stress

My 10 Favorite Tips for Stress-Free Blogging

“I’m a little high-strung.”

Recently, on a way-too-long roadtrip from Pennsylvania to Alabama, I found myself saying this to my boyfriend and co-pilot as we were navigating through heavy traffic on a four-lane highway. I thought he was going to swerve off the road trying to stifle laughter.

“A little? Ya think?”

Okay, I admit it. I’m a planner to the point of obsession at times. I get anxious when I don’t know what’s going on. I like things my way or the highway. I’m easily stressed.

Blogging as a career hasn’t helped with my stress levels. This isn’t exactly a walk-in-the-park-type of job (though few are…we all have our work problems!). Over the years, I’ve learned that only through managing my stress am I able to publish the highest quality content. So today, I wanted to share a few tips on how I personally keep stress about my blogs and work in general as low as possible. I hope you’ll share your own tips in the comments sections!

1. I create a schedule – and stick to it.

One of the turning points in my career was when I began to schedule out my days so I could use my time more wisely. Deadlines (even self-imposed ones) aren’t a big deal if you understand they’re coming and schedule your work accordingly. Scheduling all of my blogging tasks has also shaved time off of my work day and has allowed me to have a better work-life balance, which is always great for relieving stress.

2. I work with people who are reliable and drama-free.

It’s amazing how a single person in you life can make your stress level jump from one to ten. When you’re working with others on guest posts, interviews, etc. always remember that you can say no. Part of the reason why people blog is to get out of the office environment. What’s the point if your virtual “coworkers” are creating just as much drama?

3. I give myself permission to fail.

Listen, no one is perfect. I always shoot for perfection, but when I do fail, I’ve learned that it’s okay. Sometimes there are typos in my tweets. Sometimes one of the links in my post is broken. Sometimes I make a mistake about a fact. I used to get very stressed out about the thought of making a mistake until I realized that they are inevitable. As careful as I am, they will happen. Why stress about something you can’t change? Instead, I focus on being as near to perfect as possible and I brush it off when I fall short of this goal.

4. I change my environment.

I talked about how great a change of scenery can be in a previous post about being more creative, but I think doing this can also help your stress levels. I bought myself some notepads and regularly get writing work done at the beach near my house.

5. I surround myself with people who “get it.”

One of the major mistakes I’ve made is having people in my life (especially significant others) who do not understand blogging at all. One guy even used to call it pointless. Hearing that is not only hard on the soul, but it is also very stressful because you can’t turn to the people in life to vent. My current significant other is not a blogger, but has taken time to learn about it and understand it, and that has made all the difference.

6. I keep a few almost-finished posts on standby.

Like most bloggers, there are moments when I’m feeling extremely inspired. I take advantage of it whenever this happens and crank out 5-10 posts, rapid-fire style. They aren’t perfect, but they’re 75% of the way there. Then, instead of publishing, I stick them away for a rainy day. No more stressing about what to write when I’m feeling uninspired. I pull a post from my file, I do some clean up, and I’m good to go.

7. I think before I commit.

I stress about lack of time and over-committing more than anything else in life, so I’ve learned that with work especially, I need to think about things before I say yes. People don’t take it personally when you need to reschedule or have to say no (at least most of the time – if they do, that’s probably not a person you want in your life anyway!). I always felt like if I said no I would miss out on an amazing opportunity, but its important to realize that being stressed also causes you to miss out on amazing opportunities.

8. I ask for help.

Who here has a hard time admitting it when you need help? I bet everyone’s hands are raised right now. It’s humbling to ask for help, but don’t stress out for the sake of pride. Reach out. Your coworkers, blogging friends, and social followers will jump at the chance to pay it forward.

9. I hire people to do tasks I hate.

What is your state of mind worth? If you hate a certain task that takes an hour per day, can you hire a virtual assistant to do that task? For a few hundred bucks a month, all that stress could be gone. It’s totally worth it.

