What Happens When You Take a Break From Podcasting

Podcasting can take a lot of energy. It's easy to think that every podcaster is ‌ 100% engaged and excited about making podcasts, but even the most experienced (and successful) podcasters go through times when stepping into the podcast studio is very difficult.

Then what?

Most serious podcasters take breaks from time to time. I took a couple of breaks from podcasting this year, ironically, to work on other projects related to podcasting, including a new book and sites like this one. 

“Podcasting” is more than just recording yourself. But if you need to walk away from anything even related to podcasting, that’s fine. And sometimes just knowing this can actually help you avoid podcasting fatigue, since you know breaks are an option.

A final thought on momentum …

Yes, you'll lose some momentum when you take time off. But I’ve found that, if you're honest with listeners about what’s happening and you come back to podcasting with renewed excitement, this loss won't be permanent.

Most established podcasts can come back from a hiatus relatively quickly, assuming that you jump back in fully.

Yes, explain where you've been on your return episode, but don’t apologize for taking the time you need to regroup and show up for your audience in the way they deserve. Nobody will fault you for doing what you need to revive your focus and excitement about podcasting. And your listeners may actually appreciate a break themselves, as it will give them time to catch up on past episodes.

Here’s an example sent by The Thrst, who hadn't released an episode for the previous year. Any listener who misses your podcast would be excited to see something like this.