This is a guest post by Lisa Drubec.
So, I settled into my chair last night to write some great content for my blog. I fired up the iPod, put in my ear buds and began listening to some teenie bopper song. I don’t typically listen to my iPod while I write, but I was feeling anxious about writing and keeping my blog updated.
So it began like this. ” If you want to build solid relationships in the blog community, hit me baby one more time.”
Wait, what?
I read it again, and yes that’s what I wrote.
Off with the iPod, this clearly wasn’t going to work. I was totally stressed out, so I scratched that whole idea.
I decided that if I was feeling stress about creating fresh and unique content to update my blog, maybe others were too.
With that in mind, I sat back and thought about how I could relax and de-stress the blog anxiety. I came up with 4 simple tips to remind myself of if when it happens again.
If this has happened to you, these tips should do the trick to calm you down and revitalize your approach to updating your blog.
- Step away from the computer. Although you may want to sit there and get it done, you are not going to be productive if you are pulling your hair out. Sometimes, as in a heated debate, it’s best to just walk away and take a breather. This undoubtedly will calm you down and allow you room to breathe. The first thing I did was get some coffee and sit on my deck. Ahh, relaxation appeared.
- Read blogs. While I was sitting outside, I wondered what I would do once I went back to the computer. Then it hit me…I don’t HAVE to write tonight. It’s not written anywhere, it’s not law. I went back in and started catching up on some blogs. I found humor, knowledge and new people to read. I was entertained and educated, but more importantly, relaxed. Reading other blogs is also an excellent way to get some ideas for your new posts.
- Comment. Ok, so you may not be posting new content right now, but you are building your relationships AND you are building backlinks by commenting on these blogs you are reading. That translates into you working on your blog. It’s not always about the content. That is the first part of your job. Now you need to drive traffic and build links. So if you get stuck, work on part two.
- Write it down. Now that you have done all this you have surely gotten some great ideas for your next post. Write down little notes to remind you of what you want to post. you can develop those ideas when you come back tomorrow. As long as you have it on paper, you can’t forget it. This is the last thing you should do before you finish for the day.
Now you may be asking yourself, “does this actually work?”
Let me tell you how it played out for me.
These are the exact steps I took last night.
Today, I took my notes from last night and updated my blog.
After commenting last night on blogs I was enjoying, I gained 4 new subscribers.
I also received an email from a blogger asking me to guest post once a week for his blog.
Relaxing and taking the stress out of updating my blog was one of the best things I did to progress the status of my online endeavor.
Note from Ana: I loved Lisa’s post!
Why? Because I desperately need to follow her advice!
Beating my head against a brick wall is just not always the best course of action… wait… It’s NEVER the best course of action!
And that’s why I am going to take Lisa’s advice. Are you?
What's Next?
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"When it comes to traffic generation, Ana knows her stuff. She provides actionable information about the latest tips, trends, and technology that can result in getting more visits to your blog or business. Not only does she give great advice, but she puts it to the test and shares the results in a regular income report so you know that her strategies really work if you are willing to put in the effort!"
Kristi Hines, Kikolani.com
"Ana has become someone I look to for a unique insight into all kinds of aspects of running an internet business, but especially for updated SEO information. She does the research and testing to back up her claims, so I refer back to her content when I need to see what is fresh and current in the world of generating traffic to your website."
Yaro Starak, Entrepreneurs-Journey.com
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Lisa,
Worthy post and everyone of us should come across this problem..
Sometimes Really feel tired and stressed and dunno what to do and frustration comes into action..
To overcome all these, the tips you mentioned are good and also helps to build rapport with the bloggers by commenting on others blogs..
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Great post Lisa, I totally agree with you, thanks for the advice
Great Advice Lisa… I have writers block frequently! Some days I let it get to me so badly that it gets worse (LOL). Much of this is obviously self inflicted because as you say it’s not ‘law’ to post daily. I have to agree about stepping away and getting air. Often I’ll give into the dog and take him for a run on the beach and once I’m not fighting it… ideas seem to float to the surface when out of the ‘writing’ environment!!
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Jayne:
That’s an awesome way to revitalize!! Dog, beach, fresh air..it’s perfect. I think some of my best ideas have come to me when I’m NOT thinking about it. The mind clearly tells us when we have overloaded! Thank you for stopping by to read my post.
Great post. I actually touched on this in my post today. Sometimes its just plain hard to come up with new content. The only thing I might point out is that you need to be careful when you read other blogs during bouts of writer’s block. The temptation is there to see a great article and be like “oooooh I totally thought of that” and then spin someone else’s post. So be careful!
Chris:
You are absolutely correct! The flip side is “oh man, why didn’t I think of that!” you make a great point and we should all keep that in mind!
Oliver:
I thought the exact thing about Ana! She always has a fresh new outlook on things. But I guess the best of the best can get stressed. I truly feel if we help build the community, then the stress will reduce. We won’t feel so much pressure to write, and we also won’t feel the stress of the post itself, i.e…was it good enough? We can rely on the relationships we built within the community to help us through.
I appreciate you stopping by.
Michael:
I will probably have to revert back to this post several times myself! Learning to take our advice can sometimes prove difficult. Now that I know what works for me, I should hope it will be easier! I’m also going to have to look into this Facebook Tribe thing I keep hearing about. Thanks for reading!
That was very nicely written Lisa. Thanks for reminding us this amazing truth.
Our mind usually tells us that that we need to think hard to find new ideas and then work hard to get them done. In fact, the opposite is true. Good ideas come when we take a break from work (and thinking).
Some really bright ideas about my business came to me when I was away from the computer and my mind was switched off.
I had the best ideas when I was sitting at the beach in sunny Med, where there’s always a nice breeze and my only concern was what restaurant to go to for dinner. I never had any inspiration while sitting in the office… I think your post explains why. Thanks
Alex:
The beach is my favorite place to be. This time of year with the dreaded snow, I have to create that beach in my mind! It’s amazing what can happen when we declutter our minds. Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Taking a time out from the computer always works. I usually step outside and smell fresh air, enjoy the sunshine, I take a walk and when I feel that I have already de-stressed, that’s when I get back to my computer.
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Andrew:
I agree 100%! Fresh air helps tremendously. Thanks for taking the time to read!
Hi Lisa,
awesome advice. It’s always home-made stress if we feel stressed. It’s written nowhere that we have to post today - and we aren’t bad people if we don’t. So stepping away from the task at hand and walking around in the virtual neighbourhood (like reading other blogs and commenting on them) is a great way to reduce stress and build community.
Thanks for sharing your insights and to Ana for allowing this guest post.
It’s hard for me to believe that Ana also suffers from such symptoms
Take care
Oliver