How to Stay Motivated With Blogging (From a Blogger of 8+ Years)

December 17, 2020 by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence | Books, Chatterbox, Features

As the Christmas bells ring and we near the holiday season, it’s also that time of the year where everyone feels a little more burnt out and more jaded than usual. Not only is that happening in our personal lives, but it also happens throughout the book blogosphere. After all, it’s been a big year of reading, reviewing and pressuring ourselves, and it’s okay to let loose and celebrate everything you’ve achieved. It’s only natural to want to hang up your hats and let loose for the silly season.

The pressure of keeping up

As book bloggers, we often place unprecedented pressure on ourselves to keep our blog up to date. This includes reading the latest releases, being up to date with the latest book news, delivering content that people want to read, and not to mention that persistant thing called social media. A lot of what book bloggers do often goes unnoticed, and it’s often unrecognised the amount of labour we put in (which is covered by The Quiet Pond here). Most of us are full time workers or students, and the time that we spend on book blogging is often on top of 40+ hour weeks.

So it’s not entirely unsurprising that people get burnt out from blogging. The fresh, shiny excitement of receiving books for review (shiny ARCs!) and keeping your subscribers up to date slowly fades as you realise just how much work it takes being a blogger. And slowly, your excitement begins to wane as you see other bloggers continue to plow ahead while your own posts/subscribers drop despite the hard work you put in.

How do you stay motivated?

As a book blogger of over 8 years, this is a question I get asked a lot. With the end of year drawing near and my own motivation waning as we speak, it’s a great time to look at how I’ve managed to stay motivated over the years…

1. Forget about the stats

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game when you blog – after all, that’s what views, subscribers and engagement stats are about. I’ve been blogging for years, and the number one thing to staying motivated is not worrying about your stats. It’s definitely hard to do – after all, isn’t that why we’re blogging to begin with – so that people can read what we write? But let me tell you – there is always going to be someone else that has more subscribers, more views, posts and comments than you. Comparing yourself against others – when everyone has different time and resources available to them – is a surefire way to get demotivated. The key motivator is continuing to blog is evaluating whether you’re still enjoying it – and forgetting about what the numbers say on the page.

It’s not easy creating something out of nothing – so be proud of what you’ve created and how far you’ve come! This is something that has been created out of your own passion and that’s definitely something to be proud of – not everyone is able to develop a blog, much less write reviews.

2. Take a break when you need it

A break can do wonders for your motivation! I’ve been blogging through many life changes, including getting married, multiple holidays and having a baby, which means I haven’t always been able to keep up to date with the blog. Going on hiatus can do wonders for your mental health, and your subscribers will always be here when you get back. Everyone has always been incredibly supportive when I go on hiatus and if it means you’ll be refreshed, then what’s the harm?

3. Ask for help

Bringing on board new people can be a big decision, but it can also be one of the best things you can do for the blog. I’ve been incredibly grateful for Aila, Jenna, and Bec for helping out at Happy Indulgence throughout the years, and they also bring on board a fresh perspective when it comes to content. When you know you can’t do it all yourself, asking for help, whether that’s through guest posts, collaborations with other bloggers, or a new team is the great way to continue to blog.

4. Change things up

They say a change is as good as a holiday, and I can certainly vouch for that!  If things aren’t working for you, it might be time to change things up. You can change your blog design, your blogging schedule, the type of content that you write and put out – and you can keep on changing it based on what you can dedicate at that time. That’s the beauty of being a blogger – you need to work your blog into your life, not the other way around.


These are just some of the ways I’ve been able to stay motivated throughout my 8+ years of blogging, and it’s really helped with my mental health while keeping things fresh! I hope these tips help you stay motivated with blogging as well.

What are your tips for staying motivated with blogging? Let us know in the comments below!

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Jeann is an Aussie YA blogger and mum who loves to read and recommend books! You can usually find me fangirling about books on my various social media channels including Twitter @happyindulgence, Instagram and Youtube.

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4 responses to “How to Stay Motivated With Blogging (From a Blogger of 8+ Years)

  1. I loved this, and felt like I really needed to read this. I’ve been blogging for 6 years now and I feel like the enthusiasm and motivation comes and goes. College was especially tough on the blog and I feel like it’s always so hard to pick up the pieces after you come back. This year has really taught me how much I loved blogging in the first place, so I really hope this streak continues.
    Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales recently posted…King and the Dragonflies is a tender story of growing up Black and QueerMy Profile

  2. Thank you for your honesty in this post! I agree, I’m going on 7+ years of blogging and sometimes it’s hard to be inspired, especially this year with ALL THE THINGS going on. I totally agree that focusing on stats is a sure way to get demotivated. This upcoming year I’m thinking of expanding outside of just book content in order to keep things more exciting and fresh for me!

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