Blogging Through The Christmas Holidays

57 Comments / Blogging Tutorials, Guest Posts / By /

There comes a time, as with all holiday breaks, that you do need to take some time off from blogging and though it goes without saying that blogging can be very addictive, we all need to say to ourselves “STOP!”

But for many, blogging is usually a way of life and for some, not many, it's a living and the possibility of stopping for a prolonged break from doing work on their blog can reduce their standings with their earnings etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8474057@N06/4237150482/

What To Do Over The Christmas Holiday?

As we've read many times, over many websites, a great thing to do is schedule some posts while you are away from your computer, even if you're not, this is the ideal way of staying away from your keyboard for a while.

But don't be tempted to answer those comments on your blog, your blog will survive, just for a week, it's not going to curl up and die, just because you are not responding to those leaving comments.

As most of the commentators are fellow bloggers anyway, they will surely know the effort you put into your blog and that you do need a well deserved break from it every once in a while and they will wait for you to get back to them, if not, they sure are impatient.

What If The Urge Is Too Much?

Boy you've got it bad! Talk about someone with a fix 😆 Seriously if you eat, sleep and dream blog, then you seriously need to take a break, before you get a dreaded dose of “BloggersBlock” which can only be cured by removing yourself from the blogosphere and releasing yourself and your mind on the real world, that's where the ideas come from you know!

How To Cope With Your Blog After The Christmas Holiday?

Now, some bloggers will throw themselves head first into the blogging world as soon as the Christmas holidays have finished, my advice is simple, relax and take it easy, oo I sounded like the Cadbury's bunny then 😆

If you have a mass of comments to answer, then answer the important ones, that maybe asking you questions regarding your blog post, disregard the time wasters, you know the ones I mean 😉

Slowly build back up your blogging speed and think to yourself that before you became a blog-a-holic you were a normal human being with a wonderful life and a sun tan, if not then you could be a vampire, either way I'm not prejudiced, so what ever floats you boat baby 😉

So To The Recap!

Slow down, ignore your blog, enjoy the Christmas holidays, eat loads, drink in moderation and just have a fantastic time 😉

Image credit Blazing Minds on Flickr

holidays

57 thoughts on “Blogging Through The Christmas Holidays”

  1. John Sullivan

    This will be my third Christmas blogging and Thankfully each one I was lucky enough to be able to get what I needed for my family.
    We have much to be grateful for 🙂
    Having great friends such as you Karen and Ileane is what
    I am coming to value most I look forward to all of us OWNING 2011
    Great post Stumbled
    Thanks

  2. Dana

    I have scheduled several blog posts so I can enjoy the holiday during the Christmas and New Year.

    1. Karen

      Thanks for commenting Dana, I’ll got quite a few scheduled myself, looking forward to the time off 😉

  3. Patricia

    Hi Karen

    Nice to see you on Ileane’s blog. In an ideal world I think your plan would work 🙂 However for some of us fairly new to blogging, it is hard to imagine not blogging for a day; let alone a week lol

    Also, cos blogging reaches a global audience, a lot of the world will still be on-line and don’t take a break over what is still considered a Christian celebration.

    Will be interesting to see how much traffic I do get over this time. As I have only been blogging seriously since end June/beg July, haven’t been working online over this period before. You obviously know heaps more than me and it sounds like a lot of people will be doing what you suggest and taking a break.

    I know over the American Thanksgiving holiday things were a bit slower, but I still had enough activity to stay busy.

    Also here in Oz where people took a few days off over Christmas, now our shops open on Boxing Day so some people only have Christmas Day off! Others do as you say and take an extended break. Will be interesting to follow this conversation and hear other bloggers take on what they will be doing…..working or having a break?!

    Patricia Perth Australia

    1. Karen

      Hi Patricia, if you are still blogging over the Christmas holidays, then my recommendation would be to post about the current trend, which will inevitable be “christmas” 😉 That way, you’ll be utilizing the trends 😉

  5. Mitchell Allen

    Karen, I actually reviewed my past blogging habits for this time of year. As with everything else on my blog, there was no rhyme or reason. I have blogged on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the day after Christmas. Yet, there are not a bunch of posts at any time during the month.

    So I guess I’m not too bad, eh?

    Happy Holidays,

    Mitch

    1. Karen

      I’ll be reviewing my blogging habits as well, mind you I do that every year, it helps with understanding the trends that my blog has been following and also helps with understanding what subjects seem more popular than others 😉

  6. Daniel Sharkov

    Hey Karen,

    The Christmas holidays will definitely be kinda problematic when it comes to blogging. I was actually wondering how I am going to keep up with my blog during those. The problem is that I don’t really like the idea of totally stopping. Scheduling some posts is definitely a good one. The problem is that if you want to get people to view those posts, you will need to do some promoting and scheduling that one won’t work LOL. So overall I’m planning to continue working on my blog throughout the holidays, but on a slower phase and fewer hours a day.

    1. Karen

      A slower phase and fewer hours a day, sounds just as good as taking a full break, you may find that you will come across some other new posts to create 😉

  7. Kimi

    This christmas will be my first christmas blogging 😀

    Excited, though i do bake some cookies LOL; not yet done because i have no mood, but blogging mood i am having, as usual.

    But i try to do some fix scheduling between baking and christmas preparation.

    Have a good day/evening, Karen.

    Kimi

    1. Karen

      Just reading your comment about cookies is making my mouth water, now is that your own recipe? If it is, I’d love to know it 😉

      1. Kimi

        LOL, no, it’s my mother in law’s.

