Have You Ever Had Blogger’s Block?

How To Overcome Blogger’s Block

Producing regular content is important for any blogger. The only way to tell the world that you’re serious is to show them day after day. But putting up new posts every day can become a burden. It puts pressure on the writer, and pressure often leads to writer’s block. Or, in our case, blogger’s block. Thankfully, there are many ways to break through that frustration and start churning out quality posts again. Here are a few tips from a blogging veteran.

1. Go read a book

It might seem like wasting time, since time spent reading is time not spent writing. But reading can be an illuminating and inspiring experience. Books are written in an completely different format than articles and blog posts, so it is a big change from the stuff you’d read while browsing the internet. Most importantly, reading a book is a deliberate act, and a deliberate distraction. That works better than the casual distraction of web browsing.

What type of book you read is up to you. Fiction works for some, since it allows them to completely escape the world. When they return they feel refreshed and ready to tackle a new topic. For others, non-fiction can inspire and inflame a new passion. It’s also more practical for developing ideas for non-fiction blogs.

2. Do the dishes

This is a bit of advice that doesn’t make its rounds nearly often enough. While reading a book can inspire, doing household chores is completely dull. No one really likes doing them, and will do anything to escape the monotony of doing dishes, sweeping, or vacuuming. Yet that yearning to escape leads our minds to wander, and wandering minds can find new ideas.

Best of all, it looks good to your roommate/parents/significant other. Is there anything better than not only getting your own blog post done, but making someone happy at the same time?

3. Exercise

When asked for his best business productivity tip, Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin empire, responded with one word: exercise. Exercise is unequivocally good for the body, but it can also be good for the mind. It’s actually the opposite of household chores. During household chores we yearn for an escape. Exercise is, of itself, an escape.

During exercise we can think about nothing and everything all at once. It creates a flux of thought. It also pumps fresh, oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, including the brain. The increased circulation can get the gears turning. You wouldn’t believe how many ideas can come to mind during a long run, even when not thinking of anything in particular.

4. Change the setting

Sometimes blogger’s block is a product of the environment. We typically blog from comfort zones. Some do it in front of their desks, some on the couch, and some in their favorite easy chairs. But sometimes that can dull the senses. In order to inspire something new we need to reach for new settings. For bloggers this is an easy one.

With laptops we can go to coffee shops and plug right in. With tablets it’s even easier. I’ve been using my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to blog while waiting on line, while sitting on park benches, and while riding on trains and busses. It makes a huge difference. Seeing new things inspires new thoughts. This might be the single best way to come up with new ideas.

The overall key to overcoming blogger’s block is change. Sitting in front of your computer and surfing the internet does nothing. The longer you sit, the more time you waste, and the further you get from your goals. By changing things up, by getting your mind in a different mode, you can stimulate new ideas and make sure your blog is the best it can be.

Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of BBGeeks.com and other mobile technology blogs.