3 Lessons Learned from an Overwhelmed Blogger

We’re Back!

My last blog post was well over a year ago. It’s been a long time, but I’m so glad to be back. It feels good to write, to express my thoughts and feelings. In a way, I forgot how therapeutic blogging can be. I’m excited to jump back into all of the content I love, but first I wanted to talk about the lessons I learned as an overwhelmed blogger.

Why I Stopped Blogging

Posting to the blog had become a chore. It had become a source of anxiety. After I posted each article, my mind would immediately shift to the worry and frustration of the next deadline next week. Blogging wasn’t enjoyable anymore.

Here I was writing about being in the moment, living an intentional life, and adopting minimalism, yet I was feeling trapped by my own words that I was writing. It was at that moment that I decided to walk away. I followed my own words about maximizing my time for the things that made me happy.

So How’s It Going to Be Different This Time Around?

I’m determined not to make the same mistakes that I made last time.

I truly enjoy writing these articles and I have gotten some pretty great comments in the past about the impact that a post has had. Writing serves as a very cathartic experience for me.

But I don’t want to head down the road I was on before. I don’t want to feel like pushing out another article was a chore. I want to avoid feeling overwhelmed by something I’m supposed to be doing for fun.

Do a google search of “how to start a blog”, and you will get thousands of nuggets of advice. Talk to bloggers on Twitter or elsewhere and they are more than willing to help. There’s information on choosing a great name, how to grow your audience, sticking to a niche, and the list goes on and on. But there was one piece of advice that everyone seemed to agree on:

Post at least twice a week, ideally three. And stick to a weekly schedule so your readers know when to expect a new post to drop.

Well, that was my downfall. I don’t want to take the time in my life to post 2-3 times a week, even if Google’s search engine will reward me for it. I’d rather spend time with my family or get outside. Or maybe I need that time to create a new lesson plan for school or to focus on myself.

I didn’t really like the schedule either. Ideally, I could post on the same day each week, but that’s not always going to work for me, and that’s okay. I hated that feeling of knowing it was almost Wednesday and I still hadn’t finished all of the edits for the next post.

The New Plan

From here on out, I plan to post as much as I want as frequently as I want. Simple as that. Maybe I will post on a Saturday and then again the following Wednesday. After that, you might not hear from me until two weeks later.

Consider it a pleasant surprise when a post shows up in your inbox, Facebook timeline, or Twitter feed.

I realized that I had been spreading myself too thin through my first go-round with blogging.

Recently, I read a post titled, “The Best Ways to Say No and Set Better Boundaries” by Jess from The Fioneers. In the post, Jess talks about how saying no more often can help avoid burnout. I’ve figured out that I need to be able to say no to the blog at times. It’s okay to say no to the traditional posting schedule. I don’t want to be an overwhelmed blogger again. What fun is that?

Lessons Learned From an Overwhelmed Blogger

1. Be In Control

I was clearly an overwhelmed blogger. But, guess what? I put myself in that position. And while that can be a tough pill to swallow, it comes with a silver lining. If I put myself into that position, I can also pull myself out of it.

We are in control of ourselves and our options.

Are you feeling totally stressed out and overwhelmed?

Try to scale back on some of the things you are doing. Put yourself back into the driver’s seat of your own life.

There are times when this luxury isn’t possible, I totally understand that. But there are also many times when we can control our stress levels.

2. Be Present in the Moment

Toward the end of my first stint blogging, I was never present in the moment with my writing. I would finish a blog post and immediately start to worry about next week’s post and where I was going to find the time to write or edit it.

Live for the now. There are healthy times to think about the past and look toward the future, but you can’t let those thoughts consume you.

Be present in the moment and you will find yourself a lot happier.

3. Define Your Priorities

What is important to you? What matters? I’ve realized that I am most happy when I prioritize my family. I want to spend time with Ashley and C and B along with the rest of our family and friends. I will prioritize them above all else. I have also realized that I need to prioritize my health by exercising and getting outdoors. Additionally, my job is very important to me. I want time to create engaging lessons and be a positive role model for my students.

I also love writing. I never saw myself doing this, but now that I have this blog, I really do enjoy it. My goal from here on out is to continue to love writing without feeling burnt out or stressed. I don’t want to be that overwhelmed blogger that I was before ever again.

Conclusion

How about you? In what situations have you felt overwhelmed and what tactics or strategies have you used to cope with them? I’d love to hear in the comments below!