How Do You Return to Blogging After Taking a Hiatus

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

How to ease into blogging after a break: What to expect when returning to blogging following a hiatus.

Have you ever had to Google,” How do you return to blogging after taking a hiatus?” Me either—until recently, that is. I had taken blogging breaks before, as I have been in this blogosphere since 1995 when I started my first one, but not one quite as long as this one.  

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, chances are you’ve taken a break from blogging at some point. Maybe you took some time off to focus on other aspects of your business, or perhaps you just needed a break from the virtual world. Either way, easing back into blogging after a break can be challenging.

When returning to blogging after a hiatus, there’s much to consider. What should you write about? How often should you post?

So, if you’re like me and you’re thinking of returning to blogging after a hiatus, there are a few things you should consider. 

First, why did you take a break from blogging? Was it due to burnout or a lack of time? If it is burnout, make sure you have a plan in place to prevent it from happening again. 

Perhaps you can hire a virtual assistant to help with some of the administrative tasks of running a blog. 

Second, it can be hard to ease back into blogging after a break. You may feel like you’ve lost your voice or have nothing to say. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. However, using tools like ProWritingAid can help you refine your writing and regain your confidence. Just take some time to catch up on what’s happening in your niche. This will help you return to the conversation and give you something to write about. 

Why I Am Returning to Blogging After a Long Hiatus 

If you’re a business owner – like me! – who uses blogs to connect with your audience, it’s natural to feel hesitant about returning to blogging after a break. You may wonder if your blog will still be relevant or if you’ll be able to pick up where you left off.

When I started blogging over twenty years ago, it was not to make money. It was an outlet for me to share my silly tales and stories. I’ve had blogs on all sorts of topics—pets, weight loss and wellness, writing, working from home, and even a few tax and accounting sites. It wasn’t until I started the YUMeating brand that things began to turn around for me. 

But in 2015, I left my now ex-husband and the voice I had for that brand. All the years of stories and recipes with him and the kiddo—it was just a massive hit to my life and caused a lot of writer’s block. 

Right around this time, my biggest blog sponsor, Mode Media, filed for bankruptcy because they owed me a pretty sizeable chunk of money (along with thousands of other bloggers). As if things could not get any worse, Detroit Examiner—for whom I had a healthy food channel—also closed. I took it as a sign that I needed to take a break from food writing. 

Nevermore Lane was never meant to be about food. When I first purchased the domain, it was to be a shop. Before the divorce, we had discussed my passion for one day having an apothecary-type shop with a little library section offering teas and coffees. The apothecary-type shop happened many years later when I launched Beard Babe Love in 2017. When I sold YUMeating in 2021, all those posts came to Nevermore Lane. 

So, here we are. Over the years, I have tried multiple times to find my voice, return to my love of writing, and share my silly tales. 

I am not here for the money. 

I will not be sharing fancy photos or trying to be a pretty influencer looking for that perfect photo op. I will not be tied to my phone or social media. Those days are over. 

I am just me. Simple girl, simple life. It’s a little boring. But still full of words to share. 

How to Ease Back Into Blogging After a Break

Now that you know my deets, let’s talk about how to ease back into blogging after a break and what to expect after a lengthy hiatus. 

1. Take some time to evaluate why you took a break from blogging in the first place. If you left blogging due to burnout, you want to make sure you take steps to avoid that in the future. Maybe it was because the voice and direction of your blog no longer suited or matched who you were. That is okay. Don’t feel like you have to pick up where you left off. It is okay to start fresh with new ideas and content. 
2. Don’t try to do too much at once. Maybe you are like me and just went on a photo-taking recipe creation spree over the weekend. Your voice is back; you have stories to tell. It is best not to push yourself too much, or you will just burn right back out. Do a post here and there. Let your audience find you again. Take your time. There is no hurry here. Ease yourself in by writing a couple of posts per week instead of every day. You can gradually increase your input once you get back into the swing of things. 
3. Be patient with yourself. Don’t expect to produce perfect content from the get-go. It will take some time to find your voice and rhythm again. 
4. Get help from a virtual assistant. If you don’t have the time to blog regularly, consider hiring someone to help you out. A virtual assistant can handle everything from coming up with ideas to posting your content for you.

Do You Need an Extra Set of Hands?

I have no plans to turn Nevermore Lane into a business site. I plan to stick to telling my tales and sharing my creations. However, I wanted to take this chance to toot my own horn because I am pretty proud of myself for finally launching my virtual assistant business. 

As many of my past readers know, blogging (copywriting) was a great side hustle for me, but I also did a lot of social media marketing and helped a lot of blog owners with their bookkeeping (as well as other clients.) Eventually, the accounting business grew, and then Covid smashed it. I went to work at a marketing agency, but now I am heading back to the self-employment zone – where I am much happier to be.

I’m still offering my bookkeeping skills in addition to all of my virtual business assistant skills, like marketing management. So, check out Chrystal Mahan, MBA: Virtual Assistant today, and let me know if you have any questions!