The more observant amongst you may have realised that this is the first post on Teenius for 19 days. Now, I will admit that it’s a long time for a blog to go without a post but I’m not going to apologise for it.
There have been a number of reasons which I could put down not posting to but ultimately it came down to me wanting a holiday from blogging. Whilst I enjoy blogging when I get in to the ‘groove’, when you don’t feel enthusiastic about your website it just becomes a choir.
I find that when this happens, it is reflected in the content; almost as if you’re pushing out the words rather than letting them flow naturally. Producing content, for me, is about making it as good as you can, and recently I haven’t been able to do that.
So, where have I actually been?
Like I say, I took a break from blogging. When it comes down to it, blogging doesn’t really give me anything… OK, I enjoy doing it most the time, but in terms of actual reward it is very little. It’s because of this that blogging isn’t top of my priorities, with things such as family’n’friends, sport and college work coming before it.
I think that this is something that a lot of bloggers forget, especially those who are ‘breaking through’ and don’t really earn much from blogging. It’s not going to kill your blog if you take a few days break every now and then, but it might kill you. I was running myself down with all my different activities and something had to give; unfortunately it was my blogging – but now I feel re-energised to come back and start posting quality content once again.
The question I want to ask bloggers with this post is simple: ‘why not have a break?!’.
How Taking A Break Helped Me
- Re-focus – Taking a break helped me to take a step back and look at the ‘bigger picture’ this blog comes under. How can I carry on improving? What can I do to make my content more exciting? What should I be doing which I’m not already? Obviously these are only three questions, but answering them has helped me to decide on how I’m going to make Teenius bigger and better than ever before… give it a try!
- Re-energise – As I mentioned before, I was really drained. College was taking a lot of effort, as was my gym work and other sports I do. Blogging is something I do as a hobby (as I think it is for most other bloggers), so it’s not the end of the world if you miss a few post schedules. Never forget that, if blogging is a hobby to you too, it’s not worth making yourself miserable for!
- Time away from the computer – We all know that if you spend too much time in front of a screen, it can be unhealthy. A lot of the time spent at my computer is used blogging, so just by having a week or two break I’ve dramatically reduced my time on the computer which can only be a good thing!
It’s not as bad as you think!
One fear that a lot of bloggers will have about leaving their blog is that the traffic will fall, so let me tell you a bit about what I’ve found:
- Traffic was maintained! – Much to my surprise, my traffic didn’t drop off too dramatically. I saw a drop of about 50% on the lowest day (compared to my average when I was posting constantly), but generally I’ve only been losing 10% of readers, if that! It’s really not as bad as many make it out to be.
- Posting schedules – I know many have an intended posting schedule… I know I do! However, it’s major inconsistency that ruins a schedule, not just the odd lapse. As long as you stick to the schedule in general, it doesn’t matter if you bend it every now and again.
So, what’s stopping you?
What’s stopping you from taking a break? After all, as I’ve said, it could even benefit your blog! I know this will make an interesting discussion, so I’d love to hear your views on the topic below.
WILL YOU BE TAKING A HOLIDAY FROM BLOGGING SOON?!
Dude, I’m right with ya on this one. Breaks are not a luxury, they are a necessity from time to time. It’s impossible to stay at a high level without play time and rest. We’re glad to have you back though.
Brendan Wenzel´s last blog ..9 Favorite Firefox Addons for Marketing and Web Design
I do believe every blogger does need a break, but their are also somethings I have to add into this…
Blogging for me is my #1 priority, because it’s my life and it’s also my job. The same applies for a lot of other bloggers that blog for a full-time living. One thing I like though is I’m able to leave my blog and keep my income coming on auto-pilot. If I ever do go on vacation or travel, I also pre-publish my blog post and schedule them out for the week. This way my traffic can stay consistent and my income is still running good.
Just overall I think a lot of bloggers that do want to take a vacation cannot, simply because blogging is their job, and not all bloggers have a business model setup on auto-pilot.
I agree that, for a full time blogger dependant on the revenue, taking a break may not be an option. However, the majority of bloggers (the people who this post is aimed at) are just amateur bloggers who don’t really earn a lot from it.
I feel bloggers run themselves down on a blog that often has no real return, I know I was. It was only when I took a few weeks out that I realised how draining blogging can be.
True, but then that all comes down to “what” the blogger wants… If the blogger “wants” to earn a full-time income online, then it’s abundant that their is going to be A LOT of hard work put into it, and the first couple months, maybe even a year, is really going to be hell if you are first starting off.
What I see about the pro’s of blogging is, AFTER you did drain yourself, in the long-run you will be able to enjoy yourself. Like for me, my first couple months I wasn’t making anything, and I was busting 100+ hour weeks trying to work on my blog. But now, I’m living the Internet lifestyle. That’s my outcome.
All in all, it does depend on the blogger themselves, and you clarified in your comment that it’s targeted for people who just “blog” great post.
Rob´s last blog ..Community Debate: Search engines, should we care?
