Most of us are so jazzed when we first start blogging that the thought of our blogging spirits ever sagging seems ludicrous.
Sooner or later though, life happens, and our attitude takes a hit.
Maybe our family or friends don't support our blogging endeavors, or perhaps our traffic and subscriber numbers are still camped out in the basement despite months of hard work. Regardless of the reason, having a stuck-in-the-muck mood puts the brakes on our creativity and motivation. If we want to achieve our long-term goals and enjoy the journey, we need to take action to put the spring back in our blogging steps.
Here are some tips to boost your blogging mood:
- Be kind. Make someone else's day by sending encouraging emails or uplifting tweets to other bloggers.
- Talk it out. Schedule a Skype chat with a blogging friend to share your blogging frustrations and gain new insights.
- Unplug. Take a digital sabbatical to recharge your spirit and reconnect with your offline world.
- Freshen up. Change out the ads in your sidebar or add a new plug-in or widget.
- Be creative. Brainstorm and mind-map new ideas for posts, projects, and products.
- Get help. Explore the idea of building a blogging team to grow your blog while easing your workload.
- Recharge. Nurture your body with plenty of fluids, exercise, plant-based foods, deep breathing,and sufficient sleep.
- Ramp up your writing. Break from routine by experimenting with the length, format, style, and frequency of your posts.
- Aim high. Set a big goal like writing two guest posts a week and take the first small step towards making it happen.
- Get smart. Decide what you need to learn to take your blog to the next level, and then purchase a book or course offered by someone who has achieved that goal and is sharing their knowledge.
- Minimize. Take some baby steps towards paring down your possessions, responsibilities, and activities.
- Step away from the stats. Go on a stat fast for a couple of weeks and focus on actions you control, such as linking to archived posts and promoting your new posts on social media.
- Celebrate. Treat yourself to a special dinner or other fun event to acknowledge the challenges you've already faced and overcome to get to this point on the blogging path.
- Expand your horizons. Join a free forum or paid membership program to network and learn new skills.
- Dress up your digs. Give your blogging environment a makeover with a fresh coat of paint, or just add a minor decorative touch to give things a new look and feel.
- Hit the road. Grab your laptop and blog from a coffee shop, restaurant, or mall food court.
- Face the music. If you're clear on the reason for your low mood, then make a plan to improve things and take action.
- Get motivated. Watch some inspirational talks on YouTube or listen to some motivating music before writing a post.
- Clear your mind. Meditate for 20 minutes a day, and check in with yourself throughout the day to make sure your mind is focused on the here and now and not the past or future.
- Watch your mouth. Banish words like 'should' 'have to' and 'ought to' from your blogging vocabulary and blog from a place of passion instead.
- Be grateful. Reflect on the many blessings in your blogging life, like owning a computer, having an Internet connection, and possessing the physical capabilities to read or listen to this post.
Feeling blue now and then is a fact of life, so when it happens to you, don't panic. Your love affair with blogging isn't over, by any means. You may be in a rough patch right now, but if you treat yourself well and keep on moving, you'll be back on the blogging high road in no time at all.
Your turn: How do you boost your blogging mood?
21 Tips to Boost Your Blogging Mood is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2010. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.