Disclaimer: ♡ As an affiliate, I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. I only recommend products or services that I use and trust and that will be valuable to you. ♡ :
Greetings, ladies and gents!
It’s a lovely, balmy Summer’s day in my hometown of Port Elizabeth, and I’m writing this while drinking a hot cup of tea after a long day of blog admin.
(Ok, I actually spent most of it watching Bones. Don’t tell anyone.)
As I write, my son is scooting about in his walker next to me – it’s so hard to believe he’ll actually be walking properly soon.
I’m so excited!
Now that I have some time to put in some work and do some writing, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Today’s post is going to tackle the problem of what to do when you feel uneasy or panicked about starting or maintaining your new blog.
Grab a comfy seat and relax, I’ll do the talking for us both. You deserve a break!
A New Blogger’s Guide To Overcoming Anxiety
You’re sitting at your desk, staring blankly at your laptop monitor, willing an outstanding, nay, a GENIUS idea for a post to come down from the heavens and smack you upside the head. You wait and wait, and… nothing.
You glance at your mailbox folder, brimming with dread. Since when did you have 25 unread emails?!
Suddenly, you want to get back into bed immediately.
Does this sound like you?
Believe me, we’ve all been there.
It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed during your blog’s early days. It’s even easier to confuse yourself, what with all the blogging advice – some brilliant, some slightly less than helpful – floating around the internet.
I’ve been struggling with anxiety for about 4 years and sometimes it can make tasks like creating content seem like insurmountable challenges. I get this tightness in my chest and feel like I’m not good enough to share my thoughts or make a difference in people’s lives.
Whenever I find myself losing confidence in myself as a writer and businesswoman, I like to implement a few key strategies to keep me focused and overcome my “new blogger anxiety”.
I’ve been running Miss Monro for about two months so far, and I do my best to manage my anxiety with these simple tricks and tips!
In today’s article, I’ll be sharing with you how to overcome anxiety as a new blogger and jump right into your newfound career sans fear.
Believe me, you can do this!
How to Overcome Blogging Anxiety as a New Blogger
Sometimes, you just need to make things a little easier for yourself. That little bit of assistance can transform unmanageable tasks into manageable ones, and ease your anxiety.
Be Consistent
A problem that plenty of new bloggers face when they first start out is the issue of whether or not they’ve “got what it takes” to make it in the blogging world.
I think that it’s often all too easy to lose sight of what makes you truly unique.
We tend to regard other people, especially more established bloggers, as being perfect beings who made a success of themselves from the word go.
We look at ourselves and think, “How are THEY doing so well for themselves when I’m barely making ends meet?
How do they find the time to meet their goals? Why can’t I do the same?”
Aha, but there is a secret to be gleaned here.
You DO have time to set and meet your blogging goals… if you’re consistently working every single day.
When it comes to achieving your blogging/business goals – you’re going to get out what you put in!
It’s all very well and good to make all these grand plans of what you want to achieve, but if you aren’t actually putting sufficient effort into meeting your goals, you’ll find that you won’t get very far.
If the idea of juggling multiple blogging tasks everyday makes you feel anxious, break them down into smaller tasks and do what you can.
Remember, you don’t have it all figured out. A little bit of work every day can build the foundation for great things indeed.
Consistency is key!
Follow The Blueprint
I’ve read countless stories of now-successful bloggers who were drowning in student loan debt, waitressing seven days a week or just struggling to make a living prior to starting a blog.
Every single successful blogger whose posts you read devotedly was once in the exact same boat you are now. There was a time when they, too, felt overwhelmed or scared, and thought that they wouldn’t be able to pull off a successful blogging career.
But – they did.
And I’m willing to bet that it was all because they didn’t let their worries or concerns get in the way of their dreams and desires, but chose instead to learn more, make plans and stick to them religiously until, slowly but surely, they began to reap the rewards.
You aren’t going to be at the same level as someone who started blogging six years ago right off the bat. It takes time to build a business. Time, dedication and a strong vision of what you want
and how you’re going to get it.
It’s all been done before – all you have to do is follow the blueprint.
Automate Tasks
Automation is a beautiful thing. It’s like having your very own personal assistant!
When you automate a task, it means that it will be completed without any guidance or assistance from yourself, just like the autopilot on an airplane.
Automating some of your workload allows you to free up time for other important activities. Sometimes I’ll automate my tweets or pins so I have more time to spend with my family, or for writing blog posts!
Most scheduling tools are paid subscriptions, but both Pinterest and Twitter allow you to schedule from your desktop PC, absolutely free!
