The 7 Stages of Blogging Grief

Whether you are brand new to blogging, have been doing it for years, or are just thinking about getting started, you’ve dealt with it: Blogging Grief.

Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. It’ll happen again and again, but just know that we are here for you. Your community supports you. You may feel like there is no light at the end of that tunnel, that you are destined to be hopelessly lost in the fields of Blogging Grief, but I assure you there is hope.

The first step towards recovery is understanding exactly how Bloggers Grief manifests itself and then knowing which steps to take to over come it. That’s where me and this post come in. I’m here to walk you through the 7 Stages of Blogging Grief and teach you some tactics to combat it.

Hold on, this might be a bumpy ride.

The 7 Stages of Blogging Grief

1. Denial – The first step is sometimes the hardest for a lot of people to get over. You may think, “I’ve got nothing to write about,” or “Nobody is going to want to hear me talk about ________,” or “I’m just not in the mood to write today.” You are suffering from bloggers denial. Denial can sneak in and stop you before you even begin so you must be diligent about what you’re committed to doing. Look around you for inspiration. People are desperate to listen to unique voices online. Why shouldn’t it be yours?

Try This: I keep a Moleskine notebook with me at all times and write down every idea I get throughout the day, that way I have an ever-ready source of content ideas. Also, it’s good to make an editorial calendar so you know when you’re supposed to post.

2. Pain – The next phase is pain. This is the actual forcing of yourself to do what you’ve committed to. It won’t always be fun and it won’t always be easy, but once you’ve committed to doing something, keep it up until it becomes second nature.

Try This: Find an accountability partner to keep you on schedule. Either that or just suck it up and do it.

3 . Anger – “This is stupid, I hate what I’m writing.” You might catch yourself uttering the previous phrase during the anger phase. You’ll find yourself getting mad at what you’ve written and hating the editorial calendar staring at you from your Macbook. It’s okay, we understand what you’re going through.

Try This: Find a soothing place to work, whether that be on the back porch with a glass of wine or at a local coffee shop. Also, if you like to work with music, have a special mix made for when you need to simply “chill out” for a minute.

4. Depression/Loneliness – Just as you’re getting used to your new blogging schedule, you’ll think of all the other things you could be doing with your time. You’ll think of friends you haven’t seen in ages that you want to reconnect with on Facebook, since you’re already online. Don’t. Resist the urge to sway from your dedicated path.

Try This: Schedule out your blogging time. If you work better in bursts, make it so that every 15 minutes you get a break and can relax for 5 minutes. If you prefer marathon writing, reward yourself on completion by doing something extremely fun.

5. The Upward Turn – Eventually, you start to notice that you don’t dread going to your computer to write anymore. You even find on the days you don’t write, dare I say it, you miss it. Writing starts to insert itself into your daily routine and you find yourself getting more and more “random inspiration” for posts.

Try This: Simply enjoy it.

6. Reconstruction – After you’ve begun becoming content with your choice to continue writing, now you can perfect your craft. You can study and find ways to make your writing better. Read more books and blogs and learn tricks and tips to increase readership and improve bounce rates. This is your phase to become the best blogger out there talking about your topic. No one can bring your passion to the table, just perfect your craft.

Try This: Go back and re-read some of the first posts you ever wrote. Take notes on what you’ve improved on since then and also what you could have done to make those posts better. Keep those notes with you as you write your next few posts. Identify bad habits and start to phase them out.

7. Acceptance – You’ve done it. You’re a blogger now. It’s in your blood and you start to look forward to writing a little each day. You know you’ve found a place you belong and feel comforted in the growth your blog has seen because now it’s been justified that people care about what you think.

Try This: Repeat steps 1-7 many more times throughout the years and continue to get better.

Along the way you’ll make a lot of new friends and hopefully build a strong community around yourself. Just know that all of us other bloggers know what you’ve been through and what you will continue to go through.

It can be a tough journey, but it’s rewarding as hell.

I’ll see you on the other side.

[Image Credits: www.gettyimages.com]