Tips for when you’re in a blogging rut

I’m sure I’ve mentioned many times, that whilst I absolutely adore blogging and feel lucky that it’s turned into a great part time job for me, there are times, probably like most jobs, where you can feel in a rut or lacking motivation. 

The past 6 weeks or so, we’ve been busy with a house move, days to work from home have been interrupted with visits from builders/gardeners to give quotes, plus my other day job as a digital marketing manager has been super-busy lately and has left me with less head space to write freely and be creative. Kinda vital if blogging is your job/passion/creative outlet! 

It’s easy to sit on the sofa exhausted in the evening troughing your way through bourbon biscuits <ahem>, and worrying that your readers will desert you, your DA will plummet and with a general feeling of bloggers FOMO through lack of blogging. 

So what do I do when this happens? 

These are the little things that I find help me until the creative juices start flowing again…

Comment on some other blogs

Okay, so sometimes reading other fab bloggers only serves to make you feel more anxious that you’re not producing some super posts too, but having a gander at your faves (and maybe discovering some new blogs) and commenting shows that you’re ‘still there’ and haven’t gone completely under the radar, and makes you still feel involved in the community. I also like to do a quick RT of any posts that have caught my eye too. Share the love, and you’ll likely get a warm fuzzy feeling, plus it’s something easy to do in front of the telly after a hard day.

Change your location if possible

I think one of the reasons that I’ve been less motivated, particularly in the evening, is because my desk has been currently in the living room since we moved, and therefore on some days (apart from doing the school run) I hardly venture out of this room and it’s starting to make me claustrophobic and lacking in energy. We’re getting a new sofa next week so it will be moved anyway, but now I no longer have a dedicated workspace, at least probably not for a couple of years, I think as of next week I’ll be working at least one day a week from my favourite cafe to give me focus. And it means that my relaxing space is separate from my work one. It’s all about mixing it up!

Just write something. ANYTHING!

If you’ve lost your writing rhythm, then getting started again can feel like a painful task, but often the thought of it is worse than actually doing it. I have a list of post ideas in my drafts, so have started tinkering with these and writing down my initial thoughts, and believe it or not the juices are beginning to flow again! Even if you know that what you’re writing isn’t going to set the world on fire, it’s good to just get going with something. Or start taking photos again if that’s your thing. If you’ve got some great photos, then the writing around these doesn’t have to be amazing to have a fab, totally readable post. 

Find your most productive time

I’m definitely much more of a morning person. If I don’t get something written first thing, or after a good post-school run gym session, then my god is it a battle to do it in the evening. Once the children are in bed, I’m often so tired and my brain is fried! Find your best time of day, and set aside an hour to get something down on ‘paper’ (see above).

Use it as a time to do some ‘blog admin’

Been wanting a new design for ages? Thinking of re-branding your blog? Have loads of broken links to sort? Now might be the time to do these blogging ‘chores’! Just because you’re not writing, doesn’t mean you’re not doing something great for your blog, and you’ll hopefully feel much better when you start posting again, knowing that your online space is in tip-top order.

and finally….

Give yourself a break

Unless you are totally relying on your blog to pay the mortgage/rent, then it really isn’t the end of the world if you have a break from blogging for a few days/weeks/months- it’s supposed to be fun after all! Life happens, and sometimes takes priority (shock horror!). Your blog will not spontaneously combust if you go down in blog rankings/DA goes down a little/you have slightly fewer readers for a while. If you’re worried about the aforementioned and throwing away your hard work (I totally get feeling THE FEAR with this), then maybe set yourself little targets i.e. one post a week, just to keep you ticking over. I personally am planning on having a quieter blog in December like I do every year, at a time when lots of bloggers ramp it up, because I want to relax and enjoy the festive season. I then feel more driven come January. There is no right or wrong- just do what feels right for you!

What do you do when you’re just not feeling it blog or work-wise? 

I’d love to know!

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.