How I Took A Medium Break And Still Grew My Audience
Don’t be afraid to pause
I took a Medium break for a little over a week as I prepared for & went to Glastonbury Festival.
As I am local to the festival, I’ve attended on & off since I was a teen. Back then we used to hop onto the site on the back of a friend's Quad bike, or with a free wristband that would be shared around until we all gained entry.
This was before the introduction of the mega-fences & a huge increase in security…
Impact on my Medium Growth?
But I was worried. I was worried that the traction I had built with Medium would stop & my algorithms would mess up. I had started the month taking part in a 30 day writing challenge that was so much fun but festival prep & growing my business halted that — I loved being involved with it though & will hopefully get another chance to join another soon.
I noticed a drop in engagement once I stopped the challenge, but nothing too drastic but my fears around this longer break left me unsure what to do. I was going to bank some articles & schedule them — but with 1001 things running through my mind of what needed to get done outside of Medium I chose to just stop. Remove any pressure I had put on myself, relax & enjoy the show.
And guess what?!
As the title suggests — I actually grew! I have now passed 300 followers, I have had a tonne of engagement & my earnings are in double digits (I’ll do a separate article on that at some point)
I was totally shocked as I had feared dropping into the abyss, but the opposite happened
What do I think helped?
My engagement with others. I LOVE reading the work of others. I follow lots of people now so it’s hard to keep up with everyone, but I take time each day to read. I do this congruently — it’s not a chore, it’s something I want to do & enjoy doing. Yes I understand that engagement is a strategy to grow, but it is more than that to me.
As I engage with others, the connections stay alive.
So if you are planning on taking a break & you simply don't have enough time to pre-write articles, try not to worry. It doesn’t always mean that your visibility will disappear.
To those who continue to support me & engage with my work — THANK YOU so much! I truly appreciate every single one of your claps & responses.
Normal service will be resumed either later or tomorrow morning (I’m in the UK if my timings don’t make sense to you!) & I will get back to writing about what I love — raising awareness of mental health & supporting people through what I share.
Now to unpack the caravan (I cannot cope with being in a tent at the festival & am lucky enough to be able to take a van onto site — I’m far too old & have far too many sore joints to camp in a tent 🤣)
Remember: It’s okay to take a break
Lynsey x
About me: I'm Lynsey, a counsellor, coach, mentor & teacher. I support women with burnout, stress & anxiety. For more information on working with me or accessing my online courses,take a look hereIf you'd like to leave me a tip, you can buy me a coffee or join Medium as a writer here Keep up to date when I publish an article 📝
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