Is Blogging Killing You?
It might sound like an amusing question, but it appears that there could be some truth to it. Is blogging killing you? According to an article in the New York Times on Sunday, blogging can be fatal, or at the very least, contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle that could lead to death.
Sadly, two well-known bloggers, Russell Shaw and Marc Orchant, died in the past few months from heart-related conditions. Their stress levels may have contributed to their conditions, and much of that stress may have come from blogging. These men were only 60 and 51, respectively. Another popular blogger, Om Malik, 41 years old, was lucky enough to survive a heart attack in December.
What does this tell us? Well, while blogging might start as a hobby or a way to make some extra money, for many people, it becomes an all-consuming business venture. Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, there is high stress involved. The more popular you and your blog become, the more stress there is to continue to perform and grow. It’s a never-ending cycle.
What should we learn from this? As with any business, make sure you don’t forget your life. Take some time to spend with your family and friends. Take a vacation. Don’t get overly stressed. Life is too short. Your blog will be there tomorrow….or at least in a few hours.
However, I wonder how realistic this advice really is. Can you take a break from your blog?
Dan | April 7th, 2008 at 7:54 pm #
Well anything that becomes an unhealthy habit is bad, but indeed, blogging can fall into that criteria. It seems harmless at first, but if you get too into it and don’t watch yourself it may end up being a bad thing.
Kyrie Bridgewater | April 7th, 2008 at 8:48 pm #
Hi Susan,
Very interesting article.
I agree that with any entrepreneurial endeavor, there can be high stress involved. I think it’s extremely important to make sure you balance your life.
It’s so important to schedule your days and allow plenty of time away from your computer.
Also very important to get enough exercise-that alone is a stress reducer!
Thanks Susan, for the reminders that life is too short to get so stressed about a blog (or anything for that matter).
Kyrie Bridgewater
SuperJason | April 8th, 2008 at 3:39 pm #
So are you going to stop?
–SuperJason (my tech blog)
Susan Gunelius (Post Author) | April 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pm #
I’m addicted, SuperJason. In fact, I need to start practicing what I preach. I should have included, “Do as I say, not as I do,” in my post.