing about my current random interests and just not worry about the engagement?

Where is my place?

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I was always aware of how my interests vary over the years. It’s why I chose a blog name that didn’t pigeon hole me into one category. However, when you start a blog and create a presence within one community, it’s easy to feel like you’re left in the dust when you suddenly find yourself writing about different topics. Now, I’m not one to believe in having a niche. At the end of the day, you blog for you, and we write about the topics we’re passionate about. However, if I had to define myself I’d say my niche was in the variety of storytelling. That’s the common denominator in my blog posts. I could write about TV/Film/Books/Games/Music and I know that I’m writing about them because I love the journey they take me on. So, where does that leave me? I feel like I’m on the outskirts of every community when, in my head, I feel like they’re all interlinked. Do you feel like you struggle to find your place in the blogging community?

Not Making the Effort

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The most glaring component of this blogging burn out is the lack of effort on my part to actively engage with the community. To that, I am seriously sorry. I think all of these lingering worries and questions about my place in the blogging community just makes me feel so much more removed than usual. On top of that, there’s this little thing called life. After a busy workday, it’s hard to dive nose deep into the blogosphere. Normally, I would spend a good day or two blog hopping, now I only pop in now and then. I don’t like this feeling. I want to be part of the community. I just need to make that conscious effort to engage without burning myself out along the way.

Where do I go from here?

Realistically, this is not an overnight fix. However, what I do know is that I still love the book blogging community. I’ve never known a community that’s so supportive, even when s**t hits the fan, which it often does. I think writing about what I’m passionate about is still the priority, even if it further distances me from the community because forcing myself to write something just for the sake of it will just kill my enjoyment. Personally, I don’t see any clear way out of this beyond just riding that wave and hoping it will pass. One thing I do know is that I’m not going to permanently disappear from the blogosphere anytime soon.

How do you get over a blogging burn out?
Got any tips?
Do you feel like you’re slipping further away from the blogging community?
Let’s talk.

33 thoughts on “Discussion – Is This a Blogging Burn Out?”

  1. First off know that I love your blog and will always love your blog. It doesn’t matter how often you post or what the topic is!
    Second, I feel this blogging burnout. Even though I’ve had more time again this past year, it was also the first time I considered maybe stopping with Life and Other Disasters (but then I accidentally paid for two more years of the domain, so, I guess I’m staying). It’s hard juggling it all and, like you, I feel like I cater to so many different categories and can’t really be called a book blogger or a TV blogger. Mostly, I just do whatever I want to. The lack of engagement is frustrating, but I’ve made my peace with never getting the views and attention other people have gotten (or are getting on different platforms). This is just to have an outlet for my rambles now. It’s what it has to be ❤

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you so much!!! You are the best. I think all the discord about how little bloggers are actually appreciated really did make me think what was the point of it all, but that reminder was also good in remembering that this is not a job, it’s a hobby, and I don’t need to stress out over it.

      Liked by 2 people

  2. Blogging burnout… I have to admit it’s something I think about a lot. I may post regularly, but sometimes it just feels so repetitive. I think I need to give myself permission to skip that TTT or WWW post more often. I also think it’s good to post different things. I like finding out what you’re watching or listening to. I personally blog because it gives me an avenue to talk books with people. I gave up on a large following a long time ago — probably when I decided the blog was for me and what I want to share. I don’t really care if I don’t get a ton of comments or anything. I just want to spotlight books I loved and maybe influence one or two people to pick it up. I think it all comes down to the whys and what your expectations for yourself are. I’m happy when I see a post from you, but I’m not judging you if you go months between. I feel sad that so many of my favorites are slowly but surely leaving blogging. I miss seeing their reviews or reading what they are up to. But I completely understand. I’m sure at some point I’ll just be leaving reviews on GR. Anyways. Just do what feels right for you!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I use to religiously stick to the TTT’s until I realised that there were some topics that just didn’t interest me or I found I was basically featuring the same book every week. allowing myself to pick and choose which ones to take part in helps ease that pressure to some extent.
      I think remembering why I started the blog will help. I wanted a place where I could openly discuss my thoughts on books and everything in between and I’ve been so fortunate to find that community. The blog is not a job, so I think the best philosophy is to write about what I want.
      Thank you so much. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I have been blogging for a long time now (going on 15 years, I think) and periodic burnout is normal. So is changing up what you want to write about, and how frequently you want to post, and how much you interact with the community. The most important part to doing this long-term is to listen to yourself and don’t push too hard in a direction you don’t want to go.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. 15 years! That’s amazing. Thank you so much for the advice. It’s definitely something I need to remind myself of. At the end of the day, there’s no point in writing about something you’re not passionate about.

