It’s happening again. Bloggers are saying that blogging is stressful or makes them feel guilty.
Blogging is becoming a chore.
They don’t have time to read and comment on all the blog posts of all the blogs they follow.
They’re constantly apologising for not reading, commenting or publishing new blog posts.
They don’t have time to keep up with a blogging schedule they set themselves.
They feel obliged to read and comment on everything because those bloggers read and comment on their blog posts.
Let’s get something straight about blogging. Nobody expects you to read and comment on all their blog posts.
Just because Susan and Jenny read and comment on all of each other’s blog posts doesn’t mean you have you. And believe me when I say that Jenny and Susan won’t have always read each other’s blog posts. They may have left comments, but those comments don’t prove they read the post.
Nobody cares if you don’t read and comment on all their posts.
Nobody says it’s your obligation to read and comment on all their posts because they read and comment on all your posts.
Nobody? Well, not quite. The only person who may feel obliged or think they must read and comment on all the posts of the blogs they follow is you.
One of the biggest pitfalls of blogging is feeling obligated.
Once again, I’ve been reading blog posts, comments, and social media posts where people ask for advice because blogging has got to the stage of stressing them out and/or making them feel guilty.
They seem to feel that not reading and commenting on every post is some kind of a blogging crime and will land them in blogging jail.
I’ve written before about the stress and guilt blogging can bring (if you allow it) and know exactly how these bloggers are feeling, having been through the whole blogging ‘feeling guilty’ trip myself.
So, allow me to explain why you never need to feel stressed or guilty about blogging or never need to apologise for not reading, commenting or publishing blog posts.
Why did you start your blog?
One of the reasons why I signed up for WordPress was because I thought blogging would be fun.
One year in, I became very stressed and guilty because I couldn’t keep up with reading all the new blog posts published by the bloggers I was following.
I was following way too many blogs, many of which didn’t interest me anyway.
Some days, I found myself doing little else but reading and leaving non-engaging, spammy comments on blog posts. You know the types of comments. Things like ‘Great post,’ ‘I enjoyed this’, or one-worded comments that meant nothing.
Some of the bloggers I was following were publishing more than one post daily, and I soon found myself apologising to people for not reading their posts or not being on WordPress 24 hours a day!
Then it struck me that I was not doing the main thing I’d come here to do – write!
Although I possess a few superpowers, I’m afraid that one of them is not being able to read every new blog post from bloggers I follow.
I began to see this as a problem. Blogging was becoming a monster, and I was doing everything possible to make me want to fight it.
Then, one morning, I woke up, switched on my computer and got that horrible feeling I would get when I didn’t want to go to school or go to work.
I soon realised that I had two choices about blogging. Either I gave it up, or I had to change the blogger I had become.
It didn’t take me long to make my choice. After all, I’d created my blog to write and share my thoughts with anybody who stopped by and wanted to listen to what I had to say.
I decreased my reading time and began to write more.
I stopped following every single blogger who followed my blog. If they didn’t have an ‘about me‘ page so I could find out more about who they were, or they blogged about subjects that did not interest me, then I did not follow back.
If bloggers kept sending me messages begging me to follow their blog, I ignored them.
I stopped feeling guilty for not following back.
As time passed, I began to unfollow bloggers whose blog content I didn’t find interesting anymore.
I stopped reading blog posts that did not interest me, regardless of who had written and published them.
I unfollowed some bloggers who continued to fail to respond to questions or acknowledge comments other bloggers and I were leaving on posts.
I didn’t feel guilty about this because it freed up time for me to write, read, and comment on blog posts that interested me.
If you find yourself in a situation where blogging makes you feel guilty and/or stresses you out, then you need to face the questions I was asking myself.
I’m afraid there’s no magic answer.
What worked for me may not work for you, but whatever you do, ensure you do all you can to make blogging fun again.
Isn’t that the reason why you came here in the first place?
Take control of your blog and stop feeling guilty about not reading and commenting on every blog post or for unfollowing blogs that you no longer have any interest in.
