Many people think travel bloggers are living the dream. After all, they make money by going on vacations – sounds heavenly, right? But ask any blogger about the challenges they face daily, and watch their shoulders droop.
Between chasing content, tackling SEO, and grappling with monetization and AI competition, there are myriad stressors on their to-do lists.
Combining wanderlust with self-care can be a colossal balancing act. We’ve seen it firsthand – 33% of travel bloggers in a recent survey by Travelpayouts said they’ve considered quitting blogging at least once. Can you relate?
Many travel bloggers fail to recognize the whopping concern that “blogxiety” (a term for blogging burnout) poses a much greater and more severe challenge than content creation itself. Blogxiety can become a significant health risk that pushes you towards quitting your beloved passion.
You Can Only Ignore It for So Long
The hardcore truth is that stress affects everyone differently and at different times. Overworking without regular rest inevitably causes exhaustion and burnout, leading bloggers to make significant changes to their work or even quit because their travels and adventures simply no longer inspire them.
But burnout is not a new phenomenon. In the 1970s, psychoanalyst Herbert Freudenberger coined the term burnout as a technical term for:
- Emotional exhaustion
- Depersonalization
- A decreased sense of accomplishment
In a nutshell, being burnt out means you’re nearing the end of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual rope.
4 Key Warning Signs
Burnout creeps up on you and can be hard to notice until it’s too late. Here are four red flags to watch out:
1. You’ve lost your smile and grown cynical
You used to have an insatiable desire to explore and travel, but now you’re irritated by tourist crowds and writing about local peculiarities you once found charming. Your lust for life and humor have slipped away. How did this happen? Maybe you need clarification about how this previously passionate pursuit has become such a drain. Perhaps you feel lonely in this experience and want to hide your burnout fever from everyone. No joy. No hope. No content.
2. You feel like you’re running on empty
You’re working relentlessly around the clock and saying yes to everything. You have a watchful eye on social media and easily slip into comparison mode, triggering imposter syndrome.
As you create content, a mean inner critic sits beside your laptop. You become tired, irritable, and cranky about your work. You’re easily distracted and fall down phone scroll holes that take you further away from your blogging confidence and unique voice. You begin to stir a spoonful of self-loathing into your morning coffee. “Depletion” as a word doesn’t even cut it.
3. Your ‘blogxiety’ is beginning to manifest physically
Our nervous systems want to keep us safe. But when we ignore our tiredness and continue to push through, we risk overworking, overgiving, and overachieving. This is the point where our physical health needs to take hold of the loudspeaker and demand some much-needed rest and space. Take a break. Have a day off. Get some extra shut-eye. Don’t put it off, or your prolonged stress will begin to manifest in other ways.
Do any of these burnout symptoms resonate with you?
- Chest pains
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Gastrointestinal pain
- Headaches
- Shoulder and jaw pain
- Change in appetite
- Sleep problems
- Brain fog
- Cynicism
- Lethargy
- Apathy
- Feelings of anxiety and depression
4. Depersonalization has arrived in town
Everyone juggles a little pressure and stress in daily life. Stress can come and go with a specific situation and ease when that situation improves. But burnout is sneaky. It creeps up slowly and drains the joy and energy from you before you realize it’s there. The old you disappears, leaving only a shell. You stop feeling like yourself, and depersonalization sits on your shoulder. You struggle to know what you like, love, or want anymore. Depersonalization is the unwelcome visitor knocking on your door. “Nevermore.” “Nevermore!”
Don’t Suffer in Silence. Early Action Is Key
Blogxiety affects many bloggers who find themselves drowning under the pressure of daily stressors. You may find yourself saying yes to everything despite feeling depleted, so it’s crucial to recognize burnout as early as possible and take action before you decide to quit and close down your blog.
Burnout recovery always begins in the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest response), so hitting the pause button regularly and getting some good rest and sleep is paramount to being the best version of yourself and enjoying the travel blogging moments that count.
At the end of the day, we’re all just striving to master and manage our own energy to live a life that aligns with our values and dreams. When we figure out that balance, we not only get to do more of what we love, we also inspire each other to prioritize and harmonize our health and well-being with work and passionate pursuits that bring us (and our readers!) daily joy. And what’s not to love about that?
There’s no need to struggle alone. Action is key. Don’t quit your passion. Take care of yourself to avoid blogxiety.
