What To Do When You Want to Quit Blogging

Is this you?

You’re tirelessly writing posts but you feel like you’re going nowhere.

And you want to give up.

You’re growing exhausted looking at other Blogger’s Income Reports and you can’t understand what you’re doing wrong.

Everyday, you feel like you’ve wasted time, and your productivity is at rock bottom.

Your sanity is leaving you.

You can’t take it any more.

So stop.

Stop what you’re doing right now.

And take a deep breath.

Listen to me when I tell you that this happens to almost everyone.

Every single blogger goes through these feelings at some point in their lives.

• Will my eBook sell?
• Will I ever be able to cover my Blogging expenses?
• Why is my Blog not making me money?
• What am I doing wrong? How are others doing it? I can’t understand it!

Natural thoughts.

They happen to all of us.

It’s okay to experience blogger burnout.

My first Blog was a huge flop. I discuss all the mistakes I made with my first blog here. It never took off. Not even after 1 year and 50+ posts later. Nope.

My second Blog however was different.

It took me about 6 months to cross the $3K mark and I am eternally grateful to my previous flopped blog. I already knew what not to do and I paid attention to all the Newbie Blogging tips on the internet.

There are good days and there are really, really bad days.

There are days when I can churn out posts faster than you can say “Cheesecracker” and there are days when I cannot for the life of me even open the damn laptop lid.

Starting a Blog overall is very easy.

But unless you pay attention to nurturing and growing your target audience and blogging consistently, it is impossible to actually make money blogging.

So, don’t get disheartened if you’ve not yet reached your goals. Instead, take a step back and re-evaluate everything that’s going on.

It is important to continuously evaluate your content and your goals and make modifications in order to grow as a Blogger. And sometimes, the best way to do this is to take a break and not let the stress overwhelm you.

So let’s jump into the few easy things you can do right now when you’re on the brink of blogger burnout.

This post includes affiliate links to products I truly (from the bottom of my heart) recommend, meaning at no extra cost to you, I may earn a small percentage which I will use to feed my poor, hungry dogs.

Self Care and Motivation

1. Remember why you started

Every time I felt I quitting, I’d look through my diary and remember why I started my Blog in the first place.

I started this Blog to be with my dogs.

Period.

It beats having to commute to work or having to take orders from someone else and help some huge Corporate grow.

It helps me stay creative and do what I love doing most – creating.

Sure, there are days when I don’t feel like illustrating. Or days when I feel like my tasks are overwhelmingly huge. But all I require is a little inspiration to get me out of that rut and punch blogger burnout in the face.

I just focus on why I started my Online Business. Or look at my Business Plan. Or I play with my pups for a bit to remember why I am doing this.

And I’m instantly rejuvenated.

Another small tip is to always keep little post-it notes all around your work station and home that inspires you to work.

2. Don’t compare yourself to others

I used to do this a lot when I first started blogging. I would compare my Blog to other people’s blogs. It was toxic and did not help me grow at all.

It took me a while to realize that these people who I was comparing my blog to probably started theirs – years ago. Or were working more hours on theirs than I was.

Do not get onboard the comparison train. You don’t know their story. And it does not work. It will only bring you down drown in blogger burnout.

Focus on your own goals instead. Compare your Blog to your own Blog 3-6 months ago. Monitor your traffic and income growth each month. See how far you’ve come and give yourself a pat on the back.

If you’re not seeing results, try and find out what’s going wrong.

Here are a few resources to help you understand more about Blog Monetization:

• 7 Income Streams to add your Blog right now!
• How to make sales funnels with digital products
• How much does it cost to Maintain a Fully-Functioning Blog
• Why your Blog is not making any money!

Which brings me to my next point…

3. Keep short and long term goals

When you become your own Boss, there is no way for you to track your progress unless you create short term and long term goals.

This is how dedicated I am to goal-keeping

Example of short term goals:

• Write 3 guest posts by the end of the month
• Hit 10K Pageviews by the end of this week
• Get approved by an Ad Network

Example of long term goals:

• Write an eBook and start selling it by the end of 3 months
• Make $2000 in eCourse sales by the end of this year
• Showcase 20 pieces in my Portfolio by the end of 6 months

So, unless you are constantly setting goals for yourself and your Blog while tracking your results each week/month, it’s very difficult to grow as a Blogger.

