Dainty Alice


A pretty little LUSH, Beauty & Lifestyle blog.


4 Reasons Why Blogging May Be Causing Your Anxiety



If you suffer with anxiety, you'll know it's a horrible feeling. I'm in no way trying to invalidate anyone by saying that blogging is the root cause of all anxiety, but if you're already pre-disposed to feeling this way, blogging can often contribute to feeling worse.

Blogging can be a rewarding hobby, and in some cases the sole source of income for full-time bloggers, but it's not without it's negatives. I recently got thinking about how blogging can actually be a huge cause of anxiety, and the reasons why, and it just blossomed into this post.

Here's 4 reasons why blogging may be causing your anxiety.

'The Fear' (Of Not Being Good Enough)

@BeautyByTheBun mentioned this recently when she tweeted about 'the fear' she felt when she uploaded a new profile picture, and I knew exactly what she meant.

Anyone else get the fear when they change their profile pic?

— Beauty By The Bunny (@beautybythebun)

For us bloggers that don't feel photo-ready at any time of the day and can't afford professional shoots, uploading photos of ourselves really can cause a lot of anxiety. What if nobody likes it? What if I lose followers after posting it?

It's so easy just to stay comfortably behind the camera, uploading gorgeous flatlays and product pictures, but with the current trend of photo shoots growing more each day I often find myself feeling trapped. I really, really want to join in, but as I just feel so anxious posing and having photos taken, I feel like my photos will never be good enough.

Wanting To Fit In, But Still Stand Out

Since starting my new Instagram account, I've discovered loads of incredibly gorgeous accounts that I hadn't come across before. Emily from @AWhimsicalRose, Jordan at @HelloMissJordan and Freya with @FreyasFairytale are a few that instantly spring to mind.

Their feeds are so stunningly beautiful and we have so much in common that I desperately want to be friends with them, even be them, and it's a delicate balancing act between posting photos that mimic their loveliness, whilst staying true to my own style.

Spending hours carefully curating an Instagram feed can really take it's toll, especially when you fall into the trap of using apps such an UNUM to plan your feed in advance. It's important for it to flow, and look effortless, whilst still being perfectly arranged, and it can cause a huge amount of unnecessary anxiety.

The Threat Of Being Called Out

The current situation of the 'blogosphere' means that you genuinely can't say or do anything without someone finding a way to make you look like an awful person. Share something that you found funny, but others didn't? You're a horrible person. Tweet something unsavoury when you're mad or upset? Everyone hates you.

I don't quite understand why this culture of 'calling out' others began, but it seems like quite a cut-throat way to get ahead and play a part in the downfall of others. I've been on both ends of this multiple times, and it's not a pleasant experience for anyone.

Which leads to the anxiety. Should you tweet that? Shouldn't you? Can you really trust that the person you're talking to isn't going to screenshot each message and out you to the world? Is that blogger really trying to be your friend, or are they just trying to get the next piece of gossip before it goes public.

The Pressure To Post Quality Content Constantly

When I first started blogging, I thought it was the end of the world if I didn't post every single day. I would stay up late at night, and wake up in a panic in the mornings if I didn't have a post planned and written for the next day. And it couldn't just be any post, it had to be a well-written piece with good quality images, that provoked discussion in the comments. It was exhausting.

I'd find myself taking my laptop to work and spending my dinner half-hour trying to type as fast as I could, feverishly messaging other bloggers asking if I could temporarily use their photos as I hadn't had a chance to take mine yet. It was as if I was constantly working to a 24 hour deadline that I'd set myself.

I know a lot of others struggle with this too, sending out tweets apologising that the day's post was up late, or that they haven't finished editing their most recent video.


As I mentioned at the start, blogging is incredibly rewarding, but also a lot of pressure sometimes! Maybe you'd never even thought about it until now, but if after reading this post you're thinking "this is me", then it may be time to take a rest and change your blogging habits.

What do you think?
Does blogging contribute to your anxiety?

5 comments

  1. Hi Alice! I can definitely relate to these reasons. Especially posting quality content consistently... I just started my blog this month and I already feel guilty when I go a couple days without posting anything. I just haven't found my groove yet. I will say when I do post I feel so proud of myself and I think that balances out the anxiety.

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  2. Hey alice,
    I have to say I very much enjoy the community so far. I can totally see why you put these points down. When I speak for myself I want to say that I'd like people to read me who find that I write something they can relate to in someway or that it inspires them. I write mainly for me. And if other people enjoy it to, that's lovely :)
    As for the calling out part I've recently decided that if I come across hate, I will block and unfollow in a heartbeat. I know what I want for my connections and thats not it. I don't like that kind of drama and it's unnecessary.
    I know I will never be a photomodel and that's fine... it's not what I want people to like me for.

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  3. Oh wow, I can definitely relate to these. I felt like that in the very beginning where all I wanted was to be part of the ~cool bloggers club, if that even existed. Now I just take things slow and post what I want, when I want :3

    cabin twenty-four

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  4. Much as I love blogging, I do find it incredibly stressful sometimes. I don't think non-bloggers realise the amount of hard work involved and how time-consuming it can be, on top of your job and family. I wouldn't want to not blog now but I think you're right, sometimes we need to take a step back and reset ourselves. Comparison is the thief of joy and that's not what we should be taking from blogosphere! Fab post, lovely, x

    Lisa | www.lisasnotebook.com

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  5. I have anxiety everytime I post a picture of myself on IG, or on stories, but my love for it seems to out weigh the anxiety over it all. I know I would be 100x worse if I lived in London though, I don't think I could handle the events :O

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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Every single comment means so much to me, thanks for making me smile! :)