Choose Your Learning Material Wisely
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m guilty of getting lost in a tidal wave of blogging advice and ultimately just confusing myself in the process.
In this glorious digital age, with information of all sorts at our fingertips and available to us within nanoseconds, I’m not surprised that it’s super easy to lose oneself in a haze of blogging do’s and don’ts.
To avoid feeling like your blogging knowledge is somehow now at a negative value despite the countless articles you’ve read on the subject, invest instead in a good blogging course that covers all of your bases in depth.
Blogging Blastoff
The Blogging Blastoff course from Heather and Pete Reese of It’s A Lovely Life is considered one of the very best blogging courses to take if you want to turn your blog into a business!
Heather and Pete are a performance powerhouse duo with twelve years of blogging experience
behind them. They now make six figures a month running their lifestyle and travel blog.
Their course runs for thirty days and covers the creative, technical and commercial aspects of running a blog, taking the weight off your shoulders and training you to make a success of your online business!
The guide also comes with a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
I can’t wait to enroll!
Making Sense Of Affiliate Marketing
Another fantastic course to invest in is the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents.
She’s been featured in Forbes magazine and is an inspiration to bloggers the world over.
Michelle makes $100 000 a month from her blog, half of which comes from her affiliate marketing earnings alone!
Doesn’t that sound like a dream come true?
Her course teaches you everything you need to know in order to make money from affiliate marketing and create your own affiliate marketing strategy to boost your blog’s success.
I’ve decided to invest in my blog and enroll as soon as I can. Michelle’s numbers speak for themselves!
Big Pin Energy
I recently made the decision to invest in Emily Dyson’s legendary Pinterest Marketing course after seeing it all over Money Twitter.
Emily has used Pinterest to her advantage, using it to drive loads of traffic to her blogs! She’s earned $30 000 from the platform to date and is well on her way to earning more.
Her guide also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, she’s so confident that you’ll see results!
I loved working through Big Pin Energy. It’s an extremely practical guide filled with plenty of clear instructions and images for reference, which I found so helpful.
I especially enjoyed learning how to optimize my Pinterest profile for success!
Take A Break
Let’s face it, sometimes you really do just need to step back from your work and take a breather.
Remember, you won’t be able to deliver your best work or engage with your audience properly if you’re too stressed, tired or burnt-out!
When you feel overwhelmed, try these tips to help you centre yourself and relax.
- Call a friend or family member
- Listen to calming music
- Draw, paint or read
- Relax your body and release tension in your jaw
- Watch a comforting movie
- Take a nap
- Breathe deeply
- Make a vision board
Celebrate Your Individuality
Every single one of us is completely and utterly different, with our own unique voice, thoughts and opinions to share with the world. You and your voice matters!
Use your virtual soapbox (your blog) to share your knowledge with as many people as possible.
You never know who you might end up helping!
Before my expatriation to Vietnam a couple of years ago, my mother gave me a magnet for my new refrigerator. It featured a very apt Dr. Seuss quote that read,
“Today you are you, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
I love that!
Use this nugget of wisdom to your advantage and remember that each of us has that something
special that can’t be found in anyone else.
Resist the urge to sell yourself short. Remember, what you have to say and share is important!
There you have it, folks! I hope you’re feeling far less anxious about your blogging career.
I’m off to work on my blog again!
Do you have blogging concerns that keep you up at night?
I’d love to hear from you!
Bianca xx
About the author:
Bianca Monro is a Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogger from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She likes getting caught in the rain, but doesn’t like piña coladas as much as she thought she would. When she’s not blogging, she can be found reading the classics, spending time with her fiancé and son, or listening to 2 Chainz on repeat.
- Twitter: twitter.com/missmonroxo/
- Instagram: instagram.com/missmonroxo/
- Pinterest: pinterest.com/missmonroxo/
- Blog: missmonro.com
I may check out these courses. Thank you for sharing. 😀
Thanks for sharing, these tips are good 🙂
This post was very helpful! In the new year I want to focus my attention on Pinterest and dive deep in learning affiliate marketing and strategies. Thanks for sharing your tips.
Lovely blog post with a few resource suggestions that I have never heard of before. Thanks for sharing, and I will be checking out some of these courses next!
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been blogging for a little over 5 months now, and it can be frustrating. But, constantly reminding myself that even more successful people that I follow once were in my shoes.
Sometimes I need the reminder that others have faced the same with their blogs. Remaining consistent is key with everything in life. Blogging is no different. Thank you for this post!