10. I take time off.

Lastly, I make time for me. Work-life balance is SO important. I really can’t stress that enough. I absolutely love blogging, so I’ve found myself thinking, “It’s okay it I work 100 hours per week because I love what I do!” But that’s not a good way to live. It doesn’t matter if you love it, because you still need time away from blogging and work. If you can’t afford a vacation, you don’t even need to go that far. For example, I’ve now made it a priority to read fiction (or nonfiction if it is not related to work) for at least 30 minutes every night before bedtime. We all need some time away from the blog. Make this a priority in your life.

What do you do to keep blogging (or other content creation work) as stress-free as possible?

23 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Blogger Health

Author: elkecarvosso6

Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Blogger Health

The combination of working long hours at a desk, squinting at a computer screen all day, and working from home with full access to the fridge is a recipe for pretty poor health conditions for most bloggers. So this week, we’re talking about blogger health. This is an edition of Brilliant Bloggers we all need in order to ensure that we’re healthy enough to blog well into the future. Take care of yourself, everyone!

(Note: I am not a doctor, so before putting any practices into effect, also talk to your family physician to make sure it’s the best choice for your body!)

Brilliant Blogger of the Week:

Say Bye-bye to Blogger Body, and Hello to Better Health by Tania Dakka

This post from Tania covers all of the essentials that you need to know about blogger fitness. Tania goes into details about five ways to live a healthier life as a blogger: diet, hydration, focus, exercise, and sleep. Writes Tania:

As bloggers, we love to get things done. We’re experts at hyper-focusing. And it feels good—really good—when we write master content we know rocks our readers’ worlds—even if it means hours on hours in the chair bent over our keyboards, drinking pots of coffee, and eating whatever we can get our hands on.

But, you’re bound to hit the wall sooner or later. The aching in your back that’s screaming louder than your three-year-old will become a relentless signal that can’t be ignored.

You have to take care of yourself—or your content will suffer.

After checking out Tania’s post, which is a guest post on the Problogger blog, check out her own blog, at TaniaDakka.com and follow her on Twitter at @taniadakka.

Even More Brilliant Advice:

7 Big Benefits of Exercise for Bloggers by Jared Singler
8 Useful Tips for Bloggers to Stay Healthy by Dr. Rajesh Moganti (@rajeshmoganti)
30 Useful Health Tips For Full Time Bloggers by Vijayraj Reddy (@vijayrajreddy)
Are Bloggers Really Putting their Health at Risk? by Lea Woodward (@leawoodward)
Blog, But Do Care About Your Health! by Saksham Talwar (@sakshamtalwar)
Blogs May Help Teens Reduce Social Stress by Rick Nauert PhD
Blogger Fitness Tips from Bob Greene by Kelby Carr (@typeamom)
Computer Work Postures and Injury: The Stress of Reaching for the Mouse, A Doctors’ Perspective by Dr. Steven R. Jones
Does Blogging Help New Mothers Relieve Stress? What the Research Actually Shows by Kristen (@stressandhealth)
Free Stretching Exercise Reminder for Computer Users by Binary Head
Health Tips for Bloggers: Stay Healthy While you Blog by Richard (@thefreshhealth)
How to Improve Your Computer Fitness by Heather Long
On Being a Healthy Blogger by Darren Rowse (@problogger)
Organizing for Health by Raquel (@OrganizedIsland)
Optimize Your Health for Better Blogging by Joey and Chris (@versatilehealth)
Some Health Tips For Bloggers by Fazal Mayar
Stay Healthy in Spite of Your Addiction to Blogging by Brankica Underwood (@brankicau)
Stress Less: 4 Tips To Stress Free Blogging by Lisa Drubec
The Blogger’s Workout Plan by Taylor Davies (@shutupilovethat)
Time Management Case Studies: Full-Time Blogger Fitness by Marissa Brassfield (@efficient)
Tips To Maintain Your Health While Blogging by Atish Ranjan (@atishranjan)
Your Computer Posture Could Be Hurting You by Dr. Cynthia Horner (@drcynthiahorner)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about blogger health? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Time Management for Bloggers

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.