Sure, you may lose some followers along the way (don’t we all?), but it’s not going to finish you off as a blogger.
In fact, they probably didn’t read your blog posts anyway and will have left short, non-engaging comments just to prove they visited, so it’s no big deal (unless your only interest is how many followers you have).
If, like me, you decide to stay (and I hope you do), your blogging passion will return.
Remember – Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint!
Have you ever found yourself feeling guilty or stressed out because of blogging? Are you somebody who keeps apologising because you’ve been unable to spend as much time as you like reading and commenting on posts? How did you get over feeling guilty or stressed out by blogging? Leave me a comment and join the conversation.
Follow Hugh on Social Media. Click on the links below.
If you enjoyed this post and want more like it, enter your email address and click ‘Subscribe’ to stay up-to-date with my latest content.
Copyright @ 2024 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
Discover more from Hugh's Views & News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hugh's Views & News 
I see what you see, Hugh. Lots of people apologizing for not being around. It took me a little while, but I no longer feel guilt when I need a break or life’s commitments take me away. This is meant to be fun. As I always say to my wife, “If this ever starts to feel like a job, I’m out of here.”😊
I like what you tell your wife, Pete. It’s such a shame that over the years I’ve witness many excellent bloggers leave because of the stress and guilt they felt. It seems to happen mainly in the large blogging communities where everybody is expected to read and comment on every post of every member. Of course, they’re not expected to do that, it’s just that they think they are.
Great advice, Hugh. I gave myself “permission” a while ago to skip reading and leaving comments on every post. I still subscribe to way too many blogs but they are all ones I enjoy. I also add a few now and then… oops. Two things I won’t do: subscribe to any blog that posts more than a few times a week (once or fewer is best) and obligate – even in my head – myself to a schedule. If I have something to say… great. If I don’t… oh well.
If you enjoy reading a blog, then why unfollow it, Janis? It’s more the case of people following blogs that publish content they’re not interested in that I think is something that contributes towards blogging stress and guilt. Having fallen into that trap early on, I know it exists and can be difficult to get out of, and when you have people telling you that it’s only polite to follow back anyone that follows you, I can see why so many fall into the blogging stress and guilt trap.
Likewise, people need to know they do not have to read and comment on every post of every blog they follow. One genuine comment every now and again is far better than short, non-engaging, spammy comments on every blog post.
I’m glad you gave yourself permission to skip reading and leaving comments on every post. That’s what it should be for everyone.
I think you have to enjoy getting to know other people in order to enjoy blogging. I started blogging because my publisher thought blogging was a good way for writers to “brand” themselves. It didn’t work in my case – I have no brand but I have gotten to know many wonderful writers, photographers and artists.
Blogging friendships are certainly something many bloggers like about blogging, but I don’t believe you have to get to know other people to enjoy blogging. If a blogger publishes content that you find very interesting, you can still enjoy blogging without striking up a friendship with them.
Unfortunately, I think part of the problem with blogging stress and guilt are the large blogging communities where everybody feels they have to read and comment on all community’ members posts regardless of wether they’re interested in the content or not. I used to belong to one such community, and as soon as I left that community, I felt much better about it. Sure, I lost some followers because I left, but my mental health and attitude towards blogging became much better.
Thanks for joining the discussion, JT.
🙂 Hugh, I have never felt guilty for not reading and commenting on blog posts.
Why?
Because it is not mandatory for me to read and comment on the blog posts of bloggers on the same day that they were posted.
In my humble opinion, it makes more sense to do the reading and the commenting at a time that is convenient to me.
Also, I do not comment on every blog post that I read.
There are those moments when I prefer to press the “Like” button alone.
Good to hear you’ve never suffered from blogging stress or guilt, Renard. You certainly have the right attitude towards blogging.
I don’t know why some bloggers feel that it’s a crime if they don’t leave a comment. It’s as if they feel they have to prove they visited, even though they may not have read the post.
Thanks for your input into this discussion.
I remember those days when I first started blogging, Hugh. I have a small group of bloggers that I keep up with, and others when and if I have time.