I agree, but the harsh reality is that many bloggers are never going to make it and earn a six figure living from blogging due to lack of time, lack of ambition or, dare I say it, lack of knowledge – I know I probably won’t.
That said, I do value my blog and enjoy updating it (when I’m in the ‘groove’), so I will still continue to put hard work in. However, the reward I get for doing it just isn’t large enough for me to drain myself for it.
That said, I do fully agree with you that, if you want to make a full time living from the web (something I’m not too concerned about doing), you will need to bust a gut and make sacrifices.
I agree with you compleatly, I have done this myself to get my brain cleared when I need to. I also find taking breaks are even respeded by your community and accepted.
David´s last blog ..My Favoriate WebMD Posts
If you have some problems with writing and think you need a break then I think you should take a break. But if you can keep going I think you should keep writing. Don’t take a break if it isn’t needed. That is my opinion.
Good to have you back, though.
Mikkel “DaneBlogger” Juhl´s last blog ..How Interaction Made My Blog Better
Good point Mikkel. I wouldn’t recommend regular breaks, but all bloggers will get to a point where they’re tired (especially those with a full time job who have a family, then blog in their spare time), and I feel it’s important to take a break when you get like that.
After all, how would you feel if your boss turned around and said you had to work 360 days per year at least. My guess is that you wouldn’t be too happy about it!
I totally agree with you…
“I find that when this happens, it is reflected in the content; almost as if you’re pushing out the words rather than letting them flow naturally.”
I think this is the best line in your post – the ultimate truth. I was about to write about this BTW.
I have already taken a break. It’s been over a month since I actually wrote anything. Surprisingly, the traffic is improving
(slightly though).
PS: I’m Lazy
(Your post helped me improve on this aspect)
Suhas´s last blog ..Blogger: Making widgets appear only on post pages or homepage or archive pages
It is always great to take a break, because as you say, it gives you time to refocus. But I probably wouldn’t recommend leaving for too long a period. I recently took the weekend off to go away with my wife, and saw quite a substantial drop in my traffic – but that is because my blog is still quite new and still only starting to get solid search engine traffic.
Tom | Build That List´s last blog ..The 4 Reasons People Unsubscribe Mailing Lists
Ah yes, I forgot to mention about new blogs! :$
I would recommend, if your blog is new (younger than 3 months or so), then don’t leave it. This blog is nearly a year old now so can support itself, but at the early stage you need to be working flat out to create a strong readership really.
I was hospitalized twice in the past two years, 8 weeks each. Absolutely nothing bad happened to my blog.
Bad things will happen is a pure myth.
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Do You Know The REAL Difference Between Bloggers and Internet Marketers?
Hi Dennis! You’re probably right that nothing bad will happen to your blog if you leave it for awhile. But it’s certainly not growing either.
Then, if a gigantic site like Copyblogger stopped posting for a week, there would be an uproar.
If your blog is burdensome, then it’s probably best to take a holiday.
Good to see you again, Simon!
Ah I dunno, one SEO I know took a months vacation and ALL his number went up. lol
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I!
If you work one day straight, write 5 or so posts to publish during the week, you don’t really need to take a break, and your readers will not know that you are gone (unless you stop posting)
And if you are taking a holiday, why not grab your laptop and blog in a different environment. It is a great feeling. Your train of thought is different, your writing is more relaxed, and you won’t be so critical on your work.
Great tip, unless you’re one that usually responds to comments and now comments will be mysteriously ignored for a week or more.
You’re better off telling readers you will be gone, but fresh content will still be posted.
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I!
That’s a good point, Dennis. But I’m not referring to slow and steady growth. I want the type of growth that’ll put my site in front of over 100,000 people by year’s end.
Hmm, it’s an interesting debate. I think if you leave your blog for a while, you’re better off leaving it completely. If you start going back every now and again it’ll constantly be on your mind, which (for me) was the whole point of taking a break.
At the same time, telling readers you’re gone could mean they don’t check back, even if you’ve scheduled content.
Maybe a message on Twitter or something like that would be a good idea? That way your loyal following would know, but at the same time it wouldn’t be too damaging.
It is great that you can directly tune up after take a long break. But — in my own experience, usually i need time to blogging normally again after a long break.
Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..How To Overcome Blogging’s Writer Block
I am addicted! That’s whats stopping me! Haha, just kidding. I totally agree, I think it is really important to take a break. It keeps us more clear minded and with perspective and rejuv
Francis´s last blog ..Chef Knife Sets
Interesting point. I think it is important to take a break from blogging once in a while. I mean it doesn’t have to be a whole week but it could simply be just a day. It indeed does help you to refocus on things and get energized.
As Rob said for some people it might not be an option but I am not sure whether I even agree. If blogging is work for you then that’s fine. But even people that have a real job take a holiday.
Taking a break doesn’t also automatically mean that you won’t post new articles. You can write articles before you take the break and then schedule to post them while you are on vacation.
Before taking a break i always schedule my post . Bloggers must take good care of their body , as sitting the whole day in a chair writing posts and reading blogs one can develop backache and neck problems
Sourish | Start A Blog´s last blog ..Importance of Social Media