      Like

    1. I think a lot of the revelations that came out of the discussion on how little appreciation bloggers get just got to me. It was that reality check that I needed to remind myself that this isn’t a job. I think the best thing, for now, is to go through my drafts and see what sticks out to me. Thank you for commenting. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  7. As someone with over 300 posts sitting in my drafts from as long ago as 2018, I feel you on needing the time and energy to write the posts and feel good about them. I feel like the more book bloggers get ignored by the bookish community overall, the longer it takes for me to work on an individual post and my anxieties grow. I don’t want my work to be for naught, so I just… don’t. I’ve found going through my drafts once a month and picking 1-2 that look like fun to work on to be really helpful though.

    Life and pandemic has made it so I rarely blog hop these days and I feel SO BAD. I miss it! But I just don’t have the bandwidth anymore, so I promise myself to do it based on who comments on my blogs. Which helps because it’s more of a conversation in a way and also less daunting.

    Good luck and take your time finding your footing again! But remember you do belong, no matter the content you want to write. I have a few book blogging friends who focus on storytelling and talk about other media. It’s a thing, don’t stress.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I definitely feel like the revelations from the discussion on how little appreciation bloggers get hit a nerve for me. I really like the idea of going through draft posts and seeing which ones look fun to work on. I might have to start doing that.

      I think it’s the blog hopping that makes me feel so guilty cause I am so sporadic in my engagement.

      Thank you so much for your kind words. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Don’t stress, Lois! We are all doing our best with the pandemic and everything. I blog hop maybe once a month and only via commenting back from my posts.

        Good luck finding the spark, but enjoy downtime if it is what you need!

        Like

  8. Yes, this definitely sounds like blogging burnout.

    I’m happiest on the periphery of the blogging community. I engage with the parts of it that work for me and leave the rest for people who resonate with them. Of course, only you can decide if something like this would work for you! I make no judgement of anyone regardless of how much they do or don’t engage with this stuff. It’s such a personal decision.

    You definitely don’t have to answer this, but how is the rest of your life going? I find that blogging burnout is sometimes correlated to difficult experiences with work, volunteering, or school; mental or physical health challenges; grief, etc.

    Sometimes the brain needs a break. I think that’s a very healthy and normal thing to do.

    Here are some things that work for me (other than reducing blogging frequency which you’ve already done):

    Taking long walks
    Spending time in nature
    Exercising (swimming, weightlifting, etc)
    Exploring interests I don’t blog about
    Spending time with friends and family (virtually these days, of course)
    Day trips/vacations to places that really excite me (someday this will be possible again!)
    Trying new stuff in general

    Eating more fruit and vegetables, too. A whole foods diet gives me more motivation and energy in general. I’m not trying to make assumptions about what you do/don’t eat, just thought I’d throw this out there in case you haven’t tried it. It took me ages to figure this one out!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. My life has actually been going okay for the time. I’m fortunate in this pandemic to still be able to work and I’ve always been a keen walker and since I live in the countryside I’m always surrounded by nature. I think in terms of overall lifestyle choices, I’m doing okay, even if there are a couple of stress days/days you question your path etc scattered in between. I think it’s finding where blogging fits into it that’s hard. I love blogging, but it can be so time-consuming so finding that balance between work/life/blog seems to be something I need to work on.
      Thank you so much for your advice.