By tracking your results in a Planner, you will be able to understand where you fall short and where your opportunities lie. So, do not miss this step!

You may also like: 15 Things to Write in a Notebook (if you are a Blogger)

4. Record mini-achievements

Doing this one thing has helped me continue blogging even when I am going through a blogger burnout.

I record comments or emails that praise me or my way of writing/drawing. I either screenshot it, or save it in a special place in my Inbox.

And it helps me on bad days!

I used to record all my mini accomplishments when I had just started blogging. Because it’s super easy to get demotivated in the beginning and take failures personally.

For instance if I made an affiliate sale, I wrote it down.

I have a Planner that I keep specifically for Blogging.

So, no matter how little it is, record it! Whether you’ve just gotten accepted into the Ad Network you’ve been trying for, or you got a sweet comment, just write it down!

Whenever you feel like quitting, simply go through it all.

Trust me, it will help!

Or you could get yourself a pretty Blog Planner like this one!

5. Pay attention to your body

I am a person that loves sitting in one place.

But I’m well within my BMI, because I make it a point to get up at least every 45 minutes.

And I try to complete 10K steps every day no matter how tired I am.

I use an app called Pacer. You even get a badge if you complete your step goals for all 30 days of the month.

It’s super easy to become lazy as a Blogger because our type of work doesn’t have us moving much. But don’t let that stop you.

Get up every 30-45 minutes to run an errand. Go grocery shopping, play with your kids/pooches, fix yourself a healthy snack.

We mostly suffer from blogger burnout due to our extremely unhealthy lifestyles.

So the best way to combat this?

Just get moving!

Try and incorporate exercise into your daily routine. It could be as simple as a 30 minute walk in the morning, or a 1 hour yoga session in the evening.

Also, avoid eating too much junk food. If possible, try and cut it out completely. It will be much easier to stay fit and be healthy.

I use the app MyFitnessPal to keep a track of all the food I eat. And their Blog really helps motivate me to keep fit and eat healthy foods!

Being fit and mentally healthy means less blogger burnout.

Super easy Blogging Productivity Hacks

6. Change your environment once in a while

I cannot work every single day from home.

I have to take a day’s break by going out 1 day a week and getting some “fresh air.” Working in a different environment will pump your brain juice and give you a lot of fresh thoughts that will help you work better and faster!

Additionally, if you cannot leave the house, shift your workspace to a different part of the house. Just grab your laptop and go sit at the dining table or couch. It will make a huge difference!

I’m not kidding.

This one trick boosted my productivity through the roof!

7. Use Tailwind to schedule your social media

For me, Tailwind has been a major traffic game-changer and time-saver. You can read about how Pinterest and Tailwind helped me gain 18,000 pageviews in my 3rd month of blogging.

I’m not kidding but I used to spend over 1-2 hours daily on Pinterest. That was a huge time waste. And scheduling your pins on Pinterest every single day can be a huge time waste, not to mention redundant and boring.

Now with Tailwind, I am able to bulk schedule a week’s worth of pins in just 30 minutes.

That’s it.

It pins to my boards while I sleep and my audience is up in the US. This helps me gain traffic even when I’m not active on my Blog or Social Media.

I sleep like a baby thanks to Tailwind.

What I love most about its algorithm is that it studies when your posts do well, and suggests time slots based on your audience’s activities. It’s a smart pin scheduler and is definitely worth the $10 a month.

I wouldn’t get results like this if I wasn’t using Tailwind.

I hardly open Pinterest these days except for some minor monitoring or to accept a group board request.

>>TAKE THE FREE TAILWIND TRIAL HERE, BABY!<<

8. Have an accountability partner

This is a proven trick to boost productivity.

You can find an Accountability Partner on your favorite Facebook Groups and update him/her with your progress every week or so. It’s a two way street.

And not only will this motivate you, but you’ll be inspired and get way more ideas regarding your work!

I remember chatting with my friend who is a Brand and Web Designer. We’d update each other about our latest services and talk about different marketing methods and so on.

