The regular habits you cultivate as a blogger can have a lasting impact on both health and performance. There’s a lot more to “successful” blogging then just the writing and monetizing.
Let’s go through the list and you see how you’re doing!
Take Care of Your Neck and Eyes
You use your head, your eyes and your neck a lot, so here are some things to keep in mind:
- Wear blue light glasses
- Look away from your screen periodicaly
- Set up your computer, keyboard and chair at the proper height
- Do neck exercises each day
Don’t Forget Your Hands and Feet
Get up and walk around throughout the day to improve circulation. Even better, schedule in a daily walk. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes with good support.
Ball of foot cushions are essential for keeping your foot from sliding forward, and can reduce pain and calluses. You can find ball of foot cushions to fit any style of shoe, including heels and sandals.
Another issue to look out for is carpal tunnel, because long periods of typing puts stress on the median nerve. To reduce the possibility of this condition developing, gently stretch and bend your hands and wrists periodically, and use a lighter touch on your keyboard. Opt for a mouse pad with a wrist rest.
There are even ways to stay active while sitting and blogging, and it’s incredibly easy! An under desk elliptical offers low impact exercise which will build both strength and mobility. “Working out” with a device like an under desk elliptical means improving your health and finances at the same time. You can Google for more exercises in the seated position.
Document Your Income and Expenses
It helps to do this as the money rolls in, and out. That way, you don’t have to spend hours (or days) the following year when it’s tax time.
I created a spreadsheet in the free OpenOffice program and it tracks all the money (and goods) that are coming in and out. The columns in my spreadsheet correspond to the standard business expense deductions in a Schedule C tax form (supplies, maintenance, utilities, etc.).
Circle Back with Old Clients
Once a campaign is over and done you might be tempted to put that client on the shelf. Don’t. It helps to keep relationships fresh, because you never know what new opportunities it might bring. Not every agency keeps a running list of bloggers that they actively keep in touch with, so an occasional “hey, I enjoyed working with you and would love to know about any upcoming campaigns” email can go a long way in getting you hired again.
Tag and Share for Goodness Sake
It’s just a nice thing to do. Promote others and their content with no reward in mind. Make sure the content is relevant to your audience.
Here are some easy ways to share:
- Social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. (don’t forget to tag or hashtag!)
- A mention in your next email newsletter
- A link on your next relevant blog post
A Yearly Review
At the end of each year…or the beginning of next if I’m running behind – I always do a blog assessment. What will I do differently? What worked and what didn’t? I clean up posts, delete duplicate or irrelevant content, and take a second look at my home page to see if anything needs freshening up.
Every once in a while, to account for inflation, I’ll update my pricing.
Here are some other things working checking each year:
- Legal language (your privacy policy, disclaimers, etc.)
- Your contact information
- Your social media and website stats (in your Media Kit)
What are some good habits that you’ve fostered as a blogger?
