As you may have seen, we recently came up with a few blogging goals to start strong in the new year. We were super swamped this fall with other projects, so it was definitely an adjustment shifting focus back to The Blog Market. One thing I personally needed to do to reset over the holidays was a little digital detox. Having time away, no matter how small, can really help you gain perspective. For me, it allows me to come up with better content that not only do I think will perform but that I actually am really excited about creating, when I come back. Here’s how we recommend making the most of a digital detox for new years–I think you’ll start to see pretty quickly why it can help with those blogging goals!
declutter
The first thing I do before signing off is declutter. I run through my inboxes, respond to anything that can’t wait, put an auto-response on if need be, and just generally make myself feel a bit better about abandoning my virtual projects for a bit. I also organize folders, calendars, photos, etc, so that when I come back inspired and ready to work, I don’t feel automatically buried in clutter. Kind of like when you leave your house for vacay and don’t want to come back to a mess :)
unplug
When it comes to unplugging, I try to unplug from blogging and social media. Jenn and I both have a lot of crafty hobbies, so it’s easy to find other ways to relax and fall back in love with some of those old passions when going digital-free for a few days. Even if you don’t have specific projects in mind during your ‘detox’, it’s good to brainstorm a few alternate activities instead, like spending time with fam and friends, going on a day trip, getting other “life” things done, or crafting. You’ll see right away how much of that time is normally spent online.
reflect
Depending on how much time you spend online, you might have a little or a lot to think about. We both work online for our day jobs and have blogging businesses as well, so we rarely go all day without going online. So before heading back to the world of blogs and social media, reflect on your time away. What did you miss while you were logged off? Were there things you were dying to check in on, and why? Was it just anxiety about being away, or did you genuinely want to follow up on news or updates? And now that it’s over, what do you dread going back to (if anything)?
reprioritize
You don’t always have to use a blogging break or digital detox as a way to start fresh–sometimes you may just need a little break. But if while you were away you learned that there are things you love and hate about being online, you might be able to reprioritize and change things up a bit. For example, usually when I’m away, I realize how much I miss dreaming up and drafting blog content. But promoting it on social media, I could go without! Haha. It helps me reset and realize that I should set aside more time for blogging, and find ways to be more efficient with social media.
Sometimes all you need is a little perspective! Let us know if you sign off in anticipation of the new year. Happy 2018, everyone!