Why I stopped blogging…

So it’s been two months and this feels really strange. Sitting and writing about why I’ve not been around as much lately and why the blogging went a bit on the quiet side.

So when I first started blogging I was so excited and motivated. It was something I had wanted to do for so many years and I really just wanted my own space to write about life, share my knowledge on mental health and review some of my favourite things.

I finally took the plunge and I loved it – I had so much I wanted to say and really got caught up in it, until I told myself I had to do it every. single. week.

The whole point of me blogging was more about having a blank canvas to just add to whenever I felt like it. I wanted it to be natural and enjoyable and i’ll be honest – I really started to dislike it.

Telling yourself you have to do something every single Sunday – it became more of a chore. I would feel pressure to think of something to talk about and when I did, I would be so stressed on a Sunday making sure it was out on time that the fun got sucked out of it for me and suddenly – it was forced.

Obviously blogging isn’t my job and I work full time around it but trying to juggle a full time job, family, a social life, the gym and planning a wedding became almost impossible so when Ramadan came – I just took the time out and decided it was fine. I needed to do it for me.

I was scared that people reading often would stop following my posts, people would think I had failed just after 6 months of starting blogging and I felt this overbearing pressure that it had to continue. Obviously it wasn’t even just blogging – constantly having to upload things on my Instagram was again, not organic anymore and I was doing it for the wrong reasons.

During Ramadan I had a lot of time to reflect, I stopped posting on Instagram or my blog and suddenly – I felt free (dramatic or what?). But honestly, I just felt that pressure had been lifted because really, I was the only one putting pressure on myself. I suddenly could go out and just enjoy myself, not worry about being home for a certain time to write my last minute blog post because I was too busy through the week and really, I could just breathe.

If you don’t have a blog, you may not understand this – but so much work goes in to it – especially a website. The pictures, updating things, renewing domains and content, advertising it so people read and oh em gee, I really didn’t realise how much time actually goes in to it I guess haha.

So after Ramadan, I still didn’t post – and now it has been 3 weeks but again, I just left it till I was ready. So here I am, on a Sunday I finally have free, just sitting and enjoying writing this blog post with a cuppa at hand in this beautiful heatwave we are having. On so many occasions I missed it but I didn’t write anything because again, I really wanted enough time to write ALL of what I wanted to let out (as you can see from the above – that is A LOT).

Through blogging, I have had encounters with SO many people I never thought I would. The comments I have received have been amazing and people have talked about my writing in such a positive way (I genuinely never thought I wrote well, i’m just rambling here haha – but y’all have made me feel I have a skill I never knew I had). People who I haven’t spoken to for years and years have reached out in response to my posts. I have spoken to strangers about things I never thought I would, people have cried at my posts, girls have shared their personal experiences of marriage and life and I have had the deepest chats about mental health with readers. Hell, people have gone and spent lots of money on treatments because of my reviews! Now THAT for me, is just insane!

I know I am a teeny weeny blogger in the blogging world – but your words of kindness have honestly kept me going and made me feel so special, even when I felt pressure to keep up with it. A few people have messaged me telling me they’ve missed my blogs and that in itself, has made me want to keep blogging.

So from now, there will definitely be more blogging – but I just want to be more relaxed with it. I want to blog often, hopefully not disappear for 2 months again aha – but just as and when it feels right.

I just want to thank every single person that reads my blog posts – honestly it means the absolute world to me. I do this for no gain – just to share a little of me with you guys and to know you’re taking the time out to read my random rambles, makes me so glad I started.

I wanted to be really transparent with this post (as always) and just basically say that sometimes you do feel pressurised to act a certain way or do certain things just to please everyone else – but honestly, look after yourself first. If you are feeling pressured to post often or keep a facade up that’s impacting you – take my advice and take some time out. People who want to stay, will be there to support you no matter what. Putting everything in to perspective from a distance can really make a difference.

Thank you for reading and I will be back again real soon!

Tayybs x