Preventing blogger burnout

Preventing blogger burnout is not always possible. But there are some things you can do.

How do you know you might be burning out? Symptoms might include -- among others -- avoidance of writing, feeling uninspired, lateness, too much ranting, difficulty picking up typo errors, insomnia, detachment or unexplained anxiety.

There are some things you can do when you feel these symptoms coming on. General measures include taking a break by walking around for a few minutes. Find some imagery to look at, as opposed to words. Stop drinking coffee or other caffeine beverages. Let your readers know you will take the weekends off. Do some cleaning and clearing so your browser does not bog down so much. Leave the post as a draft and change out of your pajamas.

For the specific symptoms:

• avoidance of writing -- Try to shorten the length of your posts a bit. Experts say the ideal post length is 250 words.
  
• feeling uninspired -- Find a new blog or an unusual website to add to your list of favorites to read. Watch television or read the newspaper or a book.
  
• unexplained lateness -- Get right to posting before you get distracted. Tell yourself, "Just do it!"
  
• too much ranting -- Find something humorous about which to write, or heart-warming. Look for the positives in a difficult issue.
  
• difficulty picking up typo errors -- Use a spell checker first. Read slowly, pausing at the end of sentences.
  
• insomnia -- When wakeful, do not reward yourself by doing anything fun. Iron, pay bills, sort socks, etc.
  
• detachment -- Passivity can be a sign of too much emotion. Get away from the subject for a while.
  
• unexplained anxiety -- Irritability might be included here. Explore what it is that makes you anxious, looking for the positives as you find the reasons.

There are other methods to keep yourself capable of satisfying blogging. Get into a routine, so that you make things easier for yourself. Make your surroundings as pleasing as possible. See that your nutritional needs are met. In other words, good self-care, a bit of self-talk or self-nurturing can go a long ways to refreshing your creativity. And, if all else fails, communicate with a blog friend about it. All of us respond to supportive listening, to knowing that someone really understands.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about current news.

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