5 Reasons You Haven't Been Writing and What To Do Next

It can be hard to be a blogger these days.

We write because we love to write. We write because we want to write.

And then, well, we write for so many other reasons.

And sometimes we just don't write at all.

Here are five reasons you (fine, maybe *I*) haven't been writing and how to take them on.

5 Reasons You're Not Writing Regularly and How To Start

1. Stress

You've got stress. We all do. We hear you. We know it. You sit down to write and the 900 other things you're stressing about leave you empty. You cannot sit and concentrate on sharing your thoughts or things that are important when you have so much more to think about. It's just too danged much. 

What to do:

Schedule time to sit down and write. Put it on your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself. Just do it. If you don't prioritize it you won't do it. Stress over all the other things happening in your life will leave you without the joy and the things that matter and you'll miss them when they're gone. MAKE THE TIME. You'll be glad you did. 

2. Money

You want to write things that will earn you money. There's nothing like creating that post with the affiliate links that brings in a little additional income. Or the one for the product you've loved so much you think if you write about it you'll get on the company's radar. Or the one you've received but weren't asked to write about - exactly - and so you left that for 'later' and never got to it and now you feel guilty if you write anything else. 

What to do:

Write for the joy of writing. Do you love it? Do you love sharing things that you're up to, things that you're reading, watching, eating? Do it. Don't think about the money that isn't coming in if you write those kinds of posts. Just do it. Get yourself out there. People love seeing just you - who you are - and that will bring the rest of it to you. Show yourself. It's important.

3. Boredom

Your own blog is boring you? I hear that. Sometimes I sit down with an idea and start writing and I'm suddenly thinking, what for? What's this all about? Boring. Snoring. It's just not flowing. And so you close that piece you started and walk away. zzzzzzzz.

What to do:

Come up with a content calendar for yourself. Sit down and free write. Jot down all the things you enjoy talking about and writing about. Come up with ideas that can bring you money, and ideas that just feel good to talk about. Set a timer, sit down for ten minutes and write down everything that comes to mind. See where it takes you. Connect the dots between one topic and another. Look at what you can write about that your readers might expect from you, and look at what might be something new and fresh for your site. Sit yourself down and do it. 

4. Current Events

In these days we're under a lot of stress when it comes to current events. Many of us DO write about this sort of thing, and many of us do NOT. Some of us do on the occasion we find that we are so moved that we have no choice but to sit down and share what's on our mind. Others avoid getting political at all costs. And yet, no matter which way we do it? We feel judged. We feel eyes on us. Watching. Waiting to see what we might say or might not say. It's a tricky line to navigate. 

What to do:

Make a choice. Are you passionate enough to share some political posts and not worry about the impact it may have on your numbers? Do you worry that if you share your thoughts on the current political climate that your readers will unsubscribe? Then make the choice. Decide what matters most to you at this time. Do you feel okay not writing about what is happening in the world - is that simply not your genre? Then move ahead. Full steam. Don't look back and worry that when someone is talking about it that they're judging you for not talking about it. Don't think you have to do something because everyone else is doing it. The likelihood that EVERYONE else is doing it is so so slim. You do you. And if you decide that it IS the type of writing you want to do? Commit to it. Do what you need to. Say what you need to. And anyone who walks away from you at that time? Isn't the kind of reader you wanted to hold onto anyway. 

5. Mental Health

You don't have to have a mental health diagnosis to be impacted by your own mental health. Anxiety and depression, among many other illnesses, often go undiagnosed, and many individuals experience symptoms that impact us in ways we don't always recognize as related. A need to avoid the things that bring you joy is one way your ability to write might be touched by your mental health status. Maybe you're experiencing too much emotion to sit down and write. Maybe there is too much going on in your personal life? The current political climate can also have an effect on your mental health. Recognize this. It's okay to realize and take it all into account. It's how you react/respond that matters most.

What to do: 

First, see if you want to. Then, see if you can. Assess whether or not you need to make this change. Seriously, though. Do you truly want to for right now? Maybe you are just at a place currently that you need to be. Maybe you've experienced a loss, a change in status, or perhaps life in general has thrown you a few curves lately. It's okay to just live your life and feel whatever it is you need to feel. It's okay to breathe and recognize that maybe this one isn't going to change. Try to sit down and write, for yourself. Maybe something extremely personal that you don't share on your blog. That you don't submit anywhere else. But that you journal simply for yourself, so you can get those emotions out there. Recognize them and feel them. Please note that it's also important to notice when it's gone on for too long. When you need the help of a friend or family member, or even a professional. Reach out if you need to. Know that you're not alone. Finding the support you need and taking time to recognize what is truly going on with you will help you cross this hurdle and find your voice again. 

Some thoughts from me to you on the reasons you might not be writing, and expert tips from me, someone who has been writing long before the time of blogs and websites and the like, and has used many of these ideas and processes to dig my way out of the black hole. 

I hope you find them helpful. Let me know what works for you and what sort of writing you've been able to do. And good luck. I'll be looking out for new content from you!

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