It definitely isn’t a rare subject anymore lately. More and more, people have been talking about how they’re experiencing the pressure of blogging. We all know it isn’t only the outside pressure, but mainly the pressure we put on ourselves. After all, it is we who want to be better, to prove we’re improving and we want to see it in any way possible too.
It’s easy to say blogging should be fun – I admit, I’ve said it a million times myself on multiple occasions and I’ll probably keep repeating it but it’s simply what we need to hear once in a while. Our blog isn’t – at least for most of us – our daily job; it’s a hobby. It’s a way to share what we’re passionate about. It doesn’t matter whether that’s books, traveling, fashion, lifestyle or something else. It simply doesn’t. The pressure gets to all of us at some point and… It’s hard to admit but after ten months it’s finally doing me in as well.
It’s been coming for a while. After being at home for a week and a half in March because I wasn’t feeling all too great, I decided to start fresh. I’ve been picking up things again, slowly making my way back to reading, focusing on my own life outside of books. My blog ended up being the last piece of the puzzle left to pick up.
Looking at my blogging schedule and seeing there is nothing, absolutely nothing planned or drafted – except for a couple of reviews and TTT’s by now – makes me want to hide under my blanket. I hate this feeling of “having” to write posts because my blog will end up being a dead place otherwise. The fact I’ve been posting every single day for months now doesn’t really help either. I know I don’t have to post every day, but it’s become this habit I can’t seem to shake. But I have to.
So I’m making a decision. One I’m officially posting on my blog so you all know it and it’ll serve as a constant reminder for me as well: I won’t be posting every day anymore. Not consciously at least. I’m simply going to create posts whenever I feel like it and post them when I feel good about them.
That sounds as if I’ve been forcing myself to post every day, right? But I haven’t! It just ended up being that way and it makes me feel as if I should keep it up..
I know deciding this will backfire on my stats – oh, the horror – and that will show some more when I’m requesting books on NetGalley – which I seriously should not be doing any time soon but we all know how that goes – but it is a sacrifice I’m definitely willing to make. After all, the stats don’t matter all that much; it’s the fun and pleasure of blogging that matters.
On the upside, this decision has given me motivation to think about the future and the changes I want to make to Books & Munches. You may have noticed that the ads are finally gone, I’ve added a ko-fi-button and some other small things have changed in my sidebar. That’s just the first step.
I want to give my blog a complete make-over. I want a new set-up for my reviews and other regular posts. I want to introduce a new feature. All those are ideas, plans and thoughts I’ve come up with during my time “off” and it makes me want to focus on my blog again. The thought right now is to achieve all this before my one year blogiversary, which is in June. It’s not that far off, but I’ll see how it goes. Not pressuring myself is key.
The first thing I’ll be focusing on right now, though, is this tiny giveaway I have planned since my blog is nearing a huge milestone and I can’t not share my happiness with every single one of you when it comes to that. As it comes closer, I notice I’m getting even more enthusiastic about changing everything up. Being reminded of all the people I share this passion, this blog with is just the thing I need!
Books & Munches 
I definitely feel your struggles! I didn’t start out posting every day, but at the beginning I did post 3 times a week + sometimes a Review and lately that has become too much for me. Now I stick with 2 times a week and sometimes the additional Review that I want to share!
I hope that changing your upload schedule really takes off some of the pressure you’ve ben experiencing and I’m very excited for your new features and ideas 💗 Not pressuring yourself truly is the key, because I mostly put all that pressure on myself.
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It can so easily become too much! But I’m happy you also realized you should just do what you’re most comfortable with. It isn’t an easy thing to realize after all. 🙂
Thank you! It has taken off a ton of pressure already. At least now I don’t feel like I “have” to prep posts during the weekend. I did some prep for about two hours and as soon as I didn’t feel motivated anymore, I just stopped. A couple of weeks ago I’d have persevered and pushed through anyway which is so wrong.