Good to hear you do not allow blogging stress or guilt to affect you, Cathy. Blogging friendships are great, although I don’t read all the posts of some of those I class as blogging friends. If the subject matter does not interest me, I move on without feeling guilty about it.
That’s the best way, Hugh. It’s no fun if it all becomes a chore.
As usual, Hugh, you cut right to the heart of the matter of blogging. Marsha defined her blog as a hobby blog. Some bloggers took offense to this notion. But guess what? Most of us who blog are doing it for personal reasons, not for work or any other obligation, but by choice. This is a critical definition of leisure (a subject I lived and taught at the university level).
Most of us are hobby bloggers. Here are some hobbies: art, writing, photography, reading, social networking, etc….insert yours here. 😁 Blogging is a wholesome way to explore those hobbies. And hobbies are meant to be fun.
I too felt obligated to read and follow others early on. And it became a chore. The fun began to disappear and in early 2018 I wrote a farewell post. Some folks were worried about me which was amazing and I came back after a brainstorm of inspiration to resurrect the Sunday Stills challenge originated by another blogger who retired his blog. This challenge came back just in time the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge ended.
Since that time, not only have I enjoyed blogging and have learned so much more about photography, and having fun while doing so, I’ve managed to meet almost 50 bloggers in person. What a joy that’s been. Making friends with folks who enjoy the same things? Priceless!
As you say, blogging is a marathon. Sure there are days when I wake up and know I have to read posts for the challenge…but I chose this and I would miss the engagement, the friendships, the lifelong learning, that blogging provides. Now if only WordPress would get its glitches fixed then we might all be ecstatic!
Thank you for letting me blab on and adding my 50 cents worth, Hugh! I’ll come back and read more of the comments that will continue to pour in. Hugs!
How strange that some bloggers took offensive at Marsha defining her blog as a hobby, Terri. I looked up the word ‘Hobby’ and part of the description of what a hobby is – ‘engaging in creative and artistic pursuits’. I’d put blogging in that category, unless your blog is a business blog that sells stuff or offers services or where a blogger makes a living from their blog.
As soon as blogging becomes a chore, that’s the time to stop and think about what you really want to get out of blogging. Feeling obliged to read the posts and leave comments because those bloggers do so on our blogs is one of the blogging traps many bloggers fall into. The hard part is getting out of the trap and blogging differently. I’m glad you did just that and found the vacant ‘Sunday Stills’ to host. What a turn around that has been for you.
I have also met other bloggers, although haven’t met any in a longtime, mainly because I’ve never seen any blogging events being held near me. There have been plenty of book fairs and such, but they no longer interest me. It’s blogging that I like to get my teeth into, although I still enjoy penning the occasional short story or piece of flash fiction.
Your 50 cents worth of discussion is like gold, Terri. These are the kind of comments I crave the most. The kind that open up discussion and give me something more to say that just a ‘thank you’ or a click of the ‘like’ button.
Thanks again for all your engaging comments.
I’m still scratching my head as to why a handful of bloggers who link to Sunday Stills merely link and run, never stop to leave a comment. Obviously they opened my post to see the examples for the challenge. Just crickets 🙄 no engagement. Sadly that behavior or challenge fauxpas shows on their posts with little engagement on their posts. Why post if no one reads? Always a pleasure to read your posts, Hugh.
I get the same with my Wordless Wednesday posts, Terri. Links, but no comment about the photo I’m sharing for Wordless Wednesday.
Then there are the bloggers who leave these kinds of comments on my posts –
‘Nice post please like my post freinds’.
And they leave those types of comments on other blogs. That’s not engagement. It’s just a way of trying to get some free publicity without reading other bloggers’ posts, leaving valuable comments and engaging with other bloggers.
Sad but true 👍
A lot of wisdom in this post, Hugh, and all elements you’ve been sharing for a while. Yet, I’m sure every blogger can recognize the feeling of guilt or stress when they’ve blogged for a while. It seems to be a part of the process, when we set goals – or ideals – and we can’t stick to them. Writers and authors put the same pressure on themselves.
