This is a guest post by John Mak from Simply1Software.com and with this post you are going to learn how you can easily REFRESH your mind while blogging..making you say..YEAH!! These are some great ways to tackle the major signs showing your absolutely no interest while blogging.
If you’re a blogger, chances are that you spend countless hours behind your computer, staring at your monitor. While this is a necessary and enjoyable part of a blogger’s lifestyle it can often lead to mental burnout, staleness and even eye strain.
Today, I’d like to talk about a few ways to avoid mental burnout and to help you get the most out of blogging.
Practice Makes Perfect…But Only So Much
In July 2007, a paper in the Harvard Business Review called “Making of an Expert” by K. Anders Ericsson talked about the 3 main elements that go into producing an expert in any given endeavor. These 3 elements are deliberate practice, world class coaching and enthusiastic family support.
While most of us have no control over the last 2 elements we do have complete control over the first element, deliberate practice. In the 2008 book, “Talent is Overrated”, author Geoff Colvin expands on the concept of deliberate practice and concludes that about 90 minutes a day of this type of practice is what most people can tolerate and benefit from. Keep in mind that this is not your ordinary, go-through-the-motions type of practice. It is focused, intense and mostly uncomfortable since you will be constantly pushing the boundaries of what you’re capable of. In theory, this practice goes on daily over a period of years, resulting in a world class performer.
Is This Going to Hurt?
Now, certainly I’m not asking you to endure ninety minutes per day of arduous practice for years on end in order to become a successful blogger. This example just serves to illustrate the point that you shouldn’t, nor do you need to, sit in front of your computer for hours every day. While you’re working you should be free from distractions such as TV, radio, music, email and the telephone so you can focus completely on your blogging. Keep a set time for when you will stop. You will be surprised at how much more work you get done and how much better the quality will be.
When that time is up, stop what you’re doing, get away from the computer completely and do something else. This time away will serve to refresh and rejuvenate you. Legendary direct response copywriter Gene Schwartz would only write for 33 minutes at a time. He would set a timer and when that 33 minutes was up he would go for a walk, eat lunch, or do anything but won’t write. He would go back and write more at a later time.
Go Ye and Do Likewise!
Here are a few things you can and should be doing away from the computer that will help refresh your mind and give you renewed energy to be a better blogger:
1. Move: This is probably the most important thing. Go outside and take a walk or go to the gym. The physical exertion will release endorphins into your bloodstream which will help to improve your cognitive functioning, improve your sense of well-being, reduce pain and allow you to relax when you get back to work.
2. Listen to Music: “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast.” Suffice it to say that nothing can clear your mind better than just sitting back and getting lost in good music. Just don’t listen on your computer! Go in another room or, better yet, listen while you’re out walking.
3. Visit a Friend: Man is a social animal and connecting with friends and family is a crucial element of our overall mental health. Working from home is an isolated, and sometimes lonely, activity. It’s vitally important to keep up outside social connections to stay fulfilled. If you can, visit people in person so you get out of the house and maybe get a walk in at the same time.
4. Watch Something Funny on TV: Laughter is indeed the best medicine. Research shows that laughter and humor strengthen your immune system, reduce stress, boost energy and reduce pain. Much like exercise, laughter and humor release endorphins that improve your mood and sense of well-being.
5. Contribute: Find out if someone (family, friends, community) needs your help. Much like visiting a friend, this will help you overcome the isolation that comes with blogging or working from home. Plus, if you do something physical, like help someone move, you get another chance to release some endorphins!
These are just a few ideas that might help you to refresh and rejuvenate your mind as a blogger. Remember, you don’t have to be a slave to your computer in order to become a success.
Albert Einstein once said that anyone can be an expert if they just pick one subject and study it diligently for 15 minutes a day. I’d like to hear from you. If you’re a blogger or work from home, what are some ways that you refresh you mind so you can be a better blogger?
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When blogging gets me a lot of tension and pain, I go watch South Park, How I Met Your Mother or The Big Bang Theory. Relaxes me! 😀
LOL, it’s good to watch these TV – Series! I like to watch NBA too .. I’m a fan of Bulls!
Do you find it curious that the 8 hour workday has remained popular in light of the research you did for this article? If 90 minutes of intense practice or focus is often the most valuable it makes me wonder whether we should all take a step back and re-evaluate the age old traditions associated with our working lives. I suppose a shift to staggered 90 minute focused intervals of productivity would be a pretty marked change though…Definitely makes you wonder what your day-to-day would be like if theories like Colvin’s were put into practice on a grander scale.
Good points. Blogging is similar when you are doing blog commenting. There are days that you simply stared at the monitor and can’t think of anything to say. Thank you for the tips. Very helpful indeed.
It’s great to know that I am doing nos. 1,2 and 4. I love listening to music while blogging and I sometimes dance just to ease the boredom of staring at the computer for too long. I’ll follow nos. 3 and 5. Hopefully I’d feel more refreshed.
great post. take a break or resting a while is very essential to be more productive.
Thank you Kavita, nice to see you around!
I think that stepping away from blogging is very important. I’ve grown to really love blogging. However, I became too obsessed with working on my blog constantly. That led me to become annoyed and frustrated with blogging. Now that I have set a schedule for blogging, I am beginning to feel good about blogging again.
Very helpful tips to keep bloggers less experience a writer’s block. Coming from an expert. I totally agree with the 3 elements. The first element is really under our total control. You won’t become a professional blogger without starting as a newbie. But hours, days, weeks and months of dedication and passion makes you level up. Every time you write. You become a better writer, every time you do research, reading others posts, learning others ideas, you become more knowledgeable. In all aspects, practice really makes perfect.
But despite being knowledgeable on your field, no matter how you enjoy your work. You still gets faced with a writer’s block, but that’s totally normal. Which is why we have to know how to adjust.
Great points on how to stay away from getting mental block. I do most of them. Whenever i feel like I’m going into the hole. I make a pause and entertain myself, and then I’m alright. It’s really good that you know how to adjust. We don’t have to push ourselves after all. No matter how hectic your schedules are. You still need to have a break.
Also, having the support of your family in everything that you do plays an great part. You hit all the points John, thanks for this intelligent post.
This is a very useful tip and a very important topic. Since I started blogging few months ago, it seems that I am now losing focus on what to do next with my blogging activities. There are times that I almost tried to give up but the passion just can’t stop. I’ll try doing this (your tips) and I hope this will work for me. Thank you for sharing this.
We often see the kit-kat advertisement and are aware of its message in taking a break. Sadly, many of us fail to do this especially when we are absorbed and focused in the things we want to do. The five examples you mentioned are really good ways you can help to refresh yourself from any mental exhaustion.
Great point of view Felicia. I am glad you found this article useful. To your success,
John.
Hahaha! “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast.” We obviously don’t listen to the same music! 😉