Thank you, Caro! Means a lot! And I’m looking forward to it myself as well, haha. Still have a lot of figuring out and messing about to do but I’m keen on getting started as soon as I find the time. 😀
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It’s definitely not easy, but so helpful 🙂
That’s so great to hear! I’m also someone who pushes through when I start something, so stopping when the motivation leaves me is something I need to practice more as well!
I’ll definitely look forward to it! 🙂
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Practice is the right word for it because you really have to teach it to yourself, haha.
Good luck to you! 😀
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I’m currently struggling with the things you’ve mentioned! As you know, it’s SAT season for me and that’s smack dab after a month and a half of blog consistency… and I have to live with it because I don’t have the time or energy to write, take photos, edit and do all the graphics for all the ideas that I have- which are still plenty!
Agh, and don’t even get me started on blog hopping, I am sooo behind 😦
Very important discussion post!! Also, side note, I’m real excited about all the changes 😀
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Oh boy, oh boy! Just write everything down somewhere so you don’t forget about your awesome ideas! And that way you have a place to work through some of those ideas already [in between other things you’re doing] so you don’t forget any of them! I do it in my drafts, but having a notebook can be equally handy. And, that way, you’ll be able to come back to consistent blogging with a whole mountain of fresh ideas that aren’t “just” ideas anymore!
Blog hopping is a pain in my butt, haha. I don’t know; I feel like browsing blogs and reading posts, but I don’t feel like commenting? It’s torture!
Yaaaay! So glad, haha. I haven’t been focusing on it a lot but I’ve made some progress with the formats I’m going to start using. 😀
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That’s great advice, thank you! I’ll put it to good use and hopefully manage to make the most out of my time 😀
It so isssss :< I know exactly what you mean, especially since my comments sometimes take AGES to write. I usually have many thoughts :')
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You’re welcome!
Hahaha, same. I sometimes post comments almost as lengthy as my average blog post. Imagine that. :’)
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Wow, kudos to you for writing and scheduling posts every single day! I honestly don’t know how you do/did it! And I think everyone can relate to the pressures of blogging in one way or another. Since I’ve taken my hiatus in the middle of March, I haven’t thought about the blog ONCE… and it’s been good. I found myself going back to doing things I’ve neglected over the past few months and getting excited about things without having to worry or feel guily about posting or not posting. I’m having such a good, stress-free time right now that I don’t even know when I will return from that hiatus haha :’)
But I’m really excited for your makeover and what you’ve got in store for us! I’m glad you’ve found a way to make your schedule (which isn’t really a schedule anymore I guess) work for you in order to take some stress and pressure off your chest! I definitely will be doing the same thing when I return aka only post when I really feel like it and stop feeling guilty about not writing a post or taking a long time to replying to comments, etc.
I hope you figure everything out in your own time and don’t stress yourself too much! We all understand how hard and pressuring blogging can be but we will still be here in the end ❤
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Haha, thank you. It went automatically at first though. I simply had so many reviews because I read a ridiculous amount each month. Combines with the memes / wrap-ups / tags /… I seriously filled up my entire month pretty easily? It’s weird thinking about it!
I remember going to your blog not that long ago. I sometimes go over the blogs I follow when they haven’t posted in a while to check up on them and I remembered you went on a hiatus. Honestly, the fact you haven’t thought about your blog once is proof you needed a break! And if you’re still enjoying that break, why not. At least when you’ll decide to come back, you’ll know it’s 100% because you want to and feel like it – which is the number one reason we blog anyway. :’)
Thank you! Haha, no. As of now there’s no schedule whatsoever but I guess that’ll come automatically once I find a routine that works for me.
