Recently, I’ve been having lots of conversations with people concerned that Instagram is affecting their mental health.
It’s not surprising though, is it? Our brains and bodies are not designed to stare at a tiny screen for hours on end, comparing ourselves and making content that gets us noticed.
We are built for real-life social engagement, which has been made much more difficult over the past few years due to the lil pandemic situation we experienced. A lot of us became either partly or fully self-employed during this time too, so we may not have known another way of marketing our business! Networking events who?
Social media can be a brilliant tool to connect with like-minded people, find audiences who benefit from our services and share our ideas, but it can also be loud.
It’s so important to listen to our needs and take action when things feel challenging, so here are my top three ways to show up online when you don’t feel like it:
Don’t
Don’t
Don’t
Your mental and physical health are by far your most valuable assets. Nothing else comes close.
Sure, posting to Instagram or networking on LinkedIn could provide new leads or opportunities, but you need to be well to take advantage of them. So if you need to take a break, please do.
Your business will not crumble overnight because you didn’t make a post or maintain that rainbow ring around your wonderful face.
Your audience and clients will not penalise you for looking after yourself (and if they do then you don’t want them anyway).
Your mental health, however, will improve if you take the time and steps to allow it to slow down, and focus on what’s important in your life.
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