This past year, I’ve done a good job swiping posts away from my inbox when they didn’t interest me, when I knew they would be too heavy for my then weak internet connection, or when I realized that I didn’t have time to read them soon. Other posts, I leave in my inbox to read later, on a duller evening. I also unsubscribed from about half of the bloggers I used to follow for several reasons.
Here is where my problem still lies: writing on my own blog. It’s something I really want to do. I enjoy sharing our adventures and communicating with followers. But, often, especially here in Peru, I lack the time and energy to keep the posting and sharing going, because we have such a busy schedule.
Peru is a huge country and we only received three months to drive across it and explore. Plus, when we don’t like a spot (which has happened a lot here), we pack up and move. This creates the business of always driving, running errands, taking care of the dog, fixing issues, sightseeing, working, researching, dealing with unexpected circumstances, and focusing on life on the road.
Plus, I am adamant about posting photos on Facebook every day about our recent experiences, staying in touch with friends, writing my (long) diary entries every day, and practicing Spanish every evening for at least 15 minutes. That leaves no time for writing my blog, an event that takes at least one full day split over two days, ideally once a week.
It’s easy to say “Write later, when you have time,” but that’s not a solution, as I keep gathering more experiences and stories I’d like to share, so I’m always running behind…
The only solution I see to this problem is to only write one blog post a month (in addition to my monthly expense reports), but then the issue is that these posts would be way too long and even more photo heavy.
The best solution is to slow down the traveling and plan for at least one day a week to write blogs (and ideally other pieces)… Maybe in the next country. :)
Don’t feel guilty for not posting as much as you want too, Liesbet. We all have lives outside of the blogging world, and while some of us would like to share more of what we’re doing, life doesn’t always give us the time to do so.
Sticking to a blogging schedule is good, but I see too many bloggers getting stressed out when they do not stick to it. Blog when you have the time to do so. Even if it’s once a month, it’s better than not at all. And those who are truly interested in your travels will still read those long blog posts. I certainly would.
But I am pleased with what you shared about cutting down on the number of blogs you follow and no longer reading posts that do not interest you. I really don’t know why people read (or pretend to read) content they’re not interested in. They fear that somebody will get upset with them for not doing so. In the 10 years I’ve blogged, only one blogger got upset with me for not reading and commenting on all her posts. I made the wise decision to unfollow her blog.
It can sometimes take me weeks to get around to reading a post. What bugs me is that some bloggers close comments off so early on posts. Now that the dire spam problem has been fixed, that should no longer be the case.
Keep on blogging, and keep on having fun with it.
You are so right Hugh 💜💜
Well said Hugh. Many “bloggers” read and comment because they think this will help them sell books. They share everyone’s posts on social media because they think this will cause folks to buy their books. I stopped being part of this belief system almost a year ago. I feel human again. I read and comment on the posts that I choose. Like your’s. I’ve known you since 2014. What you write about interests me. Thanks for talking about the importantance of taking care of ourselves.
I’m so pleased I’m out of that blogging circle where everyone had to read each others posts, comment and then share on social media, Colleen. I wasted so much time reading stuff I had no interest in. Thank goodness I saw the light, walked out the door and never turned back. Blogging was then fun again.
I can’t believe it’s almost 10 years.
Same here, Hugh. I agree with everything you said. Next April for me, is 10 years. Wow!
My 10 year blogging anniversary is on February 12th, Colleen. Time sure goes quick when you’re enjoying yourself.
I totally agree. When I see bloggers I suggest they try to tell stories or anecdotes, rather than just talking about their lives. Not that that isn’t good but if you don’t mix it up you get bored. Also never appoligize. We all do what we have time for. 🤣😎🙃
Mixing it up a bit is a great idea. After all, variety is the spice of life!
Good advice. I blog when I can, and answer the same. I don’t feel obligated to post blah..blah..and only post when I have a good story or something of interest. I notice many of the blogs I follow post just for the sake of posting.