I hope you’ll be back soon – though no pressure at all – since that’ll mean you feel like blogging again. 🙂
Thank you so much, girl. Your comment means the world to me. ❤
Keep enjoying your time off. 😉 ❤
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I think the only reason we can post everyday is because we have each other. It doesn’t fall on one of our laps. I think the pressure of wanting to do good is something we all have, but the rest of our lives is just as important if not more. I think it’s good you made this choice for yourself. You should do what feels right for you 😊
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I can see why that would work way better when it comes to posting every day, haha. I’d feel weird sharing my blog with someone else – especially since I started it all on my own – but I can definitely see the benefits of it. 🙂
Thank you! I’m definitely going to do that from now on. 🙂
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I can imagine it would be hard to share a blog you started all on your own 😊.
I hope you find your new groove soon 😊.
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Good for you for making this decision!
Writing daily is almost like having a second job!
I hope whatever you are planning will work out for you 🙂
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Thank you!
Honestly, I didn’t even have to write daily at first because I had so many reviews / memes already prepped and scheduled. It’s only after that stopped happening that I was flailing about. :’)
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G’day. An interesting read. I’m nearly three years into my blog and haven’t found any negatives yet. I’m lucky I guess. I’ve always handled any kind of pressure really well from exams to even being in ummm, let’s call them, dramatic situations haha. I love blogging!! I was kicked off Facebook years ago and thought I was done with social media but a mate of mine suggested I do one for my dorky hobby. I was reluctant at first but now I bloody love it. More than anything I love the on line friends I’ve made and the real sense of global community I feel. I hope it all works out wel for you because I like your words and look forward to reading more 😊👍🏽
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Hi!
Honestly, I’ve always handled pressure pretty well – didn’t really matter where the pressure was at, really. It’s only the last couple of months where I felt like something needed to change. The.. dramatic situations you mention [we all know how those are..] were going through the roof and I suspect this left its influence on pretty much all aspects of my life. One aspect not going well, meant I wanted to make sure another one was and simply got the ball rolling, I guess.
Happy to hear you’ve never struggled with this and I hope you never will! It’s good to have at least one thing / hobby where you can keep being you, no matter what’s going on in the rest of your life. 🙂
Couldn’t agree more about the online friends. I know some people I met through blogging will be a part of my life for years and years to come. I’m still ridiculously happy for finding my little spot in a community like this one. 🙂
Thank you so much!
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I totally understand! I’ve tried posting every day and it just seemed like a chore or a drag instead of being something I enjoyed doing It can totally lead to “burn-outs” if you’re not careful. But I’ve learned that sometimes you just gotta admit when you need a break and take one when you need it.
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I didn’t even try it at first; it just automatically was that will with all the memes and the ridiculous amount of books I was reading – and, as such, reviewing. :’) After a while it simply became a “habit” to post every day and I felt bad for not posting. No more!
Being able to admit you have to take a step back is a huge thing to confess to yourself, let alone to others but I’m glad I did. 🙂
Thank you!
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Writing and posting every day definitely is a whole lot of work and, even if you could and can manage it, at times, it can also lead to burn-outs.I know that, even with “just” posting three times a week, I feel like I want to throw it all away too, so I have no idea how you did this for so long. What matters is that you keep it fun, so it’s great that you are taking this step and posting whenever you really feel it and want to – that’s what matters the most, that it makes you happy and doesn’t feel like something you “have” to do. I’ll be looking forward to your blog anniversary and new feature and everything else 🙂 x
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Thanks, Marie. ❤
I know you're one of the people considering me nuts for posting that much in the past, hah. Looking back, it's still a weird thought that I simply had that many posts ready to go at the start of every month while I've been flailing about the last two months. [I haven't flailed this much in my entire life, I believe.]
Thanks, girl! 🙂 I'm looking forward to letting my creativity flow for a bit, hah. 🙂
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You’re not nuts, haha, you’re just… well, you’re crazy fast at writing blog posts and scheduling everything haha 🙂 x
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That’s going to chaaaange!
