photo credit: LOLren

As many blogs become less pastime and more money making venture, there is often quite a bit of pressure that may come with the task. Finding ways to reduce and manage this stress can benefit you and your blog in numerous ways. By decreasing stress, your writing may become less rigid, productivity could rise, and your energy levels could increase, which could leave you finding your work more enjoyable.

1. Break Times – Breaks can be a fantastic way to reduce stress when you’re blogging. While you obviously don’t want to overdo it when it comes to taking breaks, a brief stoppage to your work can be refreshing and allow you to recoup and regroup.
2. Networking – By utilizing those in your network, you may reduce stress by communicating with those you enjoy and find interesting. These people may also offer tips, techniques, and helpful information to assist you in your work that can help reduce stress.
3. Look at Other Blogs and Website – While you probably don’t want to spend the majority of your time on frivolous websites, you may find that you can correlate a little work with your breaks or downtime by checking out other websites. This may allow you to find inspiration and new ideas in fun and interesting places while networking and reducing your stress levels at the same time.
4. Put it in Perspective – Blogging can be a ton of work and certainly have its stressful moments. However, many bloggers often have the ability to work from home, and there is the opportunity to make money from your blog as well, maybe even turn it into a full time job. This could be a much more attractive option than having to sit in an office all day at the typical 9-5 job.
5. Step Back From it All – Sometimes you might just need to step back from it all. Consider taking a walk, getting some exercise, calling a friend, or playing with the kids or dog. Remember, you’re working on a blog here, not sewing garments in a sweatshop, or hacking meat in a slaughterhouse – all things considered, it could probably be much worse.
6. Workspace – Sometimes our workplace or space adds to our stress. While a home environment can be a wonderfully stress-free place to work on your blog, it might also incorporate many aspects you may not even realize are stressful. The barking dog, screaming children, ringing phone, the need to do laundry, wash dishes, make dinner, etc., can all add stress to your life. Consider finding a spot where you can work on your blog while attempting to avoid more of these stress-inducing factors.
7. Make a List – Sometimes, seeing everything down on paper can make things feel just a little better. Having your tasks written down or typed so that they won’t be forgotten, may take a little extra strain off your brain, and leave you feeling like at least one small burden has been lifted from your shoulders.
8. Organize and Prioritize – Just having a list or knowing what needs to be done, often isn’t enough. You may want to take a moment and organize your list into categories or even sub-categories based upon what items are most important, what needs to be taken care of first, and other pertinent aspects of your to-do list.
9. Stay Within Your Pace – When you become flustered or fall behind in your work, you may be more apt to pick the pace, possibly making more mistakes in the process. Sometimes quicker isn’t always better and it is important to recognize that staying within your work pace may not only help you reduce stress when working on your blog but eliminate the number of errors you make as well.
10. Rest Your Eyes – Resting your eyes, especially after working in front of a computer for extended periods, may help you come back refreshed and re-focused. Sometimes, with your eyes closed and brain free from processing outside information, you may better process thoughts and organize your ideas.

Whatever techniques you use to help keep your blogging stress free, it’s important that you find what works for you. Tips and advice can prove helpful, but as the saying goes, “different strokes for different folks”. Just because you’ve read that something works for others, it doesn’t mean it will work for you, and you may still have to attempt a variety of de-stressing techniques to find what suits you best.

James Adams is a blogger and designer who works with an ecommerce store offering HP 351 ink and supplies. Much of his time is spend editing and writing posts on the CreativeCloud, a blog about design and advertising.

photo credit: Ralph Buckley

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you lean not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

<Authour Unknown>