How to Take a Break from Blogging

“Take a break!” Have you ever heard your spouse, family or friends say these words? I’ve, and let me tell you honestly that it seemed an impossible task for me.

How often do you take a break from blogging, or your work? If you are a blogger, a writer, or a workaholic, do you ever think about stop rushing through life?

I know it’s difficult, especially for a blogger – these people are wired differently, don’t you think so?

Well, the first thing a blogger would think of is the loss one would experience by taking off from blogging.

These losses are in terms of readership, rank, and revenue. Let’s be honest – many of us do really have these issues on our mind.

Above all, you also value the relationship with fellow bloggers and readers that makes it hard for you to part with them and take a break!

However, sometimes you’ve to act contrary to your thoughts and desires, which I’m sure you’ll agree with me after going through this post.

“Life lived amidst tension and busyness needs leisure. Leisure that recreates and renews. Leisure should be a time to think new thoughts, not ponder old ills.” ~ C. Neil Strait

Why Take a Break

Do you spend most of your time online, working non-stop for hours without taking a break and then wonder why you aren’t able to achieve the desired results?

Any guesses as to why this happens?

You know it – you’re not a machine. Without any rest, your efficiency goes down. Creativity takes a dip as new ideas fail to flow into your mind.

You become tired or bored, and you find the gist of blogging or working missing in yourself. Naturally, if you aren’t feeling complete and competent, your work suffers.

So before you burn out, you need to consider taking a break and turn in your best.

Most bloggers try to strike a work-life balance between blogging and their personal life. I try to do the same, and if you are a blogger, perhaps you too are in the same boat.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to work less and spend more time with my family. What was yours?

I started doing it too, but once again I was back into the Blogosphere with full gusto, and into the grind of blogging and commenting. Not to mention the social media that seems to be ruling our lives nowadays!

I’ve often seen bloggers feel guilty if they don’t blog regularly. Or if they aren’t commenting, tweeting, or updating their status on Facebook always.

Are you such a blogger too?

If not this, they feel guilty for not having achieved their target of writing 500 to 1000 words a day, or not achieving their goal set for the day. It’s a lot of stress.

Please, STOP stressing yourself out!

You are NOT a robot, and you need to take a break from blogging, or doing whatever you are doing!

I think most bloggers assume that if they don’t blog regularly, their blogs will suffer. What they don’t realize is that if you force yourself to blog, the quality of your work will suffer.

I personally feel that posting nothing is far better than posting something just for the sake of posting, or which is subpar.

It’s absolutely alright to take breaks and blog at your own pace, if you don’t have any deadlines to meet.

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves” ~ Jack Kornfield

What Happens When You Take a Break

You can certainly choose to blog when you feel like, rather than being regular always. I’m sure everyone would understand that you are taking a break from your usual routine posting schedule.

I know it’s hard to cut back or just not blog, especially when you are so used to it. Ask me! I’ve been there! But it’s certainly better than burning yourself out, which isn’t going to get you results.

Remember, if you are killing yourself without taking a break, just to maintain your blog, rank, or status – you won’t last long.

Not to mention, that it’s your work that will suffer the most in the long run.

Let me share a secret with you. Every time you take a break from the Blogosphere or reduce your blogging, everyone will be supportive of your decision because they understand.

Your readers will be the first ones to accept and appreciate the choice you make. And no, they won’t abandon you or your blog, just because you’ve taken a break for a few days.

All you need to do is let them know about your decision and they will respond by understanding it all.

Another secret – everyone out there in the Blogosphere is too busy blogging that they’d hardly notice if you take a break from blogging for a few days.

Some might even be thankful that they don’t have to visit your blog to read, comment, and thus, aren’t caught up.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have written a post about why bloggers need to take a break, but I felt we all need such reminders from time to time, and that includes me too.

That’s why I’d taken a few days off when my Dad was visiting us, and nothing stopped!

The world carries on, whether you blog or you don’t. But imagine the newness it brings to your life and to your loved ones as they have the pleasure of your company.

I might just take a few more days off during Christmas and New Years just to be with my family, and to redo a few things on my blog. So, there might be a few changes to welcome you all in the coming year!

I know there’s a lot of competition and pressure out there, where everyone is trying their level best to outdo each other. But it doesn’t mean you have to do it ALL! After all you are only human, isn’t it?