I’m setting up an entirely new format so it’ll be done with simply writing, adding images and putting some things in bold / color. I’ll have a bit more work from now on but it’ll look sooo much better. Or so I hope.. :’)
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I think it’s great that you’ve realized that you need a break because the truth is sometimes that happens. I think it’s wonderful that you will be looking into the future of your blog as you take this time off because blogging should definitely be fun and something that you enjoy doing.
Fortunately, I haven’t reached this point (yet), but I was just listening to a podcast that the guest on it was talking about the same exact thing – about taking a step back from her blogging, understand what makes her joyful, and then come back to it when she’s ready – perhaps with a new outlook and drive.
I wish you the best of luck and make sure you take some take to relax! 🙂
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Thank you so much for those encouraging words!
I said the exact same thing about not having reached that point a couple of months ago and look where I’m at now, haha. It’s funny how life goes sometimes. I sincerely hope you’ll never get to it though!
I’m not going to disappear, but taking a step back definitely won’t hurt at this stage. 🙂
Again, thank you. ❤
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No worries, Kathy. 🙂
I hope so, too, but I guess we’ll see where I am in a few months from now, lol.
That’s good that you’re not disappearing and just taking a step back. I hope the step back helps you through this slump.
No worries. 🙂
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I totally understand! I can’t imagine posting every day, that would be so much work than I’ve ever invested. Good lick reworking your site design & figuring out how to move forward with posting. I hope blogging starts to feel like less pressure and more fun as you work it out.
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It didn’t feel like a lot of work at first; I simply had tons of drafts to finish up and by the time I cleared those, pretty much the entire month was scheduled? Since my drafts don’t fill up like that any more, it still feels like I should be posting every day of every month but that’s so not true. :’)
Thank you so much!
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I had a pretty big emotion flail about blogging last year about september/october time. I was putting so much pressure on myself to try to blog all of the time, keep growing my blog, really focusing on the stats and getting upset when I wasn’t achieving the things I wanted to achieve.
Because it was getting really bad and making me really depressed, I took a big step back from blogging and stopped blogging for pretty much the entirety of a month. I actually did things like WENT OUTSIDE, saw some friends, did non-blogging things and honestly, it made all of the difference. when I returned to blogging it was with a new perspective – it was something to enjoy, not a job, and as such I should do as little or as much as I want. I stopped piling the pressure on. If I could only do a TTT post and maybe one other little thing one week then that’s ok! Some weeks I will post 4-5 times a week and it evens out.
Sure, I’m only a small blog and I’m sure my blog will remain that way because I am taking such a step back from getting overly invested in growing my blog, but it’s made me love blogging so much more! I would love to have more followers, but I also love all of the followers I have now and have made some great friends which makes it all worth it to me!
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I feel like we all go through some similar crisis at some point, to be honest. A couple of months ago, I thought I was the “rare nutcase” who wouldn’t get at that point because I was loving it and posting every day was.. easy? And then life happened and it all became too much.
Honestly, blogging should be something to fall back on to distract ourselves, to share our passion. It shouldn’t have a thing to do with numbers, stats and achieving certain goals [although granted that feels amazing too, but still].
I believe that if we blog with passion and people feel that, our blogs should still be able to grow. Passionate posts are way more important and fun than a whole load of posts that feel.. emotionless? I think?
The friends are definitely a huge plus! I truly wouldn’t know how to function without certain people I met thanks to blogging, haha.
Thanks for sharing your story, Avery. ❤
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I’ve been struggling for two weeks now. I think it’s the end of winter and I am tired. What have I done? Ignored my stats and admit that I’ll never get physical ARCs however unfair it is compared to native bloggers. I slept, I read and I know that I’ll find my energy and creative mojo aftet this small hybernating. 😉
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Oooh, no. Don’t you dare think like that! Stats aren’t important, for starters. But about the ARC’s? You’re going to YALC! There will be publishers giving them out there! You’ll get those darn physical ARC’s! As will I, haha.
