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Why I Took a Break from Blogging
The short answer is I lost my mom to cancer.
I am not sure how personal I want to get with this, but it was a two-year battle with stage 4 colon cancer.
This was the first time during my first year of blogging that I took I break. It was completely necessary due to these extreme circumstances. At this point, I was 11 months into my blogging journey. I had only made a little over $5. Therefore, clearly my blog was not a priority during this time.
Let’s move on to my thoughts on taking this first-ever break from blogging.
How Long was the Break
The break was somewhere between 2-3 weeks. I did some tasks in the beginning and at the end which make the timeframe a bit blurry.
As far as content I missed 4 publishing dates for both of my blogs. I went from a published post on 11/15 to not posting again until 12/8.
This was the first time I failed to meet my publishing schedule. It was a weird feeling for me, but one I accepted.
My Pinterest accounts suffered a bit as well. On my first blog, my mommy blog, I never had a day with zero pins published. This was simply because I had worked so far ahead before life got difficult. When I returned to blogging Pinterest was the first thing I started working on again.
There was a single day where only one pin was published and then the three days following that I only published 2 pins daily. In recent days before life got crazy was publishing about 7 pins per day.
Now jumping back on Pinterest I am publishing about 3-5 pins per day. I am going to keep the numbers low for now. It is a lot to handle.
So my mommy blog never saw a complete break from Pinterest, but it did have a dip.
My second blog on Pinterest is about blogging. I just started promoting this content on Pinterest on November 1st. My plan with publishing pins has been to do 5 per day. When I had to take a break I had some pins already scheduled so Pinterest didn’t abruptly stop. When I had to step back from blogging I ended up publishing 0 pins for four days straight.
I know to most people taking 4 days off Pinterest isn’t the end of the world, but it did hurt my young account. I do not regret that I took a break. However, it did come with a drop in my account.
Was the Break Beneficial?
To be honest I did enjoy the break. I didn’t ENJOY it due to the circumstances, but it was nice to feel free. When I missed that first publishing date I had anxiety at first. Then I just had to let it go. I felt lighter and free from the constant work of my blog.
I took a step back and realized that yes, my blog is important to me. I want it to be a business and replace my current job. But the reality is that it currently is not there.
There have been moments during these first 11 months of blogging that I have been quite obsessed with my blog. I would prioritize it over sleep or getting housework done. I made more time for my blog than I did for self-care.
To be successful time has to be put into my blog. I completely understand that. I am proud of myself for the work and time I have committed to my blog. I want to find balance though.
I think something this break has taught me is that I need more balance in my life. I need to find more shortcuts and ways to automate my blogging tasks.
The break felt like a much needed reset.
How to Get Back into Blogging After a Break
It was not easy to get back to my blog after the break. I am still struggling to find my grove and excitement again. One thing I try to make clear is that I don’t work when I am motivated. I work on a schedule because I have to. I don’t typically allow emotions to hinder me. Pins need to be published and content needs to go out on schedule.
Now if only I could apply this discipline to working out.
When I felt ready and had the time to get back into blogging my priority was Pinterest. Pinterest has an algorithm and they expect you to be active. My site on the other hand would survive with a content publishing gap.
So immediately I got back onto Pinterest.
Pinterest can be a lot of work with pin creation and everything else that goes into it.
My next step was to decide when my next posts would be published. I wanted to give myself grace. I set my next publication date for both blogs as December 8th. I could have made it sooner but didn’t feel that I needed the added stress with everything that was happening in my personal life.
Why Blogging is Still Important?
During this time blogging couldn’t be the priority. Life, family, and grief were all-consuming.
However, life does continue. Whenever a loved one goes we do have to get back to life. You can’t quit your job forever. You can’t stop living. That is not what your loved one would want.
Blogging is still important to me because I want it to be my future career. I currently work as a nanny. It has been beneficial for various reasons but also can be a struggle at times. It also can only last a finite amount of time. The kids are getting older so the end is nearing. When I am done with this family I would like to be able to be a full-time blogger. My reason for this is I can set my hours, work from home, and have complete flexibility.
In a few years, my toddler will be in school. When they need parent volunteers for a field trip I want to be able to say yes. When my kids are sick I want to be able to care for them at home and not worry about running out of time off work.
Blogging is important to me because it can give me the life I desire.
Conclusion
Life is not always perfect. We all know this. Due to the loss of my mother, I took my first blogging break. It was necessary and I have ZERO regrets.
The break may have been a blessing. Blogger burnout is a thing you want to avoid.
You can’t always handle everything and it is ok to take a break when needed.
Just have a plan for how and when you will jump back into it.
Remember why you started and why it is important to you in the first place.
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