Despite very adamantly saying that blogging is not the hardest job in the world in last month’s blogging pet peeves post, there’s absolutely no doubt that blogging can be stressful. So much baggage comes with putting yourself online. Let alone trying to build a readership and sometimes a business at the same time. So it’s important to look after your well-being as a blogger.
I realise to non-bloggers that might sound very “generation snowflake” but unless you’re a blogger yourself, you won’t really understand the extent of what’s involved. Blogging is great. There’s a reason so many people make careers out of it. But it also comes with a lot of sh*t. And can make huge mental and physical affects on you.
You need to look after your well-being in any walk of life. But blogging is what I know so here are 7 ways to look after your well-being as a blogger:
Nip the comparison flower in the bud early
Comparing yourself to every other blogger on the planet is fucking exhausting. Trust me. It makes you feel like utter crap and you end up not working to the best of your ability because you’re so preoccupied with how envious you are of everyone.
Jealousy doesn’t have to be a negative emotion. You can certainly make it work to your advantage and small doses of jealousy and envy can even make you work harder and better. But that all-consuming jealousy that comes on every now and again won’t serve you in any way.
Concentrate on your achievements, not your failures
This ties in quite well with the above. Seeing so many people achieve amazing things when you don’t personally feel like you’re achieving much at all, well that’s just kick-you-in-the-crotch-spit-on-your-neck-fantastic. Chances are, you have actually achieved bloody incredible things. But you’re blindsided by everyone else.
Celebrating your own achievements is something I do by the bucketful. Whether it’s tweeting about a milestone you’ve just hit or just privately noting it down in your journal. It’s a really important factor in how to look after your well-being as a blogger. Mental well-being in particular.
But learn from them in a healthy way
And you need to know right from the get-go that not everything will be a success. Sometimes you will fail miserably but that’s okay. We’ve all done it. I started a whole business which I closed down because I ended up resenting it. I’m not ashamed of that because it was a huge learning curve.
So, it’s worth just knowing now that you will fuck up. You’ll try something and it won’t work. You’ll start a new series on your blog that doesn’t get the reaction you hoped for. You’ll have an idea for a project which you’ll give up on. Whatever it is, accept the failure. Take the lessons from it. And move on. Don’t dwell.
Remember that the mute and block buttons are your best friends
People online just LOVE to give unwanted advice or make useless nasty comments. And those people are who the mute and block buttons were made for. I’ve really utilized the mute button over the last year and it’s helped me SO much. Of course I’ve muted people who are problematic but also people who just downright annoy me.
And that’s OKAY. It’s okay to mute someone or block someone who impacts your mental well-being negatively. You don’t even have to give a reason. That’s the beauty of the internet.
Prioritize social media down time
This can be a toughie, especially if blogging (or any other online profession like social media manager) is your job. And probably on I struggle with the most. But if you’re ALWAYS on social media for your blog (which is fine), I think it’s worth setting some boundaries.
For example, I have my screen time limits set for 9pm. So all social media apps get turned off at 9. Of course I can override them if I really need to but I really try not to. At least this gives me from 9pm to focus on other things and there are less distractions when I’m trying to spend time with my boyfriend (who works long hours) too.
Have other hobbies
Another one I struggle with quite a lot (see I’m not perfect despite what you might think… *wink*). Blogging is an amazing hobby as it is. But whether it’s your hobby or your job, for the sake of your own well-being, I think its important to have other hobbies beside blogging to fall back on.
If the internet broke forever tomorrow, you’d be a bit stuck, basically. I tend to get a bit all-consumed by blogging. Which is good during working hours because it means I love what I’m doing. But as soon as I stop, I struggle to do anything else. But I love reading and gaming in particular, which I want to make more time for!
Move your body
And finally, a physical one. If you love blogging as much as I do and particularly if it’s your job, you’re going to be spending a LOT of time at your computer. It’s important to look after you well-being as a blogger both mentally and physically. So if like me, you’re just a potato, then make sure you move your body and have breaks!
As you know, I love Yoga. And it really breaks up my day and helps my productivity in the long run. But you can always go for a run or try and fit in a fitness class a couple of times a week too! Your blog will still be there when you get back. And you’ll feel better.
How do you look after your well-being as a blogger? Do you do any of the above or have any other handy tips to share?
