It's been over a month since I've posted on the blockchain at my old account @joebrochin. It took so much restraint to stop writing for 30 days because I was about to lose my shit. You may have guessed this from the title of this post, but as a blogger and content creator who barely takes any breaks from producing content, it was taking its toll on me mentally.
Why I took a month off from blogging and creating content
So, what changed? Why did I decide to take a break? Well, I'll tell ya! For starters, my mental and physical health had still not recovered from previous health challenges, and I will leave it at that because, frankly, nobody wants to hear me play my violin.
I also started to take things too seriously, especially here on the Hive blockchain. I got too caught up in the bullshit and started to become too visceral about topics. Things like some people not wanting a social front end to be the face of Hive, the downvote drama, abuse of multiple accounts, auto-voting curation trails wasting rewards, perceived misuse of the HDF, etc. We can talk more about these Hive-related things in an entirely different post, but I digress for now. I will cover what actions I took and still take on other social platforms to help later in another post, at least the ones I still use.
Then there was the fact that I just wasn't happy with the content I was producing. Just blah stuff, I mean real vanilla shit, yes, it is IT-related stuff which is always kind of dry, to begin with, but still, it was blah! I wasn't putting "ME" into it.
It was the same ole' "suit and tie" conference room bullshit.
I was getting pissed off at the whole damn thing, including myself, especially myself!
How It Felt To Be Away From My Blog And Content Creation For A While
This break was an excellent opportunity for me to take some time off and focus on other areas in my life. So, I have been working on a lot of personal development and mental health things.
I feel more mentally present and happier than I have ever felt. Working on improving myself has helped me focus my life on essential things.
It became like content creation, and this blog was just another thing that I had to do. But then, it became work, and I lost my passion for what I was doing. I love writing, and I love sharing my thoughts with people and interacting and engaging. But I just wasn't being myself when I was writing. I was afraid to be myself. I was afraid of what others, especially those in my profession, would think of my approach, language, and Rhino style if I let it out. So it was stifled and my passion with it.
I did find that I came to miss creating content, however. I missed the release of being able to write.
What I Learned About Myself And What's Important To Me During This Time
I learned that I do better with taking a break now and then. During this time, I focused on myself and my goals. It helped me to focus on what is important to me. This blog, frankly, was not one of those things. It was not the only thing in my life, and I did not feel crushed without it. Nor was the rest of social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, no big deal. It did not kill me.
The best part about taking a break is that when you return to something after taking time away from it, it feels like the beginning of something new. So now that I am back, I feel like going into this blog and content creation with a new perspective on what I want to write about and how I would like to write.
The Things That Will Make Me Come Back Stronger Than Ever Before
It is the second time I have taken a break from blogging and content creation over the past few years, and both times it made me come back even stronger than before.
I learned that my blog and content creation weren't everything, and not only is it still here when I return but there will still be people to come back to and share my thoughts with.
There is the realization that blogging and content creation is something I love to do. So, it means a lot to me. I want to accomplish plenty of things in this space, and there are plenty more posts that need to be shared with you all!
The main thing that has made me return is that I love doing this. I am coming back because of all the people here who do take the time to comment and read posts and not just auto-vote for the rewards. People whom I know love to read and comment and curate on posts.
That is a huge reason that I am returning!
My Goals For The Next Few Months Of Blogging And Content Creation
My goals for the next few months here are as follows:
- Give away Hive rewards to those who comment and share my posts outside Hive
- Donate Hive rewards to charity
- To focus more on IT & Cyber Management, ITSM processes, and IT policy-related topics when posting
- To start creating content more consistently (around twice per week across other social media, not just Hive)
- To start working on some video posts (to supplement text posts)
- Reward, Curate, and share more IT, Cyber, and STEM-related Hive content to other social media outlets
I hope these goals help you get a better idea of what I am most interested in writing about. These are changes that I feel will keep me motivated with my blog.
Tips For Bloggers Who Want To Take A Break But Are Afraid They'll Lose Their Readership
I don't know what to tell you here. I can assume most people are like me and afraid to break because they think they will lose their readership if they do so.
And some people might lose their readership if they take a break. But remember, it's not the end of the world if you have fewer followers when you come back from your break.
The best thing is to use this time for self-development, personal growth, and experimentation with new blogging topics and formats. This will make you more prepared to come back and grow your blog even more.
Take care of yourself first - this includes pursuing other interests and working on personal development goals in areas like health and fitness. This is important so that your body and mind are healthy and rested before you return to blogging.
Conclusion
It's the best thing you can do for yourself. You'll come back refreshed and with a new perspective on what is important to you in your life, as well as how it relates to your blog.
Bonus points if you take this time to focus on other parts of your life that need attention too!
I'm committing myself to take at least one month off from blogging and content creation every year - not only will it be good for me but also my readers who deserve so much more than just mediocre content all year long ;)
So, what are your goals on Hive? Why are you here? Why do you use social media as a whole? Do you take breaks? Do you have a "burn out story" you want to share?
Please drop it here!
