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If you are just starting out as a solopreneur blogger and you are not intentional about self care, you may begin feeling overwhelmed with blogging.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4424″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When I first started my blog Blushing Ambers, I was writing about beauty products and makeup. I’ll admit I was going about it as a hobbyist. It was new and exciting and I was motivated to work on it every day because I had a curiosity about makeup artistry. I didn’t know what self care was, but makeup actually felt like therapy for me and blogging was my daily dose of medicine. Blog overwhelm snuck up on me and I lost my drive and initiative. My posting frequency began to drop, right along with my page views and readership.
If you want to have a successful blog, you’ll need to post consistently. Yes, even when you don’t “feel” like it. Blogging takes dedication. Dedication is honoring a commitment long after the feeling you felt when you made the commitment has gone away. You may be thinking, “But how can I stay dedicated to blogging when I feel overwhelmed”? Here are four ways I practice self care when I’m feeling overwhelmed in my blogging business.
Read for Perspective.
As a solo blogger you really may not have a lot of people to bounce ideas off of or even to have intellectual conversations. It’s always good to connect with other bloggers. Inside of Hello Ambi The Community Membership, you’ll find lots of bloggers who share their opinions and their own experiences along their blogging journey. Read their blog posts and snoop through their comments sections. Not only will this give you ideas about what to write next on your blog, but it will help you gain perspective and feel a sense of belonging to the creative community. We are all in this thing together and to be honest, at times we are all throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Read what other bloggers are saying and I’m sure you’ll see that overwhelm comes and goes in everyones blogging business.
Journal for Clarity.
Sometimes jotting down your thoughts by putting pen to paper helps me feel better. Maybe you are experiencing writers block because the topic isn’t top of your mind. If you have personal concerns or even just a lot going on in life, those priorities may be taking up space in your mind. Get it all out on paper. Journaling on a regular has helped me to compartmentalize my thoughts and consequently, create a sense of order to my life. That’s the deep intellectual part of it. The other part is that I really love notebooks, journals, highlighters and gel pens. Nothing excites me more than a trip to Marshall’s or Target for a fresh new journal. I love journaling so much that I’ve created my own journals in the past and shared them with friends. Well thought out journal entry prompts can get your creative wheels turning and help you think outside of the box. The burst of inspiration you are looking for could be locked up inside of you. Journaling can be the key to vanishing your blog overwhelm. Try it now!
Break the Rules.
Now this maybe some unconventional advice but I’m an unconventional woman. And the saying goes, well behaved women seldom make history. Maybe what you need is radical self care. What is radical self care? It is placing everything on hold to practice whatever rituals are necessary to bring you back to your full self. This may mean dropping the ball and putting yourself first for a while.
You’re physical and mental health matters more than anything in the world. Your blog will be there when you get back. Take a break but don’t quit. Give yourself as much time as necessary to center yourself, but also be honest about about the time you’re taking. I am currently reading a book that explores the politics of feeling good called Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown. Brown introduces eight principles in Pleasure Activism to live by. Yes, it is as risque as it sounds but one of the very first cautions it speaks to is indulging in excess. Even before your hit overwhelm, practice prevention by always be checking in with yourself and measuring your capacity. So lean into Brown’s advice, take care of yourself in the ways that feel good to you.
Get Spiritually Connected.
Listed last, but this one certainly would be first for me. Incorporate a spiritual ritual into your everyday life. I credit spirituality to my success as a blogger and I also see it as a business tactic. My prayer life keeps me centered and connected to a greater power source — God. For me, my faith and willingness to obey God’s every command guides me in my blogging business. I have three books that have been assisting me in my spiritual walk and business journey. These books have journal prompts and/or rituals that accompany them and following along with these daily/weekly and monthly keep me in step with God’s plan for my blogging career.
- Fearless Faith + Hustle: 21 Day Devotional Journey.This devotional is a compilation of stories and advice from prominent business women who are connected to celebrity publicist, Arian Simone. Each chapter includes a scripture, story, prayer, declaration and exercise.
- Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind and Spirit. In addition to this guide book I purchased the journal as well. Queen Afua speaks more to our ancestral spiritual connectedness and has help me understand my body and health from this perspective lens. This book comes with a meal plan, spiritual rituals and dialogue questions for community circle meetups.
- The Weekly Prayer Project. This book is truly a weekly challenge for the reader to develop and deepen their with God. It has 52 scriptures that you read weekly, journal prompts and tasks to complete. If you’re looking for a Christian-based prayer journal that helps deepen your connection with God, this one is it!
Practicing self care when overwhelmed with blogging can make a huge difference in the longevity of your blogging career. The work of a blogger, especially for solopreneurs, never seems to be finished. Do yourself a favor — Set aside time to practice these four activities. You’ll thank me later!
Have you experienced overwhelm in your blogging journey. In what ways do you practice self care when you are feel overwhelmed with blogging? Write in the comments below![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, Ambi. As a fellow blogger, author and scriptwriter have been in this funk for about a month now. Its such a frustrating existence. Especially when writing is my primary creative outlet/release. This blog served as both information & inspiration. Ive recently took my said frustrations before God. I feel this served as confirmation that not only did he hear me but that im not alone in this journey. Thanks for being so transparent.
Oh yea, I’ll be checking out Fearless Faith.