In my last post, I wrote about blogging discomfort and suggested some ways to overcome this discomfort. Most of my tips touched on tactics you could use to familiarize yourself with the web, finding your voice and getting comfortable with the idea of being “public” as a way of easing discomfort.
Then I realised that there are others factors — internal factors — at play that lead us to feel uncomfortable about making the leap to the online world.
This revolves around self-consciousness. And so this post is exactly about that – how to overcome online self-consciousness.
I think one of the biggest barriers to getting your blogging mojo on, is blogophobia – the fear of blogging. [clickToTweet tweet=”Blogophobia is like glossophobia – the fear of public speaking. ” quote=”Blogophobia (not really a word yet but it should be), is like glossophobia – the fear of public speaking.”]
And come to think of it, blogging is a lot like public speaking because whether you are blogging or speaking publicly, both
- Require that you share yourself and your thinking with (what feels like) the whole world
- Leave you feeling like you are the centre of attention
- Can result in “judgments” about you and what you share
So putting yourself out there in the blogosphere can leave you feeling self-conscious and vulnerable.
That self-conscious feeling and how to get over it
Part of getting over your fear is getting over your self-consciousness. Wikipedia defines self-consciousness as:
… an acute sense of self-awareness. It is a preoccupation with oneself … an unpleasant feeling of self-consciousness may occur when one realizes that one is being watched or observed, the feeling that “everyone is looking” at oneself. When feeling self-conscious, one becomes aware of even the smallest of one’s own actions. Such awareness can impair one’s ability to perform complex actions.
Getting over your self-consciousness in blogging
1. Remember – it’s not about you
A key reason that you feel self-conscious is that you are focusing on yourself. You are worrying about all eyes being on you and your blog.
Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about your audience. The more you think about them and what the need and want, the less that you will think about yourself.
2. Put yourself in their place
Ask yourself, “If I was in the audience, what would I want or need to know?” Think about the potential dilemmas, problems that your blogging could help them to address.
3. Share what you know
Remember that you have valuable information to share. Blogging is just like having a conversation. Think about the conversations that you have every day with your clients. What do they often ask you about? What do you know that they are interested in?
4. Give yourself time or cut yourself some slack
Almost every beginner blogger has felt that self-conscious feeling – even if they don’t admit it. It takes time to find your voice, style and tone.
5. Practice
Yup… I bet you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you? Just keep blogging. I promise you that if you use these tips and techniques you will shed that self-conscious feeling and overcome blogophobia.
Have you suffered from blogophobia? If so, how did you overcome it? All at once or slowly over time? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Do you want to get blogging but don’t know where to start? Call me – 416-951-3579. Or email me. I’ll create a strategy and a plan that you’ll feel comfortable with.
Excellent post Dawn. Hypnosis is a great way to overcome all fears including the fear of blogging.
I agree with you Julia and thanks for pointing out that hypnosis is another tactic for overcoming a fear of blogging.