I think that when bloggers post just for the sake of blogging the quality of posts start to decline. I see evidence of it too, especially when it comes to publishing more than once daily. People don’t take a step back. They publish first drafts and you can instantly tell it could have been so much better. That’s another reason for me unfollowing or not following a blog.
Yes! Well said
This was a great post as I sometimes fall into feeling badly for not posting or commenting as often as I’d like. You are correct, blogging shouldn’t be viewed as a chore!
Here, here. Please, never feel guilty or stressed for not reading or commenting or for not publishing a post. Publish when you have something interesting to say. Likewise, comment on posts that interest you and inspire you to add something of value.
Let’s keep blogging fun.
I’ve had bloggers apologize for a late comment or being late in reading my post, and honestly, I hadn’t even noticed. It is like you said – I don’t expect people to read everything I write. They may be busy or just not interested in that particular topic. Life goes on! And I am judicious about who I follow as well. This post is good advice. Thanks for your post!
Yes, I’ve had those same apology comments, Betty. I also see bloggers apologising for being late in posting a response to a blog challenge even though the challenge is still live and open. It’s as if if they feel they should have published their post within an hour of the challenge going live. Nobody notices or even cares when they’re publishing their response.
I’m delighted the advice in this post is helpful. Thank you for joining the discussion.
This is very good advice, Hugh. I have been there, and this time of year, when we’re getting ready for winter, is the hardest. There just isn’t enough time, and I’m not going to worry about it (I’ve read your earlier posts ;-) I just reminded the people who participate in Thursday Doors, that blogging should be fun, and they shouldn’t stress over the “rules” for the challenge.
I hope you have a great week.
Thanks, Dan. I wish I did not have not issue these reminders, but the amount of comments I’ve seen lately from bloggers who say they’re so far behind with reading posts and go on to apologies for it. Some because they’ve had to deal with something outside of the blogging world.
It should always be about enjoyment and wanting to do it rather than stressing ourselves that we may be upsetting somebody because we didn’t read and comment on their last post.
You too, have a great week.
I’m very much like this and good job I read your post! I sit at the computer to start a post and then start reading instead. Will absolutely relax now 😊
Lol, oh, how I remember those days of reading first before writing and then never getting any writing done, Alison.
Great Post and reminder Hugh. I wonder how much we apologise out of habit/we British apologise too much and this could be a symptom of that too. I’m trying to break the cycle but it’s hard and I sometimes forget. I agree wholeheartedly though and despite not posting nor reading and commenting as much as I’d like recently, I’ve not felt guilty. It really does make a difference to how you feel. I’d also say pressuring yourself to write/post because you feel obligated might also be detrimental, affecting the quality of what you write and how you feel about writing. I liked your analogy of not wanting to go to work/school – although I don’t think I ever felt like that about school – I loved school.
So pleased you said those words ‘I’ve not felt guilty for not posting or reading and commenting on blogs recently,’ Brenda.
I agree that like queueing, we Brits do apologise a lot, but we should not be apologising for not blogging because we’ve had to deal with a family emergency (one I saw recently). There’s life outside of blogging, even if some bloggers claim to do nothing but blog.
I agree no-one should write and publish a post because they feel obliged to do so. It’s a little like those bloggers who publish a post within minutes of a ‘challenge’ post being posted. They feel they need to do it straight away, otherwise the host of the challenge won’t be happy with them.
I have my reasons for not liking school, but I won’t go into them here. Let’s just say I saw school more as a chore than a place to learn.
Thanks for joining the discussion. It’s always good to hear from you.
Excellent advice, Hugh. I’ve been on a semi-blogging break since May. During that time, I was busy with edits for both a novel and a novella. Even though I’m retired now, I don’t have time to spend all day on WordPress.
I’m at the point where I’m ready to get back to blogging on a more regular basis, but I’ll also be culling out some blogs that don’t really interest me and will leave behind the guilt of not visiting every thing every day! This post was timely for me.
Welcome back, Joan. I hope the blogging break was good and that you got everything done that you wanted to do.
