Have you ever sat down to write for tomorrow’s deadline, only to find yourself stuck before you’ve even begun? Thinking about your topic and not knowing what to say or where to begin?
Here are 5 reasons why you can’t come up with new content and how to fix them!
1. You’re overworked
Nothing takes the toll on motivation and creativity quite like mental or physical exhaustion.
Spending half of your day in school, followed by an hour or two at a sports or music club, only to come back home and worry about tomorrow’s homework… Or spending an hour commuting to your workplace only to be faced with difficult customers with their problems, all the while worrying about your ill child back home and whether you have enough chicken for tonight’s dinner.
ACTION: You need to find some ‘me time’ to relax and unwind from your daily worries and pressures. Dedicate as little as 20 minutes a night to relaxation and do whatever helps you unwind: take a warm, unrushed shower (or bath, if you have the time), have a cup of tea while reading a magazine or some blog posts, or put on a face mask and do your nails.
Doing the same thing day in and day out is not conducive to generating new content, or even motivating yourself to try. When are genius ideas most likely to occur, I hear you ask? No matter how big or small the change, ideas are easiest to come up with when doing something out of the ordinary!
Something as simple as using a new shampoo can quickly inspire a hair care post idea; walking your dog in a different location could inspire you to write a “dog-walking etiquette” post (please tweet me the link if you do write it!) The possibilities are endless and all it takes is the slightest change from the ordinary.
ACTION: Try to do one new thing a day – or do one small thing differently – for a few days. Grab lunch from a different café or take a different route to work, and get out of your predictable routine. Surprise yourself.
3. You’re under too much pressure
If your blog is scheduled to post on certain days then the slightest bit of pressure is simply unavoidable and should not stop you from generating new ideas.
What does make it difficult to come up with new content is the pressure you put on yourself. Statistics. How readers will interpret your content. The quality of your content. Did I mention statistics?
All these, and many more factors bring unnecessary pressure that can keep you from coming up with new content. Funnily enough, forcing yourself to come up with new content because of your fast-approaching deadline is yet another form of pressure that can result in a creative block.
ACTION: Don’t limit yourself to only writing posts for that week. Try to come up with extra content and schedule your posts in advance. Having content that is ready to be published will take the edge off and allow you to take a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
4. You’re too distracted
Whether blogging is a job that pays the bills or a hobby that allows you to express yourself, it’s an activity that requires a lot of focus and attention.
It’s all too easy to become distracted when writing from home – especially if it’s about your favourite TV shows (which you simply can’t write about without making sure that the newest episode is amazing).
ACTION: Treat writing as if it were your job. Get out of bed and get dressed, then find your optimal writing environment: this could be your desk, a café, or even a library.
5. You leave it to the last minute
When it comes to leaving things to the last minute, I’ll be the first to raise my hand in guilt (unless I’m leaving that to last minute too!)
Blogging can be hard, and if your deadline is nowhere in sight then why would you put yourself through the turmoil? What if a better than average idea pops up later on? Both very valid points.
But at the end of the day, you know you will have to put out new content on a certain day. You also know that no one will write it for you (guest post, anyone?) And you know you’ll have to come up with something sooner or later, so why not give yourself a larger time-frame to work with?
ACTION: Start a list of blog post ideas that you can add to on a daily basis. Try to add at least 1 idea every day or every couple of days, and use these when you’re short on time or find yourself out of fresh ideas. Here’s a list of 21 blog post ideas to get you started.
Do YOU have any other tips on how to avoid these common problems? Let me know!
likecubedblog.wordpress.com 
What a great post – I am saving this for those moments when I feel all overwhelmed/overworked/unmotivated!! xxLaura | Loved By Laura
LikeLike
Thank you! In a way, I hope you never have to come back to this post! 😛
LikeLike
These are just good solutions – I know I've definitely suffered from a few of these before and this would have been the perfect help 🙂 xxSam // Samantha Betteridge
LikeLike
Unfortunately I think that every blogger suffers from at least 1 of these at one point or another. But once it's already happened, posts like these are not of much use – preparation is everything! And thank you for your comment! It's always reassuring to hear that someone likes or agrees with your points! 🙂
LikeLike
This is a fab post- I definitely understand the overworked/exhausted/too much pressure parts! It's so stressful trying to come up with content when you've got a billion other things to do. There's also questions over to what extent you should prioritise blogging over these other things…I really struggle with this one! x Sophie/ http://www.prettyandpolished.co.uk
LikeLike
In the odd moments when I'm not mind-blown by how they do it, I have the highest respect for bloggers who have full-time jobs. And kids. And a social life. Meanwhile I experience all 5 parts without any of that pressure!But yes, finding where to draw the line between blogging and life can be difficult. Sometimes I think that bloggers are superheroes.
LikeLike
Really interesting post. My biggest problem is coming up with new ideas. I especially love number 2, doing something different.
LikeLike
Thank you so much! It's crazy cause ideas are all around us, but far too often we just think "ah, someone somewhere has probably already done that" and we can't find our own spin on it, and end up in a continuous loop…
LikeLike
This is brilliant, thanks soo much for all the tips! Going to save this so i can keep coming back to remind myself that it's ok to not have all the ideas right now i just need to chill!
LikeLike
Yeah, trying to force ideas or posts can often backfire, so it's always useful to have a few posts in the bank for days when you just don't feel like writing, but have a posting schedule to stick to! :)And thank you for your lovely comment! x
LikeLike