        They are German christmas cookies, very delicious but can’t bake without the recipe books 🙂

  8. Dennis Edell

    I’ll be working through as if it is a normal time. As my current post points out, i have enough unwanted downtime, I do not need to impose more on purpose. 🙂

      1. Dennis Edell

        Thanks Karen, it’s also why current events are killing me…so to speak. lol

  9. Richard

    Actually, I’ll have more time for blogging over the Holidays because I’ll be off from work for a week. That actually gives me time to blog on the weekdays, which is normally hard for me.

  10. Kissie

    Hey Karen, good to see you here.

    Finally, some advice I can follow! I will tell you this however, having some time off allows me some freedom I normally wouldn’t have. I’m going to take advantage of that; maybe I’ll tidy up some of my drafts that’s been sitting in my dashboard since last Christmas.

    Seasons Greetings!!!

  12. Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach

    This part:

    “Slow down, ignore your blog, enjoy the Christmas holidays, eat loads, drink in moderation and just have a fantastic time”

    couldn’t have said it better meself. 🙂 Amen to that!

  13. Karen

    I think a lot of bloggers think that taking a break will destroy their blogging reputation, everyone needs a break once in a while 😉

  14. Alex

    Hey Karen,
    Right on, I really need to take a break, especially know that I have to visit the guy that you see in my gravatar. I want to spend some time with my newly born nephew.

    Also, you are saying us to relax while you just posted two guest posts near the Christmas Holidays ? 😛

    Have a nice one, Karen!

    1. Karen

      😆 I’ll be taking my very own advice in the Christmas week 😉 😆
      Good luck with your visit 😉

  15. RonLeyba

    Nice tips Karen. I hope you will do the same thing as well. You are such a hard worker and a blog-a-holic (I guess?). Yourself needs a good break and a good time this holiday season.

    Just like what you have said:

    “enjoy the Christmas holidays, eat loads, drink in moderation” (and gain some weight lol). Anyway, its what holiday is all about, relaxation and good times with family and friends. =)

    1. Karen

      I am indeed a bit of a blog-a-holic and I will be taking my own advice with a few glasses of Absinthe over the Christmas holidays 😉

  17. City Photographer

    Hi Karen, going to try and control my blogging over the festive period and should not really be a problem as I blog what I photograph during the working week. I noticed you don’t have keywordLuv plugged in here, do you know of the benefits? Thanks Grant

    1. Karen

      Hi, I must stop by your blog, as to KeywordLuv, I’m just a guest blogger, so you would have to bring this up with the owner, Ileane 😉

  18. Alex Papa

    Hi Karen, I agree with you.
    A great part of living a balanced life is to take a break; this will help bloggers restore their faculties to an optimum level. Instead of being cooped-up in front of the laptop all day, this Christmas season i plan to take some time off to walk and think. Thanks for your advice.

  19. Pete

    I am actually taking some time off of blogging…..just want to get away from my regular life…no work during the holidays…strictly!!

  20. Monex

    Learn how to use Twitter to connect to an audience build your authority and attract thousands of visitors. As your blog grows and the readership increases you will get people contacting you asking to write guest posts for your blog.

    1. Ileane

      Great point. But I’m not sure how this relates to Karen’s post on Blogging Through the Christmas Holidays. Do you have any Twitter strategies to help out with that?

  21. Rachel - Avaguide

    I still like to blog because I get a lot of inspiration during this season but I do time management and make sure I balance my time with everything. Though blogging is the least of my priorities during the holidays. 🙂

    1. Karen

      Hi Rachel, I also set up some time management during the Christmas break, time for chillaxing and having fun 😉 😆 Happy Holidays 😉

  22. Geremy

    The Cristmas and the New Yearare big opportunities to increase your earnings from blogging, that is why i’ll keep blogging even on the holidays. Nice article and Marry Cristmas and Happy New Year.

    1. Karen

      Thanks Geremy, I do hope you make some extra cash with your Christmas blogging, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 😉

  24. Basam

    I often become too lazy in holidays and in Christmas holidays I only enjoy and sleep but your blog post has alarmed me to changed my previous habit and make me also responsible in these holidays.

  25. Peter J

    As much as i would love to be blogging, i think i’m not going to be simply because everyone else has stopped. If there is no community to back you because they’ve all took the time for holidays, is it worth the effort?

  26. Claire

    Took your advice and had some time off. Now I am back to work and extremely glad cause I had a wonderful vacation. Just dropping by to say Happy Holidays to you too!

  27. Karen

    Thanks for the replies and comments everyone, I’ve just got back from my blogging/christmas break, so I’ll be back to my blogging shortly 😉

  28. chris

    Karen

    Blogging during the weekend is extremely hard – not to mention during the holidays!
    I usually think that with all the time off I get, I can easily make time to blog on the weekends – but there are so many other things to do that I hardly every have time. I think that I need the break however!
    you have a very clean and easy to read blog
    happy holidays have a great new year!

    1. Karen

      Thanks for commenting Chris, sorry for the delay, had a brilliant Christmas, I sometimes have a blogging day off on the weekend, but not all the time 😉

  29. Alan

    I hope you had a great Christmas holiday! I know that I always enjoy mine 😀 Thanks for sharing all of your fun traditions!

    1. Karen

      Hi Ian, yes thanks had an awesome Christmas, it was nice to have a bit of a break, not too much though 😉

  31. Mario M.

    Christmas is a happy festival. Blogging during holidays is much fun, but it is difficult to keep it up! Once in a week is still understandable, but bloggers like me are addicted to writing everyday. However, it is not so possible. Thank you for sharing the traditional ideas.

    1. Karen

      Hi Mario, thank you for stopping by and commenting on one of my earlier blog posts, nice to see it’s been kept alive and still of some interest to people 😉

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