Burnout is real – especially when you read a lot of books. That could be 20 books or 200, it doesn’t matter. Reading for a review can cause you to lose focus and get burned out. I asked some other bloggers how they dealt with it and provide some other ideas I’ve heard before.
I’m currently burned out and considering taking another week off of blogging. I took a week off when I went on vacation but still posted every day (thanks to Ryan and Natalie’s reviews). I set a goal to blog every single day and it is exhausting. I also might be looking to add another reviewer to my squad to take some of the pressure off of me. But, I’ve been burned out lately and I was searching for the best ways to spring back into it. Here were some suggestions on twitter:
I deal with reviewing burn out by taking a break from review books and reading one of my favourite books or series! I can enjoy them without reviewing and it takes the strain off.
— BookLoversLife (@BookLoversLife) August 27, 2018
Don’t let yourself read for a week. Focus on other stuff.
— Lilyn G | Sci-Fi & Scary (@ScifiandScary) August 24, 2018
Read an anthology. When I get to a place where I am feeling a bit blah about reading I will pick up a anthology or a collection of short stories. The different stories always seem to be a palette cleanser for me.
— The Reader (@Toni_The_Reader) August 24, 2018
It's important to back off and decompress when you begin to feel that way, Brian. Like Laurie says, if you let that hang over you too long, you run the risk of just walking away completely. Let yourself do something else for awhile until you feel re-energized.
— ☠ Shane Douglas Keene ☣ (@shanedkeene) August 30, 2018
Give yourself a break before you don’t want to do it at all. I am a terrible blogger because I post what I want, when I want & on my schedule. If I try to force things, I burn out.
— barksbknonsense 👻 (@barksbknonsense) August 30, 2018
I only post when I have a new review ready. Some weeks I don’t have anything (although rare), other weeks I might have 3-5 posts up.
— Michael Patrick Hicks (@MikeH5856) August 30, 2018
Other’s I’ve heard or done before are:
- Find a genre that you don’t read often and read that instead.
- Read for yourself (BookLoversLife covers this one) but in all honesty, it doesn’t have to be an old book – read a book you want to read – whether that be an older book you’ve always wanted to get into or a new release that isn’t on your review schedule.
How do you deal with review burnout? I’m curious – reply to my tweet or share it below. I’ll do another post featuring some other ideas if you think they’ll help!
- Cuffing Season by Monica McCallan (Narrated by Lori Prince) - December 8, 2023
- Bit Rot (Bit Rot #1) by Jason Baronette (Narrated by Bill Davis) - December 6, 2023
- Muted (Silence Jones #10 by Erik Carter (Narrated by Gary Bennett) - December 4, 2023
Burnout is 100% real!! When I first started blogging, I blogged every day and sometimes twice a day, but it was unfeasible and quickly became a chore. I started taking time out from the blog every so often and now, nearly 6 years later I blog when I want and don’t feel pressure to do it. Remember, we all started a blog to share the book love, not for it to become a full time job that you don’t get paid for!!