Over the last 3 weeks, I have been preoccupied with health issues.
Thankfully, I received a positive result from my hospital test on Friday. To be honest, it was a huge relief.
Despite my best efforts to stay positive and not worry, at certain times throughout the week worry got the upper hand and slapped me around the head a little.
During the week, my mind would occasionally start to play the scary what if game.
For instance, what if they found Cancer? Not a calming thought, let me tell you. Thankfully, all is well. Notice I used thankfully twice in just a few sentences. Definitely not a typo or bad use of wording, I am feeling very grateful indeed.
Consequently, it is great to be back writing and blogging today.
Yet a 3 weeks absence can throw your work schedule and business (and consequently you) into a bit of a spin. Suddenly you find yourself well behind in everything.
So how do we get ourselves back on track after a considerable time away without stressing or totally losing our mind?
This is what I plan to do to get back on track after my break from blogging.
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Dive straight into the three most important tasks
The problem with being away for so long is the sense of feeling overwhelmed when you finally do get back to work.
You can have so much to do, you literally have no idea where to start.
This is where I found myself, as I sat down at my desk. My very messy, piled full of papers desk (though we might leave that discussion for a future blog post).
My solution, pick out the three most important tasks and dive into those first.
Related post – What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed
Reply to correspondence
It is important to keep in touch with people or in my case, get back in touch with people.
A priority for me will be responding to important emails as well as replying to the much neglected (but very much appreciated) comments on this blog.
I realize as a blogger, one of the mistakes I’ve made since starting work from home is allowing a certain sense of isolation to permeate my blogging world.
It’s not simply a matter of spending too much time working on my own, but more a case of not connecting with other people.
I have been far too isolated in my work. The last 3 weeks have only widened that already existing divide.
The answer – start connecting with key people again.
It has never been more important for me to reach out and touch someone, than right at this moment.
Related post – Working Alone – Is it for you?
Start promoting myself
While there is an urgent need for me to get back writing again, there is also an urgent need to resume promoting and marketing myself.
In truth, promotion is easily one of my top three priorities.
Do up a work plan for the rest of the week
You could call this a to-do list, but in fact, it will be more a detailed work plan for the entire week.
I need to know exactly what I need to be working on each hour, each day of this week to achieve a maximum outcome.
Related post – How to Deal with Blogger Envy
Get writing
I have not been creating content lately. For a writer and blogger – could there be a bigger sin?
Despite being unwell for large chunks of time, I should have found a way to fit in more writing. Yes, I am feeling the sting of the ‘should’ word as I type that.
Writers write. Bloggers create blog posts and content. That’s what we do.
When we aren’t writing or haven’t been writing as much as we can, we feel a sense of frustration and inner conflict. Well, at least I do at any rate.
When I am not writing and getting all of my thoughts and feelings out on paper or at least a computer screen, I feel like all of my ideas and thoughts might bubble up inside me and burst out all over the place. 🙂
Not a pretty visual picture I realize, but I’m sure you get the general feeling of discontent and disconnect, I feel if I am not expressing myself in some shape or form.
Setbacks happen and blogging breaks are sometimes necessary but it’s how we get back to work that makes all the difference.
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