TAKING A PRODUCTIVE BREAK FROM BLOGGING

Whether you're blogging as a hobby, or doing it full time, it can end up becoming a 24/7 thing. It's constantly on the go and there can be so much to keep up with. Sometimes it's just something I need to take a step back from and think 'woahhh, more to life than me getting a post up on my favourite lipsticks'. You know, like when Kim cried about losing her diamond earrings in the sea and Kourtney shot her down with 'Kim there's people that are dying'. That clip still makes me laugh. These days I just get to a point where I need a breather from the blogging world, to take the pressure off and get some inspiration back. I find it difficult to completely take myself out of the online bubble, so when I'm ready to somewhat switch off I try to make it as productive as I can. 

Over Easter, that was what I did. I forgot about the pressure to get posts up, and blogged as and when I felt the need to. I went for Mexican food and didn't get a taco shot for the gram, I wore a decent outfit to head out shopping and didn't bother taking outfit snaps. You know what? It was lovely. It was a brief break, but it helped me get back to feeling ready to blog again. Here's how I stayed productive while I took a breather. 

Limit picture taking.

This was a 2016 resolution for me, but when I'm ready to switch off from blogging I really try to put the camera down. Being selective with what I take pictures of not only gives me some respite from the dreaded photography-probs, but also really makes think about what I'm taking pictures of. I don't need fifty thousand pictures of my FOTD. 

Think of yourself as a reader of a blog, not just a blogger. 

I've always been a reader of blogs, but occasionally I find it difficult to avoid reading posts without the 'Should I blog about this? Are my photos as good? Does my blog need a design like this?' feels. While I'm not blogging, I try to forget about the 'blogger' label and just enjoy reading blog posts, because they're useful and entertaining and relatable... Instead of it being tinged with the Debbie downers. Admittedly, I can get way too focused on my own blog and forget how much I love blogs in general! 

Start a diary.

When you're writing any sort of content, you're spending a lot of time writing for someone else. Sometimes, it's just nice to write for yourself. With typos and sentences that probably only make sense to you and about all the things you want to talk about. I'm not the sort that can stick to writing a diary everyday, but when I'm taking a break from blogging I still try to write. It's therapeutic, and it keeps things going while you're not writing up blog posts.

And if all else fails, take a complete step back. 

I regularly find I end up feeling the most productive when I've given myself some real distance from blogging. Even if it's only a weekend, sometimes you just need a bit of time out. I'll try to avoid social media, enjoy my day and not think about if I've scheduled that post in or not. Forcing myself to have a mini blogging holiday means I can come back to it when I'm ready with some fresh motivation. 

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