      Like

  9. A very thoughtful post, Lois. It’s definitely hard to find the motivation sometimes with everything else in our lives, but you do a great job. I find blogging really rewarding when it goes well. Hopefully you can get your mojo back soon ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much. I think I just need to find that balance between how much time I spend on the blog between work and life in general, and not beat myself up about how flaky my presence is on the blogosphere. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Hi Lois.
    I love this candid post and I can relate to so many of your points. It’s hard to find original content, especially when I’ve been at it for years, and sometimes it just doesn’t seem worth it to spend hours on a post when it doesn’t do as well as I expect it to. That and, as you mentioned, there are so many other things in life that needs our attention!
    It’s why I’ve been scaling back on my blog posts, from twice a week to once a week. The only way I can continue blogging is to write posts for myself.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think I definitely need to ease the pressure I put on myself to have that constant stream of posts, especially when you realise that blogging is not a job and I don’t need to treat it as one. I think writing for myself is a mindset I need to get back to. It’s why I started blogging in the first place and it’s through that I was lucky enough to find such an amazing community.
      Thank you so much for the comment. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  11. When I had burnout, I took a break. But now that I’m back in it, I just ignore any self doubt. I’m writing what I want and if only one person comments on it, I’m okay with that. My goal is to just be able to express myself whether it’s about books (across all genres), tv, movies, video games, whatever interests me. There’s always SOMEONE out there that wants to read what you write! Do what makes you happy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is exactly what I needed to hear. I think I need that reminder that this blog is not a job, it’s a hobby and I shouldn’t be stressing so much about it. Thank you so much for the comment. ❤

      Like

  14. Ah snap, Lois! I feel you. There are moments where blogging as a platform might seem to be dying and then seem like it might not be meant for us. What’s great is that you’re asking yourself all the right questions but, ultimately, the most important one is if you enjoy what you do on your blog. Forget about its identity, the quantity you manage to squeeze onto it, etc. etc. Think about the reasons why you even blogged in the first place! Do you enjoy the process? Do you want to interact with others through their content and yours? For the followers you already have, I’m pretty sure we all enjoy everything and anything you share with us, especially when we can feel your passion for it! And that’s what counts most! I hope the coming months will allow you to determine what you want to do with your blog, Lois! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for those lovely words. I’ve definitely needed to remind myself why I started blogging in the first place and embracing the fact that I’ve always used it as an outlet to express my thoughts on what interests me. The community interaction is the bonus. I always want to enjoy what I write about, and I hope that comes across in the post haha. I think, at the end of the day, I just need to be kind to myself and remind myself that I can’t do everything.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I loved reading this post so much and the comments on it too, thank you so much for opening up this discussion, Lois ❤ I'm so sorry to hear you've been feeling that way, though I completely get it. I'm feeling the burn out peeking every now and then and I try my best to shut it down and to do other things to help me get rid of it, so I hope what I can say will help you! I usually feel the most burned out about blog hopping. I used to do it a whole lot and spend so much time on it, but I can't now and I realized that it was one of the main things that made me feel burned out. Like I was running after everything and everyone. I feel guilty not to be as active as much in comments, but I also feel better when I really want to do it, so… sometimes I spend a month without it and learn to try and be okay with it. About the bloggers' identity, honestly I don't believe that you should limit your niche to anything! This is your space and you should be able to talk about whatever you enjoy. Since this is a hobby after all, you can do it your own way! Maybe the audience will be different, maybe book bloggers won't be interested in media posts, but other bloggers will and if you are passionate about what you write and want to, you should do it. 🙂
    Here if you ever need to talk about it all, always supporting you! ❤

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I think the blog hopping/commenting is the part that really gets me. It’s so hard to shake some of that guilt from not engaging with other bloggers content, especially knowing how much time goes into them. I just need to remind myself that I can’t do everything and that there are other ways to boost bloggers voices too.
      Thank you so much for the lovely comment. Honestly, the response to this has been so reassuring it just feels like a massive weight has been lifted. ❤

      Like

  16. Ah I relate to this so much at the moment- I feel like I’m in the middle of a burnout too- especially with everything going on and using up so much energy with work. It makes writing posts and blog hopping pretty hard- but I’m sure most people understand this! I do think that changing things up with content can really help! But mostly I think we all just need to cut ourselves some slack! Blogging is a hobby and it should be fun!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Couldn’t have said it better myself. The response to this post has been so reassuring and it feels like a weight has been lifted. I always strive to write about things that I care about and I needed to remind myself of that. I still feel incredibly guilty for not blog hopping as much, but we can only do so much. Thank you so much for the lovely comment.

      Like

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