Hello friends! Long time no talk, on here anyways. If you’re a regular you’ve probably noticed that I’ve taken a bit of a break on blog posts. However, if you follow along with me on Instagram and Youtube – there’s been no shortage of content on there! I decided to take this opportunity to give you guys a little life update on what’s been going on over here and discuss keeping a healthy relationship with social media, as they seem to go hand in hand. Read on for more! 🙂
Finding a Balance
Like most things in life, it can be hard to find a balance when it comes to social media. For me this can be particularly hard because it happens to be my job, but at the same time I am also a consumer of social media. That means I spend a lot of time on and around social media. Between creating, consuming, brain storming, and upkeep – at times it can seem like it takes over my entire life. It’s important to me to make sure that I’m using social media in a positive way and that it’s also bringing more value and happiness to my life than stress or negativity.
Small Adjustments to Change Your Perspective
This is why it’s extremely important to find a balance and have a firm grasp on reality – so that you don’t get too caught up in social media and believe it is in fact your entire life. For me one of the best practices I’ve found for maintaining this balance is mini breaks and or purges.
For example, when social media has you feeling overwhelmed, less than, or frustrated it’s usually best to take a little step back. Depending on your relationship with social media, this will look a little different for everyone. For someone like myself who is a creator, it can be simple things like not checking instagram during a meal with loved ones, not posting everything you do to stories for a few days at a time, or lessening your load of content for the week/month/etc.
You can also do simple social or active things to get your mind off social media. Spending time in nature and re-connecting with that part of the world can be so refreshing and all too necessary. Some human interaction and touch is always nice as well. Maybe this means a good long hug from your mom or a giggly lunch with your best gal pal – no cell phones necessary or allowed!
I also use exercise as a source of distraction when social media has me stressed out. Group classes work especially well for me as they make me feel social and connected but they don’t allow me to check my phone and indulge in social media at all for that hour of time. When I do my own workouts, walks, runs etc. I still find myself checking my phone. I love the fact that group classes don’t allow me to get distracted in that way.
These tweaks can allow you to get some space from the pressure and demand of constantly producing or consuming content. It can also help to re-energize and re-inspire you creatively. But most importantly it will remind you of what truly matters in life. It will help you come back to reality and feel more present, and less wrapped up in the hype of the online world.
Take them as frequently as you see fit. For me, I take these steps when I feel that social media is taking away more from me than it’s giving me at the time. Leaving me feeling less drained and upset than connected, inspired, or intrigued.
If you guys would want to see a more in depth blog post on actionable steps to take to practice purging, cleansing, and purifying your social media intake I’d be happy to share more. Let me know on IG or in the comments below! 🙂
Know Your Limits
Another big lesson in the social media world (and again in most things) is being able to accept and understand your limits. Wether you’re a consumer or a creator, it’s important to keep in mind that too much of anything can quickly turn into a bad thing. For example, I’ve always held myself to a high standard when it comes to working on any job or project. As an influencer this has helped me become successful due to my self discipline, but it can also lead me toward burn outs from time to time.
Let Go When You Can’t Do It All
It’s taken some time for me to understand that I can’t always do it all. I’ve had to learn how to be more gentle and forgiving with myself when it comes to this high standard. Keeping up with daily IG posts, stories every day, blog posts every week, and two youtube videos each week is A LOT. As I recently decided to focus more time and energy on my Youtube channel I have found it’s increasingly more difficult to keep up with all of my other social channels. This has resulted in me producing less frequently in places like my blog. And while at first I was quick to beat myself up over this, I’ve realized it is more than ok. It’s ok to take breaks, to do what you can, and to be proud of yourself for working towards your goals – even if that means letting a few to do’s wait until next week.
That’s it for today’s industry talk! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Although I don’t have as much time as I’d like to create blog posts as regularly as I used to, I still love to do it. And I’d love to hear any suggestions or topics you’d like to know more about in upcoming posts. Feel free to drop them in the comments below or over on IG! xx
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photography by Clayton Wenner @clayhendrx
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