So you have went on a period where you have stopped blogging. One day you wake up and you decide to start blogging again. Ideas seemed to run in your head.
You get yourself a cup of coffee and while still in your pajamas, you on your laptop, login to your blog and proceed to compose a new post.
And…. blank. You stare at the screen in front of you, not knowing what to write. You could not put into words what that is in your head. Then you go some Google searches and spend the next 3 hours going where Google leads you… reading other people’s blog and watching YouTube videos.
Hours on, you did not manage to type that great coming back post that you have hoped. You decided to give it another try later the day and the next few days…. and blank. Words do not flow out effortlessly as they used to.
Should you give up?
What happens when you have not been blogging for a long time
Take it from someone who have experienced this multiple of times. I have started my own blogs more than 10 years ago, usually on the side. In 2012, my company was involved in some major restructuring and we had a lot of work that we need to do. I worked till very late and was mentally drained each day. I do not have any energy left to reply to comments, let alone type new blog posts.
One day, I made the difficult decision to drastically cut down my blogging time. I had to also turn on the comments in my blog as I was no longer to respond to comments from blog visitors. However, I still write blog posts from time to time when the inspiration come to me.
In 2017, I resigned from my corporate job to be a caregiver full time. I decided to start blogging again.
Initially, what I described above would happen. I would be brimming with ideas, yet my mind went blank the moment I am starting at a blank new post screen.
How to solve this problem?
In the case where I went back to blogging after years of relatively being inactive is not that common. However, it is more common where you have been actively churning out blog posts, only to find yourself one day not able to type any single post.
If you make a full time living from blogging, you would probably need to force yourself to do it. I write email communication in my full time job previously and whether I feel like it or not, I had to force myself to do it because a lot of those emails are important. At times I would go down and take a walk around my office. If I am rushing for time, I would make a cup of coffee and get right on to work.
Like a worn out car, sometimes require a jump start or simply a good kick to get the momentum going. Initially words would not come out but as I start and persist on, the flow would eventually come.
However, from personal experience, I find that this method works only for short term. Anyone would be stressed and burnt out if they attempt to work at it for long term.
Try to take things easy
I always believe, make hay while the sun still shines. When I have the inspiration, I would be churning out one blog post after another. I do not publish all my contents at once as I would keep them for the rainy days to tie me in during the time when either I have writers block or I am busy with something else.
However, don’t worry if you do not have many scheduled posts- from my experience, blog readership do not go down drastically once you stop posting content if your site has been established in Google.
Real experience- last May and early June, I decided to take a short break from blogging to focus on my family and some personal development. I stopped blogging actively. When I feel I am ready to come back, I did get a little mental block in terms of writing articles.
I persisted and start by writing easier articles (one of my niche is easy to write). In a short time, I build back my momentum again.
Do not despair when you feel that you can’t seem to write after a long absence from blogging (‘long absence’ differs for each one- it can be a week, few months or few years). Start with writing a little and let the momentum build back up.
Sometimes when you have been working too hard, you have to give yourself a break or else you would easily hit the writers block. Go for a walk, exercise in nature or a road trip and read motivational blog posts and YouTube videos.
As bloggers, we mostly work alone. Sometimes when we do not see the results that we want, we may doubt what we are doing which may led to loss in motivation resulting in writer’s block. There are a lot of resources online such as YouTube videos and great blog posts that provide a lot of inspiration and great advice. And online communities that offered a lot of support. It would help lift us up from lack of motivation.