These little conversations really helped me look at my projects from a different angle and gave me more ideas to incorporate in my Business.

It’s an amazing feeling to be able to talk about your work with someone who’s in the same field!

A little mingling and socializing is a great remedy for blogger burnout

9. Avoid going down the social media rabbit hole

I used to do this a few years ago. Check my social media every 15-30 minutes.

Just, don’t.

This is a huge productivity killer.

Try and stay away from social media during your work hours. Turn off your social media notifications.

The same goes for your email. Check your email only once or twice a day. Once before starting work, and once more after you’re done for the day, if necessary.

Don’t keep checking your Inbox, or replying to emails. Emails that require extremely lengthy responses can be attended to once a week, right after the weekend.

Keeping away from distractions will help you blog more consistently.

10. Socialize with people in your Business

Blogging can become lonely.

I tend to have a mix of friends. Some who are into Blogging and others that have nothing to with it.

Keeping this balance really helps my mental health and overall well-being. Additionally, I created a Self Care Planner that will help anyone who wants to really transcend to a whole new physical and mental level. It contains various exercises and lots of stickers.

You can check it out here.

For instance, there are a lot of first-time moms who want to be friends with other moms, just so that they have people to talk to who understand what they’re going through.

So, if you don’t have any blogging buddies, I suggest you hop onto Facebook right now and join a few Blogging Facebook Groups that will help you make some friends.

When you see other people discussing problems like SEO or tips on gaining traffic, you won’t feel that deflated. When you know that there are so many people in your boat, you can come up with solutions together!

You can also boost your productivity by getting this ultra cute Productivity Planner!

Easy Blogging Hacks

11. Create a Blogging Schedule

A big mistake most bloggers make is not setting a dedicated schedule for Blogging. If you’re going to sit and blog 7-8 hours a day, 7 days a week, you are going to burn yourself out really fast.

Don’t do this.

Create a time-table on what you’re going to do each day of the week. And give yourself a day’s break each week. This is the best way to never miss out on anything – blogging related.

The best way to beat blogger burnout is to tackle a different blogging task every single day, so that it doesn’t get repetitive or boring.

For instance, this is what my Timetable looks like. I made it in Microsoft Excel.

But you can also use a Blog Planner like this one right here if you’re a pen and paper girl.

12. Treat yourself to mini Blogging rewards

When you spend 2-3 hours writing a post, take a break. Have a coffee or watch an episode of your favorite series on Netflix. Use these mini rewards to motivate you.

Don’t be like me. You’ll be ruined.

Aside from these, you can also switch up tasks by doing your favorite blogging activity. For instance, if you spend 2-3 hours writing your Sales Page, you can take a break by engaging with your Blogging Buddies on Facebook Groups.

That way, when you get back to your work, you’ll be inspired and may probably be fueled with more ideas!

13. Understand whom you’re Blogging for

Does this sound like you?

“Wow, I feel like writing a posts on lipsticks. I think this is going to be hit!

Hmmm… how about I write a post on skincare instead? I’ve not done that for a long time…

Oh wait! Maybe I’ll just update my readers on what I ate for lunch instead!”

If yes, then you really need to change the way you blog.

I know for a fact that 90% of the Bloggers out there don’t really know whom they’re blogging for.

They wake up one morning and decide to write a Blog Post based on the things that they like instead of the things that their readers are actually having trouble with.

It’s very easy to blog about what you want to.

But it’s extremely hard to constantly blog about what your audience wants. This is where you can stand out from the sea of bloggers who don’t know where they’re going.

If you don’t know who your audience is, you have to do a little digging and actually identify your target audience.

What are the benefits of sticking to one niche and solely releasing content for your audience?

1. You become extremely reliable and eventually an Expert in said niche. This will help you build a loyal audience who are constantly awaiting your posts and ready to buy your products.

2. It becomes a whole lot easier to monetize your Blog when you are blogging in 1 niche and attracting an audience with the same interests.

So, know whom you’re writing for. It will make writing content for them a whole lot easier.

14. Create a Blog Content Plan

Every post you write, must have a definitive call-to-action. Do not focus on more than 1-2 for each post. For instance, your call-to action could be to

• Increase brand awareness
• Gain clients/customers
• Promote an affiliate product
• Generate more leads
• Sell more digital products
• Gain more ad income

and so on.