So, relax, take it easy, and live life to the fullest! Give yourself a good break!

How Do You Know It’s Time to Take a Break

You need to look into your life and decide what your priorities are. Ask yourself the following questions to decide whether taking a break would be the best thing for you or not.

• If your blogging begins to get stale, and you or your readers feel or know it.

• If you get bored because you keep blogging continuously and begin to run out of ideas.

• To love your blog, which I know most of you do, but sometimes you feel obliged to your readers and want to churn the best possible content. This can become stressful at times and you start resenting blogging. Taking a break helps!

• You can feel the pressure building because of the consistent posts, day in and day out.

• If you need time to work on certain other projects, write an eBook, or achieve other goals that also need your time.

• Just for a change, or you feel you need to transform your life and work on yourself to get better.

• You are having a baby, or perhaps dealing with other health issues, or altering circumstances like death in the family etc.

• In case you are on the verge of a burnout.

• When you want to spend quality family time with your loved ones on a vacation, and just not be burdened with your blog, posts, comments, and social media.

• Stressed out once your blog grows and visitors increase. Not to mention their comments and return visits too! I have my share of troubles with this one 🙂

• Expectations of people from you increase, and you need to live up to them to a certain extent.

• Updating your social media networks regularly, and catching up with comments or notifications on the various social networks.

• When your hobby to blog turns out to become a to-do-never-ending task, and you start taking your blogging too seriously!

• If there are differences showing in your relationship leading to issues with your partner because you aren’t paying enough attention to them. Or perhaps drifting away from your family and loved ones because you are taking blogging too seriously.

Blogging isn’t only about writing blog posts and posting them. There is a lot more to it, right from promoting your content on the various social networks, to replying to comments, and return visits.

All of the above tasks take a lot of your time and often overwhelm you. It happens with me most of the time, if I don’t put a time limit to my working schedule.

You might like to read my post about the blogging mistakes I’ve made in this regard.

It sometimes becomes a mental battle if you can’t handle all the things, which leaves you with just two options. Either you keep going the way you are, get fed up, and quit eventually.

Or else, slow down your pace for a few days by taking a break from blogging, and return with full gusto – revitalized! Which one would you choose?

Agreed your traffic might take a dip if you aren’t posting anything new on your blog for a few days, but that’s alright! It won’t get that affected with just a few days of taking it off.

“Blogging is hard because of the grind required to stay interesting and relevant.” ~ Sufia Tippu

There are various ways through which you can take a break and yet not get affected by it.

When you take a few days break from blogging, you do yourself, your blog, and your readers a great favor. Want to know how – read further.

How Taking a Break Helps You

When you take it off for a few days, you help yourself in more ways than one. Here is how a blogging break is extremely beneficial to you –

• It gives you time to reflect on your blogging schedule, and perhaps whether you are really achieving the purpose of your life.

• It rejuvenates you and pumps in new energy once you return from your much-deserved break. Agreed that certain things might suffer if you take a long break, but you can take care of all those once you return all revitalized!

• It brings back the love for blogging or writing, which perhaps gets lost because you tend to forget the reason why you started your blog in the first place, along the way.

• It is therapeutic for you because taking a break from your blog removes the stress from your life.

• You bond better with a few blogging friends who care for you. Some of them come forward to enquire how they can help you, or want to know the reason for your absence, if you haven’t mentioned it to them earlier. You tend to make some very good friends this way.

• You come up with great ideas when you take a few days break, and you can make your blog into a successful one in no time.

• It increases your efficiency and productivity. As per research, 90% of the people who take a vacation or break from work more productively as compared to others.

6 Ways to Take a Break From Blogging and Remain Happy

Here are a few ways that can help you to easily get away from your blog, especially during the holidays or when you need to take it off.

1- Develop trust and be open with your readers

If you are planning to take a break or have some events coming up that need your time and attention, then tell your readers about it well in advance and enjoy your time!

If you’d like to post nothing new when you are away, doesn’t matter! Or if you have planned something for the time you are away, let your readers know about it.

Let them know that you’ve lined up awesome content ahead of time, or that you have guest bloggers sharing great content. Don’t forget to mention when you’d be back!

Trust me, they’d appreciate you much more and understand your situation, because they’re also human.

