Running a blog can take a lot of work. You have a website to maintain, and social channels to regularly update. You’ll also be required to come up with plenty of topics to write about – something that can become increasingly difficult over time.
Fortunately, by making a few simple changes to your daily routine, you can avoid the dreaded ‘blogger’s block’ and keep new ideas flowing in. You can then continue to create great content for your blog, and keep readers highly engaged.
In this post, we’ll discuss what blogger’s block is. We’ll also explain some of the ways you can get through it. Let’s get started!
What Blogger’s Block Is (And Why It’s So Common)
Creating blog posts takes a lot of time and effort, especially when you're doing so as a full-time job. The sheer amount of writing that’s required to maintain an active blog can leave you feeling tired and out of ideas. This phenomenon is commonly known as writer’s block.
Writer’s block (or blogger’s block, in this case) refers to a psychological inhibition that prevents a writer from proceeding with a project or coming up with new ideas. In other words, if you can’t complete an article no matter how hard you try, you may have blogger's block.
Although the term is often used in an offhand manner, there may actually be a scientific reason this 'block' happens. Some scientists believe the condition is directly linked to your frontal lobe: the section of your brain that helps to formulate words and sentences. It’s thought that the high stress levels associated with a writing career can cause momentary damage to your frontal lobe, making it more difficult to complete tasks.
In fact, stress and anxiety are widely considered to be the main contributors to all forms of writer's block. With editors, clients, and a readership to impress, it’s no wonder that you may end up feeling a lot of pressure.
Whatever the reason for it, overcoming blogger’s block is essential to your ongoing success. Extended periods may lead to missed deadlines, or poor-quality work. Uploading content to your blog consistently is vital, and inactive spells can cause your audience to disengage. This means it's smart to find reliable ways you can keep the creative juices flowing.
3 Ways to Overcome Blogger’s Block
Fortunately, there are many ways to overcome and even prevent blogger’s block. Implementing any of these strategies may help to lift your mental fog, so you can continue to craft successful content. Plus, using them on a regular basis can keep you from falling into a 'blocked' state of mind in the first place.
1. Give Yourself a Change of Scenery
One of the great things about a career in writing is that you can work from pretty much anywhere. Still, it’s important to make sure that your working space (wherever it may be) is fully optimized for its purpose. Your writing environment should be free from distraction, yet comfortable enough to make you feel relaxed.
Sometimes, a complete change of scenery can also be what you need to feel inspired again. Over 50% of workers report feeling disengaged with their working spaces – and this can have a direct impact on your productivity.
If you think that you’re experiencing blogger’s block as a result of your location, try taking yourself out of the situation. Use your breaks to take a brief walk, or work from a local coffee shop for the day. Removing yourself from a too-familiar environment can help to clear your mind, and leave you feeling better prepared to tackle your next post.
2. Practice Free Writing Whenever Possible
Writing for a living can make the process feel like a chore. You’ll likely be working with specific topic ideas and predetermined stylistic guidelines, and while these help keep your blog consistent, they may begin to dull your imagination.
If you’re stuck in a rut, you may want to give ‘free writing’ a try. This is a technique where you write about whatever comes to mind, without worrying about spelling, grammar, or structure. This is an excellent way to get your creative juices flowing – leaving you better equipped to deal with upcoming professional assignments.
There’s no correct way to free write. However, you can also try a more focused approach to ‘warm up’ for any particular articles you’re struggling with. Keep the required topic in mind, but jot down whatever thoughts come to mind about it. Without the additional pressure of having to construct a full post from scratch, you should start to formulate ideas much faster.
3. Communicate Regularly With Other Writers
Although working as a writer can be highly rewarding, it can also leave you feeling isolated. Communication is usually conducted via email, with little human interaction involved. This phenomenon isn't contained to bloggers – studies have shown that nearly three-fourths of Americans experience workplace loneliness.
This can have a direct impact on your productivity, and will often leave you feeling completely disconnected. However, there are ways around the problem. The internet makes it incredibly easy to interact with other people from your chosen industry or niche.
Social media is a great place to start. By following relevant hashtags and users, you can quickly develop an online community of like-minded people. Communicating with them can be a vital source of inspiration, as they're likely to have ideas you hadn’t previously considered. You may even encounter opportunities for collaboration with other writers.
Conclusion
Although a career as a blogger can be incredibly rewarding, it often requires a lot of hard work. It’s no surprise that the process may leave you feeling depleted, and unable to produce high-quality posts.
Fortunately, there are ways to break out of your blogger’s block. To recap, here are three of the methods you can use to get your creative juices flowing again:
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Create a more mindful work space, and give yourself a change of scenery from time to time.
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Try free writing to spark your imagination.
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Seek inspiration from other people within your industry or niche.
Image credit: energepic.com.
