When asked to describe social media in one word….
I would describe it as LOUD. It’s so dang noisy and when you follow and interact with a lot of people it can just be too much.
To be honest the past couple of years the noise has really overwhelmed me. I’ve always felt inspired by social media and I’ve always loved the community aspect of it. But there for a while I was always leaving with my brain on overload.
I would be inspired, but question myself and my abilities.
I would be excited to try something new, but feel the pressure to share it in the PERFECT way. (engagement is king right?!)
I would feel the pressure to share what everyone else is sharing or do what everyone else is doing, yet at the end of the day I would question if that even aligned with my personal values and my life.
Why am I here? What am I actually doing and what do I actually want to share?! I’m honestly still trying to figure all this out, but I’m learning to lift those unnecessary expectations and stick to me. To be honest, I feel like I’ve kind of lost a little bit of myself along the way.
But now that I’ve realized it, I’m shifting my focus, trying some new things and I can’t wait to share them with you along the way! Even though I’m a business owner and blogger and am using my social media for business, this goes for everyone. I think we can all agree our social medias could use a detox!
So now on to the good stuff…
What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed By Social Media
Step 1: Figure Out What Area You’re Feeling Overwhelmed By
For me I was following way too many “shopping bloggers” where they were literally doing try ons, all sharing/wearing the same pieces, a LOT of amazon and fast fashion. They’re all adorable, don’t get me wrong, but I was flooded with CLOTHES every dang day. I just couldn’t do it. So I picked a few of my favorites and unfollowed the rest.
Another area was following my “competition”. And if you’re in any kind of business I think keeping an eye on what other people in your industry are doing is important. But you don’t need to keep up with everyone. Pick a few of your favorites, unfollow the rest.
Step 2: Fill Your Feed With a Combination of Things You Love and That Inspire You
For a while I had a real big head and unfollowed everyone except bloggers so that I was laser focused on blogging when I was on instagram. That was a bad idea. It created SO much comparison, stress and “not good enough” feelings. Now I’ve unfollowed/muted a lot of bloggers and only have my favorites show up for me in stories and on my feed. It’s a combination of real people/friends, people that really inspire me, inspirational quotes/people, beautiful photos and business owners that I look up to. This is a perfect mix for me! I’ve muted or unfollowed anyone who make me feel less than, anyone who speaks negatively/complains a lot and honestly people who just seem fake on social media.
Step 3: Do This Often!
When you start to feel overwhelmed or like social media is noisy again, take a step back and reevaluate!
Now go on and get some social media peace! Let me know if you do this and how you’re loving it!
