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Blogging Guide > Getting over the hump > Take some time out to reflect
But there's a lot more to running a blog or website than keeping your own site updated. Reading other blogs, posting comments, reading the follow-up comments, replying to comments on your own blog, checking your statistics, participating in blogging forums and other networking sites, dealing with emails... the list goes on and on.
If you didn't go online for a day, would all of this get on top of you? What about if you went away for a whole week?
This means I have had to cut back on my online time quite a bit. I am less active in the forums I post at, and I have had to reduce the number of sites I check out via Entrecard (to give one example). I am trying to keep on top of things as best I can, but a few things will have to wait for now.
Sometimes it's good enough to sign out of instant messengers and close your email software, but sometimes you need to go away for longer.
If you're a fairly heavy Internet user (as I am) then trying to make a clean break is unlikely to work. Instead, do less than you would normally do when you go online, and don't sit online unnecessarily.
After all, why use a site where you put in loads of effort but your input is ignored, and you're getting nothing back?
You don't have to leave a site completely - if cutting back the time you spend there will make you feel better, then do that instead. Obviously don't cut out sites that are beneficial to you!
Do you review whether certain sites are worth the effort?
If you've made changes, what's the best change you've ever made?
Take some time out to reflect
< Don't let quiet periods decrease your motivation | Getting over the hump | Inspiration can come from the strangest of places >
As a blogger, it's easy to get quite busy. Writing daily blog entries might not take up too much of your time once you get into the swing of it, and you can always write posts in advance.But there's a lot more to running a blog or website than keeping your own site updated. Reading other blogs, posting comments, reading the follow-up comments, replying to comments on your own blog, checking your statistics, participating in blogging forums and other networking sites, dealing with emails... the list goes on and on.
If you didn't go online for a day, would all of this get on top of you? What about if you went away for a whole week?
I am currently on a forced break.
My wife and I moved house last Thursday, and we do not have the Internet in our new place yet. We live very near to my father-in-law and can go to his place if we need to get online, and we can also access his connection from our front garden. It's not ideal though, and it means we can't do everything we need to do online at the moment.This means I have had to cut back on my online time quite a bit. I am less active in the forums I post at, and I have had to reduce the number of sites I check out via Entrecard (to give one example). I am trying to keep on top of things as best I can, but a few things will have to wait for now.
We all need a break.
I usually reply to emails and other messages pretty quickly, and I feel a bit guilty if I don't. This is good for the people I'm replying to, but these messages can really distract me from the things I should be doing on a day to day basis.Sometimes it's good enough to sign out of instant messengers and close your email software, but sometimes you need to go away for longer.
If you're a fairly heavy Internet user (as I am) then trying to make a clean break is unlikely to work. Instead, do less than you would normally do when you go online, and don't sit online unnecessarily.
What happens when you go away?
Although I am currently less active on the Internet than I usually am, I'm keeping a close eye on the sites that I use a lot. In particular I am thinking about the following points:- Are fewer people visiting and reading my site?
- Are fewer people posting comments?
- Does the amount of time I spent at those sites justify the amount of traffic I was getting before or since I took a break?
Review things on your return.
When you come back, look at each of the above points and use this information to help you decide if you should change your online habits. I think there's no better time to make changes than when you return.After all, why use a site where you put in loads of effort but your input is ignored, and you're getting nothing back?
You don't have to leave a site completely - if cutting back the time you spend there will make you feel better, then do that instead. Obviously don't cut out sites that are beneficial to you!
What do you think?
Do you take extended breaks from the Internet?Do you review whether certain sites are worth the effort?
If you've made changes, what's the best change you've ever made?
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Comments on Take some time out to reflect
Hi again Djakson, thanks for the comment. :) Sometimes, yes we do have to give priority to other things... but right now, it's not so much a case of priorities. It's more that I can hardly get online at all!
Some people might joke about withdrawal symptoms, but all joking aside, it's a huge inconvenience for me.
I'm in the same situation right now.
I'm just about to move to a new house.
One thing I had to do was to change the theme of my blog. It was buggy and crowded with animations and stuff. I was testing the waters and now I think I got it working.
As you probably noticed I've decreased the amount of entrecard drops that I did every day.
But, we have to give priority to our "real" life, haven't we?