By nature, I’m a very apologetic person. I tend to apologies for everything, to everyone. Even things which aren’t my fault. I also struggle with intense feelings of guilt; for saying no, for spending time doing X instead of Y – basically I feel guilty for existing half of the time. So in an industry that’s so bound to doing the “right thing”, how do you stop apologizing profusely 24/7?
I wrote this piece a while back about how I feel guilty about my job. As I said, it’s in my nature to feel guilt and want to please, so being in this industry can be difficult on that aspect of your mental well-being. I’ve had to dig deep into my personal growth and self care to understand why I feel like this and how I can stop it.
But I’m certainly not the only blogger that apologizes for things they don’t need to. I often see people on social media apologizing for a number of things I’ve listed below and inside, I always end up aching and telepathically shouting, “YOU DON’T NEED TO APOLOIZE FOR THAT!” to them.
So yes, you could call me a bit of a hypocrite here, identifying a ton of things you don’t need to apologize for, yet continuing to apologize like my life depends on it myself. But knowing what you DON’T need to apologize for and actually putting it into practice are two very different things.
There’s a lot of deeper layers as to why we feel the need to apologize for things – things that more often than not, we don’t need to apologize for. Which I’m not qualified to get into – I’m not a therapist. But recognizing the things and realizing that, “hey… why am I saying sorry for THAT?” it definitely a good first step.
Here are 12 things that bloggers definitely don’t need to apologize for:
Taking a break or some time out
This is probably one of the most common reasons I see bloggers apologizing and it’s SO unnecessary. Taking a break for whatever reason; a lifestyle change, a new job, a mental health break, it really doesn’t matter nor does it need an apology. Blogging isn’t the be-all and end-all of life. Even if you are a full-time blogger.
Not replying to people straight away
Hehe, this is the point that prompted this post because this happened to me a couple of months ago. I tweeted about how I had had my best ever day for blog views and someone replied to that tweet twice in the space of 20 minutes then started “calling me out” for being fake because I hadn’t replied to her. It as hilarious.
Posting lots of AD’s and sponsored content
Working with brands is a GREAT part of blogging. A necessary part of blogging for a lot of full-timers like me but also a great extra bonus for those blogging part-time or as a hobby. There’s absolutely NO SHAME in posting a lot of AD’s or sponsored content; I know some people are funny about it but I see that as their problem, not yours.
Receiving PR items in the mail
Similarly to above, if you get sent a lot of gifted items (either in exchange for content or not) there’s nothing wrong with that. Some people might be jealous or simply not understand the relationship between brands and bloggers and how PR items work in this regard.
Publishing something later than planned
Another one I see a lot and that’s when someone doesn’t publish something when they said they would. I actually apologized for this quite a bit in my newsletter; I try to get my weekly wrap-ups out on Friday but more often than not, I forget and it goes out on Saturday instead. I’ve stopped apologizing now because hey! No one cares.
Or not publishing something at all
And again similarly to above, if you don’t publish something you said you were going to for ANY reason, whether that’s because of a family incident or bad mental health or simply because you’ve been lazy and you can’t be arsed, IT DOESN’T MATTER.
Getting personal
You don’t always have to SEO optimize every blog post you write. You don’t need to only post blogging or branded content on your Instagram. You don’t only need to post promotional tweets. If you want to, that’s fine. But if you want to get personal on your socials, on your blog, online – then go for it. You don’t need to explain yourself or apologize about it.
Your opinion on a brand or product
If it’s an honest opinion then you’re within your right to have and post that opinion. You don’t need to apologize for it to your readers or to the brand itself. I feel like you do need to be sensitive in how you express your opinion but at the end of the day, it’s your opinion.
Wanting to make money blogging
A lot of bloggers want to make money blogging. A lot of bloggers start blogging for the purpose of making money somewhere down the line. And there’s nothing! wrong! with! that! There really isn’t. As long as you love what you’re doing, that’s all that matters. Go get that coin, gal.
Related reads:
- 8 Ways I Make Money Blogging and Online
- How To Make Money With a Blog for Beginners
- Where To Find Blogging Opportunities
Un-following or muting people
I don’t need to explain this one. In order to use social media in a healthy way, chances are you’re going to need to mute and block a few people along the way. You don’t need to explain. You don’t need to apologize.
Venturing into a new niche or path
If you feel like it’s the right time for you and your blog to branch out, perhaps introduce a new niche onto your site (or change niche completely!), start something new, let go of a project or something else, then that’s amazing and you should absolutely listen to your inner voice when it comes to making those decisions.
Speaking out against things you believe in
I’ve seen a lot of *bigger* influencers come under fire for not expressing their opinion when there’s some political or economical crisis in the world. I’ve also seen them come under fire FOR expressing their opinion and speaking out against things. It seems like you can’t win either way. You don’t need to apologize for going off-piste and sharing relevant and helpful news.
If you’re ever in a position where you feel like you might want to apologize for something as a blogger, I hope you refer back to this post. We all know instinctively when we’ve done something wrong and NEED to apologize but in a lot of instances, it’ll be your own mind tricking you into thinking you’re to blame.