When I meet someone new and they ask the usual getting-to-know-you question, “what do you do for work?” I’m often met with a “oh social media is so toxic.”
Nothing brings out the bluntness like talking about influencers, tiktok, and memes.
In all fairness, social media CAN be toxic.
But it can also be a place of inspiration, education, and most importantly – connection. Social media allows us to connect with our friends and family, it allows us to meet new people, and it’s a valuable marketing tool that allows us to deeply connect with the brands we buy from. And there’s a variety of ways to do this – a variety of platforms, content types, and ways to interact, so there’s something for everyone.
No matter how much you recognize the value of social media, it can still be draining. But there are ways to protect your mental health while growing your business on social media. Let’s get into it.
- Curate Your Follow List
Your social media feeds should uplift you – they should make you feel *good*. That could mean feeling inspired or educated, that could mean seeing pretty photos or funny reels, it could mean following accounts that allow you to network in your niche, or it could mean only following your closest friends.
Regardless, unfollow any accounts that trigger anxiety, stress, comparison, or judgement.
- Be Conscious About Your Screen Time, Especially in the AM & PM
As a social media manager, I’ve heard this a million times and I kind of hate it. Social media is my job, being online is my job, and if you’re a business owner it’s part of your job too. Telling me to reduce my screen time is like telling a matcha latte to not be so delicious. It’s highly unlikely to happen.
However, you can be conscious about your screen time and notice how you feel when you’re online at different times of the day. For me, that’s the morning and night, and the afternoon when I’m feeling sleepy. If I start my day on social media, I feel distracted. If I end my day on social media, I’m wide awake all night. And if I’m feeling that sleepy afternoon slump, I avoid it at all costs because otherwise I’ll go down a rabbit hole and suddenly it’s 6pm and I’ve gotten nothing done.
Identify when you’re using social media and how it makes you feel, and set boundaries that are sustainable, without judging yourself.
- Separate Your Personal and Business Accounts
When you’re running a business and using social media for work it can be hard to use it for pure enjoyment. If you’re like me, you’re constantly looking for memes and trends and inspiration, which is one of the reasons I highly recommend separating your personal and business accounts and only using your business accounts when you’re working.
- Outsource Your Business Social Media Management
Last but not least, if you’re struggling with burn out, overwhelm, and feeling exhausted by all the things you have to do for your business, outsource what’s most time consuming, which very well might be social media. Check out the ways I can support your growth here.
First things first, hi! I’m Sarah—social media manager for food & wellness brands. If you liked this blog post and want more marketing tips, tricks, and bev recs, here are a few ways to do just that:
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