And I’m delighted to hear that you’ll be culling some of the blogs that no longer interest you and not feeling guilty about it. Time is precious. We shouldn’t waste any of it.
I agree, blogging should be a fun pastime, not a job. I never understand people who actually post that they won’t be posting for a week because of…. or apologizing for nor posting. I post when I have something to say not because I feel obligated to. I also comment, only when I have something to say. I read all of your posts as they are interesting, but I don’t always comment. A great post.
I have no problem with bloggers announcing they’re taking a blogging break, especially if they have a schedule of when they publish posts. I think that’s a nice way of not making anybody worry by the sudden absence. But when it comes to going offline for just a day or two, then I see no reason why they should announce it. I’ve taken quite a few blogging breaks (mainly at Christmas and New Year) and always inform my readers that I’m going to be away during that time.
Good to hear you don’t feel obliged to comment, Darlene. Some bloggers feel they must at any cost leave a comment simply because that blogger does the same on their blog.
Thank you for reading my posts and for not always commenting when you don’t have anything of value to add. That’s how it should be.
I agree. If I don’t see a post from a regular blogger for some time, I do worry something has happened to them. This happened to me just recently and I sought her out via other social media. In this case, her husband had taken ill. We are a close community and do worry about each other. So letting readers know you are taking a blogging break is being considerate.
It’s horrible when bloggers disappear without a trace. I recall it happening to a blogger I first met when I started to blog. Unfortunately, all her social media accounts also disappeared, so I feared the worse.
Isn’t it interesting how we develop relationships and really care about other bloggers? A couple of times, I have reached out to people on social media when I hadn’t seen a post from them in a while. They were both okay, but it made me realize that the connections we build here are real!
Blogging friendships are great. They can make all the difference to many bloggers, especially those who may live an isolated life. They really came into play at the time of the pandemic. Although we may never meet people, we can still built up an online friendship and care about them.
You mean to tell me that folks don’t read every one of my blogs with bated breath? C’mon Hugh, I never knew this. I’m crushed. Ha, ha, no, no, I can definitely relate to this post. I’ve felt guilty in the past for not keeping up with other’s blogs as much as I’d like. I had to come to the same conclusion as you. I can’t keep up with everyone. I try to read what interests me, comment where it makes sense, but not feel guilty. It’s just like a friendship, there will be times when I’m readily available and then there will be times where life happens (i.e. family, work, everyday life) and I have to step away and take care of other things. Thanks so much for the perspective! :) :) :)
That’s a great way of putting it, Brian – ‘it’s like a friendship – we’re not always available.’
This circle of feeling guilty and stressed or bloggers saying that blogging has become a chore seems to come around at least once a year. When I see stressful or guilty comments on other blogs and bloggers apologising for not having visited recently, I roll my eyes and say ‘Here we go again.’
But thank you for sharing your perspective on the whole blogging stress and guilt situation. Good to hear you don’t allow it to make blogging become a chore rather than the fun and enjoyment many of us come to blogging for.
Yes to all of this, Hugh! These days I scroll through the WordPress reader and my emails and read posts that genuinely interest me. I have unsubscribed from a lot of blogs, and many have just disappeared, so my reading time is more manageable. That said, I have a few favourites whose posts I will always read. I think I’d put you on that list, Hugh. Even so, sometimes life gets busy and I get behind. I don’t sweat it. The people who matter understand.
Thanks, Michelle. I’m honoured that I’m on that list of blogs you always read. But I fully understand that you may not always have time to read and comment on all my posts. And that’s something I was trying to get across in this post to those who feel they have to apologies all the time for not reading and commenting and being on WordPress 24 hours a day. When I see those kinds of comments on blog posts and on social media, I roll my eyes.
Let’s keep blogging fun.
On that note, I’m leaving on vacation tomorrow so I might be a little less active for the next couple of weeks. But I won’t apologize for that!
Good to hear. Nobody should ever apologise for spending some time away from the blogging world.
Have a nice vacation, Michelle.