A few months ago, the thought of taking a short break from blogging left me riddled with guilt. For over two years I’ve poured my heart and soul into rolling up my sleeves to scribe (what I hope are) engaging blog posts, edit creatively styled photographs & have spent countless hours banging an impatient fist on my desk at the painstaking task of video editing – trust me my poor hand has came off so much worse than my videos usually did *sigh*
However a few weeks ago I was faced with the dilemma of either taking a short-term blogging break or running myself into some sort form of breakdown… considering I’ve already more grey hairs than I can shake a Garnier bottle at I decided on an extended blog holiday instead! So I slipped myself into the background to get a whole host of things tied up, rearranged, planned and not to mention the ongoing health battles that are forever a pain in my existence. Little did I know I was slowly but surely burning myself out… in fact, it TOOK a blogging break for me to realise just how much I pressure I was putting on myself without even realising it.
As much as I initially wandered the floors with a cloud of guilt looming over my head, after a few days I loosened up and slowly began to busy myself with all the things that have been cluttering up my to do list. One thing I will say, is that although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my blogging break I have reeeeeally missed my online community of blog buddies. It’s great to be back but for anyone who’s currently mulling over the prospect of a blogging break here’s a few reasons why you shouldn’t hold back or let guilt deny you a virtual jolly hol…
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1) Time to simmer your creative juices.
Regardless of how much of a super-human blogger you may seem, just like any mere mortal we’re not pre-programmed with an abundant flow of creativity. Writers block and running out of steam can end up making your blog lack it’s orignal sparkle. So if you feel you’re losing your mojo then it’s time to step away for the keyboard until you’re ready to bedazzle your audience once again!
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2) Get some life order.
Like a bazillion other bloggers out there I can’t just spend my days glued to the laptop screen conjuring up my next batch of posts – as much as I’d want to of course! I’m a mum, a wife, I have family commitments, my health etc etc. We ALL have ‘stuff’ outside of the virtual realms – a vacay really helps to focus on getting that other ‘stuff’ done without the pangs of guilt from not hitting the ‘publish’ button. It also enabled ME to see the busiest external areas in my life and work my blogging around my other commitments.
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3) Helps reassess your blog path.
Hmm, this sounds a little deep, however, it’s true. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been really assessing where I want to go with my blog and what I want to do with it. Right now I’m in the throws of organising a mass of stuff for Liquid Glamour, planning for college refresher courses next year, as well as testing a variety of new products I’ve been sent. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE blogging but I feel it needs to reflect & tie in with exactly where I am in life at the moment. People change, evolve, move on etc. I adore Confetti & Curves dearly but my blogging break helped me consider important things like rebranding and how to move forward with content that’s a little more relevant to my present circumstances.
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4) Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Just because you step away from your blog for a while doesn’t mean you stop thinking about it all together, in fact, for me, it had the completely opposite effect. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to wondering if indeed it was getting any views, comments or if it had just disappeared into the blogosphere with a stat count emptier that a chocolate advent calendar on boxing day. I’ve built such great friendships throughout my blogging journey – it’s amazing just how much you miss the community and what a great feel it is stepping back into the arena from a short break. There’s nothing that warms the heart more that the ‘Welcome Back!!’ messages when logging on for a chat – it’s food for the soul!
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5) YOU time.
It’s so easy to forget the one thing that makes a blog the thriving little corner of the internet that it is – YOU. You take a break from school, work and even just a holiday from life in general so why not the same for your blog? Blogging can be bizarrely addictive but if we’re not careful it’s easy to get sucked into a routine of churning out post-after-post. A break from blogging & social media can be just as refreshing as a holiday itself and can really help you evaluate if the amount of effort you’re pouring into your blog works with your lifestyle. Thankfully for me, blogging is simply a hobby – it’s not a means of income or a full time job. However, IF that was the case my uniform would probably be a pair of pj’s and slipper socks… now there’s a life goal to aim for hehe 😉
Have you thought about taking a blogging break? Maybe it’s something you’ve done in the past? Are you a blogger that often feels guilty about taking time away from your blog? Whatever your thoughts I’d love to read them in the comments below.
Ps: Oh and one last thing – GEE I’VE MISSED YOU GUYS!!! 😀
Cheerio Chums…
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