Good luck finding your groove back, girl! You’ll get there; as will I. 😉
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It took me years to get to the point where I was like “screw it” and stopped worrying about content. And if anything my blog is probably better for it. I’m less stressed, I have more time to get creative, and I think it comes through in my posts.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk
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Exactly. I think it’ll be that way for me as well. Already I’ve been feeling way more motivated to take a look at my graphics and figure out something that’s more “me” and looks.. maybe a bit more professional than the whole thing looks now. :’)
Thank you! ❤
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Good for you!! You know you more than anyone! Blogging is a hobby but it can be very time consuming!! I’m trying to drive up my stats, for myself right now. I didn’t really start participating since February. I’m a stay at home wife, so I’ve got some time on my hands. The weekend are insanely busy and my stats always decline then. It’s okay though, it’s my family time! Do what makes you happy 😊
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Exactly! Honestly, my stats don’t even bother me all that much but I just know it’ll have a big impact on them. On the other hand, maybe people would be more tempted to check out my blog on a more regular basis if they notice it isn’t so hectic and posts every day. I can imagine some people getting overwhelmed seeing they missed so many posts and have to catch up on them – I probably won’t even feel like doing that myself.. :’)
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So true!! I hope it works out better for you! 🙂
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Thank you!
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I can absolutely agree with the pressure! For the first few months on my blog I was posting at least once a day. But ever since school has started, it’s been harder to write more often, so I’ve shortened my blog to about 4-5 posts a week. If I have time I may do an extra post here and there, but I try not to feel pressured to post consecutively. Great post! ❤️
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Exactly! It’s so easy to fall into a bad habit when you have plenty of time to post and then end up feeling like you should keep it up when your life gets busier again.
I’m just going to see where my posting goes – maybe I’ll automatically create a new routine / posting schedule; maybe it’ll be all over the place. We’ll see, haha.
Thank you! ❤
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Gosh I could definitely not post everyday… creating posts is a lot of work. Plus it takes time from reading and other things. I’m so glad you’ll be taking some pressure off yourself!! It’s so true that we want to keep a “standard” on the blog that we forget sometimes it’s supposed to be fun… I’m trying to get a bunch of Netgalley and other books done and not always read stuff I want to read, but rather the stuff I feel I must read. I hope you find a happy medium for yourself!
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Exactly! The pressure of “having” to read certain books sucks as well. I’m glad I have a bit of choice between the genres on my “must” read books and that I’ve spread them out a bit – some don’t release until August – so that takes some pressure off my reading at least.
Thank you, girl! 🙂
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Ughh I’m monthsss behind some of the books on my Netgalley list. But it’s okay, I mean – what can one do? I can’t read any faster, that’s for sure…
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Ooh, that sucks! I don’t think I’ve been behind on NG books yet but it’s bound to happen at some point. :’) Besides, we’re only human. And we need our relaxing mood-reading books as well. Don’t let the pressure get to you!
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Yeah, it’s my own fault, though, I got approved for like 20 books all at once – I wasn’t counting on that. But sure is okay and I don’t let it get to me too much. I’ll read them when I read them. But in total I must have 40 eARCs to read… omg xD
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Oh my lord; I don’t even want to imagine how I’d be freaking out if that’d happen to me. Good thing I never request more than five at the same time – and then get rejected for at least three or four. :’)
Gooood luck getting through those, haha. xD
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I definitely think writing every day is a hard task, one I definitely couldn’t manage. I think 2-3 posts a week is enough, and you can certainly share them more to drive traffic if you need to but beyond that I think burn out is inevitable. I definitely don’t have time around working, being a mum, my pets and my friends, yoga, journaling & reading to only do one or two weekly live posts and schedule a couple. Keep going and go easy on yourself x
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It honestly happened sometimes that I could schedule my entire month of reviews / tags / memes without having to think of any other topics to post about. It simply ended up like that with all the books I read; it was never meant to be on purpose or feel like an obligation. It sucks that somehow it became just that.
Thank you! 🙂
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