In Over Your Head? Six Ways to Reduce Blogging Stress

Author: elkecarvosso6

When life happens, it’s easy to feel like your blog is a weight, pulling you down. We all have moments that are so stressful that we contemplate throwing in the towel when it comes to blogging. Even if your blog is seeing some success, the responsibility can feel too stressful at times. Recently, I’ve been feeling blogging stress, and working through these moments, when there are so many other things in life to worry about, can be difficult.

I’d like to share with you my very best tips. I’m hoping you’ll do the same by leaving a comment below!

1. Have a time set aside to write posts every day (or week).

If you sit down in front of your computer and say, “I’m going to work,” sometimes hours can go by before you write a single post. There’s a lot of back-end work involved in blogging: topic research, comment moderation, reading the posts in your feed reader, answering emails, social networking…the list goes on and on. At the core, though, are your posts. If you don’t post regularly, you’ll lose readers and money, which definitely induces stress. Instead, set aside a time every day or week specifically for writing. Close out your browsers, turn off your phone, and get into that zen writer state. Pat yourself on the back whether you hammer out one post or ten posts during the time you’ve set aside.

2. Announce that you’d accepting guest posts.

Guest posts are great for filling your blog when you’re feeling stressed and uninspired. Don’t be fooled: this is still tons of work, as you have to read submissions, contact people, upload posts, and doing promotion through social networking. Sometimes, we all need a break from writing blog posts, though. Put up an announcement on your blog or make the announcement over Twitter. I bet you’ll get some response.

3. Get by with a little help from your friends.

Lend me your ear, and I’ll sing you a song. I will try not to sing out of key.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I think that’s one of my biggest personal problems – I have a hard time admitting when I need help. Your friends (both personal and people you’ve met online) will help you though. People will chip in if you can’t pay your hosting. People will offer to post if you’re ill and can’t manage your blog. People will lend an ear, and somethings that’s what we need most. The world is full of rotten jerks, but for every ass out there, you’ll find ten people who are willing to help you because they believe in what you’re doing. When you’re stressed, swallow your pride and do what is best for your blog – accept a helping hand.

4. Brainstorm in the bathtub.

Sometimes, one of my biggest blogging stresses is writer’s block. When you don’t even have a topic in mind, staring at a black white page is first intimidating, then frustrating, and then infuriating. Get away from your computer. Run a hot bath, put on some music, light some candles, and let yourself just think. I like to keep a little pad of paper by the bathtub and jot down post ideas if I think of them, but this shouldn’t be a hardcore brainstorming session. Make it more relaxing, just allowing your mind to wander. You’ll be surprised how it can de-stress you and when you’re not stressed, ideas will flow more easily. If you don’t think of anything, don’t be discouraged. Focus first on feeling more relaxed. The ideas will come later.

5. Paint yourself out of a corner.

Blogging promises can create a lot of stress. You paint yourself into a corner when you tell your readers, “Once a week, I’ll be posting about…” or “On this date, I’ll be posting about…” or even “In the future, expect a post about…” Don’t be afraid to paint yourself out of a corner if you’re feeling stressed about a deadline. Don’t constantly make promises you can’t keep, but if you have made a blogging promise that isn’t working out, you can update your readers with news that there will be a delay or complete change of plans. It’s your blog. Self-imposed deadlines can be pushed.

6. Write something fun!

Blogging doesn’t have to be serious business. One of the ways I like to reduce some stress is to post about something fun. It should still be relevant to your audience, but not every post has to be serious tips about your niche. Playful posts are often extremely successful because it encourages your readers to come out of the shadows and leave comments.

Your turn – blogging is a big responsibility. How do you reduce the stress, especially when there are other stressful things happening in your life?

My 10 Favorite Tips for Stress-Free Blogging