Beyond the Blurb | Bloggers, Embrace Hiatuses, Don’t Run from Them

Morning, sweets!

Last month, you may not have noticed that I took almost a week off of blogging. Even though August was the best month of my entire blogging career (hobby?), I needed to take some time for me. I needed to disconnect from my blog, my Internet life, and everything else that’s connected to them. And I felt liberated and guilt-free. And that reaction had gotten me thinking about hiatuses and their good effects for all bloggers.

But why are they good though? Why are they needed? And why do bloggers fear them? That’s why I want to dedicate an entire post on this topic.

Hiatuses Are Seen as a Weakness

“I’m scared of taking a hiatus because I feel guilty about not blogging. That’s not thinking the right way because we need them to recharge.”—Jess from Fiction No Chaser

Yes, in the beginning, I refused to take a hiatus because I thought I was weak. If I couldn’t blog full-time, then I shouldn’t blog at all. Now with three years of experience, I know I was bloody stupid in thinking that way.

But why did I think that though? Well, I saw many well-established bloggers posting almost daily or multiple times a day. But I never thought of building up to that speed though. I went for it and didn’t feel the effects until much later, which I now know I won’t do again. Hiatuses aren’t a sign of weakness or poor planning. Frankly, they’re a part of your planning process or should be. So don’t let yourself believe in that negative thought or voice in your head when it tells you they are. Hiatuses are needed for much more than time off.

 

They Give You the Needed Time Off so You Can Recharge

“We are often our own worst critics, shouldering ourselves with responsibilities that no one else would expect of us. We feel the pressure to read books, to review books, to blog hop. When we are “on” it is easy to do, but we all need time to recharge.”

Recharging isn’t bad. You need to do that every so often. Having time off allows you to come up with new topics, lets you figure out what you want to do with your blog, or offers you a better perspective of your struggle.

 

They Let You Enjoy the Important Aspects in Life

I mean your family, friends, or alone time. Blogging shouldn’t be a priority. It isn’t. So don’t convince yourself that it is. Blogging, reading, blog hopping are all hobbies. They aren’t something you’ll make a monetary profit off of. Of course, you’ll receive some profit. You aren’t relying on income made from blogging. So why do you have to work for free when you have more special things in life to pay attention to.

 

They Allow You to Protect Your Mental Health, Which is More Valuable than You Realize

No one should feel bad about taking a break from the blogging life. We’re not paid to do all the work we do and it’s time consuming and hard! Our personal and mental health should always come first.—Loretta from Laughing Listener

After my new diagnoses, I knew my mental health can’t take a backseat because I’m blogging. I can’t allow that to happen. I truly cannot. So I take a new approach to blogging. Even though I want my blog to grow, I will take whatever time I need off—whether that’s for one night or four—so I can get back to my full strength. You can’t run on fumes your entire month, now can you? No. And your readers will see a decline in the quality of your work.

Think quality, not quantity. Sure, you can have several posts a day if you’re up to it. But don’t force yourself to post more so you can get that better daily rating. It’s not only about the ratings. It’s about enjoying blogging, your friends, and the interactions you make with other bloggers.

 

What do you think about hiatuses? Are they valuable to you as a blogger? Or do you think you don’t need them? Let’s talk about them. I’d love to hear what you all think.