Remember, honesty is the best policy and you lose nothing by being open about your blogging break. If you’ve been consistent with your blogging and just take off without telling them, they’d surely wonder.

They deserve more than that! After all, it’s because of them that your blog exists – so value them.

If you don’t tell your readers that you are taking a break from blogging, they might get annoyed and tired of checking your blog for new content, and perhaps might stop looking for it after a while.

You might just lose a lot of readers and trusted fans this way, so be careful!

2- Make use of available tools to help you

Not everyone has read all your blog posts from the beginning.

So, you have features like Tweet Old Post plugins, HooteSuite, etc., that can help you bring out your old posts so that others can visit your blog and read those posts.

Even sites like JustRetweet and TweetLow can help to send out your tweets while you take it easy. Try these out and let me know how it goes.

3- Schedule things ahead of time

You can easily schedule new posts ahead of time, and I know most of you might be doing that when you are about to take a blogging break.

The only downside is that you need to work extra hard a few days earlier so that you can relax during your break.

You could even use tools like Hootesuite to schedule your updates. Similarly, your close ones can take of your Facebook updates and other social media updates, in case you trust them with it.

Another method is to write short posts or put up infographics, or have some contests, giveaways, or polls on your blog.

4- Open the doors of your blog to your readers

I’ve seen some of my blogging friend’s take up this unique method of handing over their blog to their trusted readers, so that they can take a break from blogging for a few days.

Sometimes your die-hard fans come to the rescue. If you trust them enough, or if they’ve been with you for a long time, you can give them the chance to try their hand at blogging while you are away.

Yes, you need to be sure that they are good at what they write, which you would know as you’d have seen their work, either on their blogs, or through their comments and interaction.

5- Allow guest posts from your blogging friend’s

If you allow guest posts on your blog, this is the perfect time to perhaps ask for a few extra ones as you are taking a blogging break.

Your blogging buddies would be more than happy to send something for your blog.

You could write a post on asking for guest posters and give your requirements and contact email, so that they can get in touch with you.

You could even reach out to your social networks and let everyone know you are looking for contributors for the time you are taking a blogging break. Or simply hire professionals who write guest posts.

If it’s an old blogging friend, your readers would be familiar with them, or try out the new ones if you trust them and know their work. This would bring new eyes to the blogger, you, and your blog.

They’d be more than happy to promote their posts on your blog – on the social media, and you too remember to return the favor when they need a break from blogging too. 🙂

You could even line up and mention your list of guest bloggers beforehand and stir up the excitement before leaving.

6- Refurbish and republish old content

I haven’t really tried this method, but I know it works well with most bloggers, especially when they are taking a break from the Blogosphere.

You must’ve got some amazing old posts that your readers loved, a long time ago. You could redo them up a little and republish them when you are taking a few days break.

After you’ve done the above and taken care of all the arrangements – GET AWAY!

Just leave everything and go! Remember, clearing your head by moving away from your blog can do wonders to you and your writing.

Go outside and learn to be happy in life!

This means not opening your cell phone, laptop, and having nothing to do with your online life.

I know it’s easier said than done, and I myself have to yet try this, but imagine what it would do you and your family 🙂

You’d be rejuvenated, and there’d be a new passion for blogging once you return. Your words will be more meaningful, flow better, and you’d be able to connect better with your audience.

“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.” ~ Kathleen Winsor

For some bloggers, it becomes tough to completely step away and take a break from their work. So, you can choose to blog when and as you want, once you let your readers know about it.

Keep your social media updates to the minimum, and just take it easy.

Lastly – follow your heart, and I say this repeatedly!

If you come back from a long break and don’t feel like blogging, don’t worry! Take a few more days, but when you return, do so because you really want to, not because you have to, or you feel its part of your routine.

Take a well-earned break and feel happy doing so! No one deserves it more than you! So, what are you waiting for – go ahead and take a break from your blog or work 🙂

Rejoice your spirits, revitalize your energy, reorganize your thoughts, reactivate your creative ability, renovate your skills, and rejuvenate yourself as a blogger by taking a blogging break, even if it’s just for a few days.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Over to you –

When was the last time you took a break from blogging? How did you handle it, and how did it affect your blog? When do you next plan to take a break from blogging or your work? Share in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Freedigitalphotos