Once you know whom you’re writing for, it’s easy to identify their pain points. And now you will understand how to list your objectives for each post before you write it.

So, generate blog content post ideas for 3-6 months at a stretch in advance.

You will save abundant time because you don’t need to keep scratching your head each week to come up with a Blog Post idea. And yes, your conversions will improve drastically!

I explain how I generate my Blog Content Plan for a whole year in detail in this post.

Having a process will eliminate all your worries regarding what to post and when.

I’ve done this. Trust me it works.

Here are a few posts that will help you maximize your productivity if you’re working from home:

• 27 Hacks to be an Ultra Productive Blogger
• How to Plan your Blog Content for a Whole Year and Crush it!
• The Badass Guide to Blogging more Consistently

15. Spruce up your Website

Once in six months to a year, you should consider sprucing up your Website’s Theme and Design. You can either edit your current WordPress theme or buy a completely new one!

This will not only help you boost your SEO, but will give you and your readers a much desired fresh look and feel. Google loves websites that constantly update themselves. This tells Google that your information is relevant and up-to-date and you really value your Business.

I highly recommend choosing a website theme that lets Search Engines crawl your website and index it.

It’s very important that your Blog’s Theme is SEO friendly. This will help push your website to the top of the search results.

And there are only 2 Themes that I recommend. One is Divi.

This is an extremely simple and stylish theme. It comes with lots of demos and is super flexible. Meaning, you can change the look and feel whenever you feel like it and it will look like a brand new theme.

It is perfect for people who aren’t very high-tech, want to easily manipulate their design and just want to create a beautiful and professional layout.

Everything is editable and what I love about Divi is that you can see what changes you are making side by side as you are doing them.

The best part is that you get access to all the themes by Elegant themes. Meaning you aren’t buying just one, you’re getting a truckload of themes for $89 a year. This means that you can change the look and feel of your website whenever you want to anything you want!

The second theme I suggest (and I’m currently using) is Avada. It’s only $60. And you can use it for a lifetime. There are no additional fees. It comes with lots of nice demos.

This makes building your Blog so much easier.

SEO wise, this is one of the best WordPress themes because it allows Google to index and crawl your website very easily.

It’s not a drag-and-drop theme like Divi but it’s mighty easy to set up.

You can check out this beauty here.

I talk about choosing a good WordPress theme, because if you buy a good theme that you don’t constantly have to maintain (or upgrade), you are saving yourself a lot of time and energy.

Never go in for pirated themes, because they are glitchy and have 0 customer support. Always, always choose a theme that will save you money and time in the long run.

Doesn’t matter Chloe. You’re still a pirate.

16. Delegate undesired blogging work to someone else

If there’s something that you really don’t enjoy doing, then it is best if you outsource it.

You may be thinking… isn’t that a waste of money?

But I look at it this way – You are saving valuable time that you can focus on activities that actually generate an income.

Now, accounting isn’t something I enjoy doing. And if I continue to do tasks that tire me mentally, I will reach blogger burnout in no time!

For the life of me, I cannot file my taxes without dozing off and the process frustrates me. I’d rather spend my time doing other things, like writing, or create illustrations for clients. That’s work I enjoy. And it brings in an income!

So I give all my work to an Accountant. He does the job way better than I can dream of doing. And those fees I’m paying, are probably 2-3 days’ earnings at the most. So, its worth it.

So, before you invest, do look at the expenses, see if your Business can cover it, and only then go for it.

This will speed up the growth of your Business and help you overcome blogger burnout.

And lastly…

17. Be patient

Blogging can get tiresome when we don’t see returns immediately. This is one of the harsh truths about blogging.

But do not be discouraged. It’s an extensive formula of blogging consistently and monetizing while keeping your target audience in mind.

Some strategies work, and some don’t.

There is some amount of trial and error that’s bound to happen when you enter this field of Business.

So, don’t lose heart.

Just keep recording your progress and focus on growing and becoming better than your older self.

These tips have worked for me and I know they will work for you too!

Now, over to you!

If you’ve gone through blogger burnout, what have you done to get back on track? I’d love to know!