How to Not Die from Blogging

Okay, so you’ve heard about the three blog-related heart attacks that took some well-respected names out of the blogosphere. Scary.

Who could blame them though? Blogging is the new biz — people have built ways to get monetary compensation for their thoughts, and it’s an appealing concept, especially for kids who are still in school. Then there’s the professional blogging, which is systematically coming up with new content for a site on a schedule.

There are instances that the employees don’t make actual physical contact with their employers — which makes communication harder. So there’s VoIP, IMs and Message Boards, but will that equate to an actual face-to-face conversation? Miscommunication is rampant, and, since they don’t have to be in the same place, bosses can’t watch over the employed bloggers/writers — all they can do is just wait for the end-result, if ever the blogger delivers.

Stress has been known to take years off your life, and waiting for inspiration to come, waiting for a boss’ approval, putting up with a re-write request are all pretty stressful, if you ask me.

Though I have no idea how to remedy the problem professional bloggers are facing, all I can say is take some time off. You may be full of ideas now, but what about later, or tomorrow, or the day after that? That’s gonna cause an earlier burnout than expected.

Soak in some sun, because, even though professional blogging’s a hard job, it’s still a job, and you could always ask for some time off.

Here are a couple of TheBigLife-approved ways to relax:

1. Read the ‘jar‘ story - It’s just. Just go, read it!
2. Forestroom - If you’re in a city and can’t really take the time off to visit the woods, try the Forest Meditation Room online — it’s nature images and sounds without the insect bites and the tedious hiking. :) (Remember, looking at green objects is very relaxing for the eyes, especially after hours in front of a computer.)
3. Aquascape - Like Forestroom, Aqua Scape is a site with live feeds of actual water sounds — though the locations are kinda limited. It’s really trippy though.
4. Popping Bubblewrap - Digitally, of course, since it’s virtually infinite! It’s an excellent way to release stress.
   
5. Stumbleupon - Who could forget this one? Check out what others are doing in their free time. A stumble may even inspire your next post … who knows?

~ by thebiglife on April 9, 2008.