When should you take a break from blogging?

We live in a world where everything is available online. People’s addresses, detailed videos on their homes and decor, pinged trackers of everywhere they’ve been… So blogging is by far the least invasive type of way to have an online presence but not be… present, right? I personally think that is true depending on how little or how much you want to share. But even though the information may not be getting out, who is to say just how much is coming in? Can you identify when it is time to take a blogging break?

Let’s stop and backtrack a little bit.

If you have been following my blog for some time, you know that I value mental health quite dearly. I also use every opportunity I can to scream about it from the rooftops – literally. Ok not literally, can you imagine being hauled off to a psych ward because you were screaming about mental health from the top of a building? How ironic! My mental health journey is no secret to anyone with a curiosity… Just take a look at some of the posts in my ‘mental health’ section et voila, you join the club of know it alls!

There are several ways that I have fought to overcome issues with my insecurities, body images, etc. One of them was getting off social media, and neglecting my Facebook account. Deleting it was a bit too drastic, but I figured if I could just delete the app from my phone and never really log in, then I would be in control. I was right, it worked. Why is this relevant, you ask? Well, one thing I have personally been avoiding, although I have known it to be a problem is this blog right here… Yep, Growing With Spawn is a problem. Who knows, it might be time for me to take a break from blogging!

Firstly, why blog at all if you will take a blogging break? Why not just write a book?

In the blogging community, one of the things most people claim to be very heartwarming is the support we give each other. I absolutely agree with this! In over 6 months, my confidence with writing has definitely picked up and I have made some wonderful connections. Each like, each positive comment, and each view that has been registered in the stats has definitely been appreciated. Also, you reading this right now is something I don’t take lightly at all, so thank you!

When I started my blog, it was more of a mom hobby than anything really… I didn’t think I would be getting over ten thousand views in six months and quite a decent following! It has been such a boost to my ego and has given me more excitement to post more ‘non-family’ related content and hopefully enlighten others while putting a smile on their faces. Not a bad reason to continue wanting to grow right?

The problem with inflating your ego with external factors is that when they stop, waver or fluctuate, so does your ego.

Why bother blogging? The answer is very simple: you are able to engage with your audience in ways you can’t when you write a book.

If the stats are no longer just numbers it is time to take a blogging break

I knew this from the beginning and even wrote a post about the unhealthy things that happen when you start blogging. In case you missed it, that was me saying “I’m bulletproof because I have already identified the problem”. The problem is that your own individual stats are not the only ones you are exposed to. Seeing other bloggers growing faster than you, really is a blow to the ego. More so when they are producing content that doesn’t require as much thought or perfection as yours. Now imagine if the content is well received by a target audience that fits your niche perfectly! Ai ai ai mi corazon!

Feeling this way is normal and healthy, but it is a sign that you need to stop and reevaluate the ‘why’ behind your blog. Is it just for the stats? Are you trying to earn a living off it? Is it a hobby? Sometimes evaluating things while still being in the game isn’t the easiest thing to do. So taking a little break from blogging to reassess things might actually be the way to go. Who knows, during that time you may realise that you need to revamp your blog completely to bring back the fun and excitement you once felt.

If you aren’t focused on the journey, consider a break

I appreciate my fellow bloggers for all of the encouragement they share about how success takes hard work and time… And that is definitely true! The problem is, some people really do become successful in what seems to be overnight. Keep in mind that they are the exception and not the rule. So keep ‘hustling your grind’ because all that sweat will be something you can look back on with pride.

Sometimes it really isn’t about the destination at all, but more so the journey.

If you ride a cable car up a mountain and see the great view, take a few pictures then head down, it’s just a trip you barely remember. But if you hiked your way up to the top of the mountain over the course of a week, that is a large milestone that will forever shape your life. The blogging journey is a beautiful yet frustrating one. If you aren’t ready to endure the pain leading to the beautiful outcome, it will show in your writing and engagement with your readers.

You have joined groups to get more views

Blogging support groups are great because of the pool of knowledge at no cost. You can interact with other like-minded individuals, ask questions, and learn quite a lot. If that is your purpose for joining them, I commend you and encourage you to be as active as possible. I personally joined a few blogging groups in my early days but have since become a ghost in all of them. This was because I hadn’t really joined for any specific purpose. Ok, that’s a lie, I joined so that I could get more page views.

Now the problem with something like that is, some groups have a ‘like for like’ or ‘follow for follow’ system. It is intended to help bloggers grow and extend their reach, but just how does such a follow benefit anyone in the long run? Some even have ‘Pinterest views’ days where you need to click through about 50 Pinterest links and get page views that way. It’s great for the stats, but is anyone actually reading your content? If the aim is to make money, go ahead and do it for the ‘benjies’. But if you are trying to help people through your creativity, be honest with yourself. Do you want real, interested followers or fake views?

You are having a mental block

It is absolutely normal for life to happen, leaving you with little to no time for blogging or brainstorming. When those times come along, don’t blog! The worst thing you could do is just push out content just for the sake of getting something out. When something is not written wholeheartedly, it is just as painful to read as it was to write, trust me. A good friend of mine once said that writing is a love language and I have to agree. Each person comes with their own style, quirks, creativity, and sass that doesn’t shine through if you aren’t in the mood to write.

Remember that it is absolutely normal to feel hot and cold about something you love without necessarily hating it.

A lot of bloggers I interact with have mentioned that they have content already polished and scheduled posts for weeks to come because they don’t want to leave it for the last minute. This can also be a way to just break away and breathe if needed. The only problem though is that if you actually intend on taking a break from blogging in its true sense, ie posting content and engaging with your readers, you will still get burnt out on the engagement front. Do what works for you to avoid burnout and know that it is okay to take a break.

Is it time for you to take a break from blogging?