What do you do when social media is part of your job, but you’re just not into it and you need a break?

I’m not feeling the social media thing lately. I get on there and feel like there’s so much information coming at me so fast, about so many people, that it’s just overwhelming. I feel like I don’t need to know that much, because then I feel l should respond in some way. Then I just want to turn it off

Maybe it’s because engagement has been lacking and views are sporadic, or maybe it’s been that way because I haven’t been posting as much. It’s vicious circle.

I also haven’t been very inspired to shoot new pictures, and it’s not fun if you aren’t fired up about it.

So, then I get on there and try to find some inspiration, but it backfires because I see too much awesome stuff and feel like my stuff is not that amazing and then I just want to crawl under my desk and take a nap.

And all the while, Facebook and Instagram are harassing me with notifications that my views have gone down because I haven’t been posting, and maybe I should try posting more.

But honestly, I’m like, why? I don’t actually make a lot of money off social media. I make money with the blog, but the blog does do better when I use social media, so there’s my answer and the reason I’m still pecking away at the social media thing.

Ways to Combat Social Media Overwhelm

I decided to ask the hand dandy WordPress AI assistant what it think I should do to combat my social media overwhelm, and this is what it suggested, followed by my own observations.

When social media becomes overwhelming, it’s important to take a step back and reevaluate your approach. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Limit Your Time: Set specific time limits for social media usage each day to prevent feeling bombarded by information.
   *I’m not good at setting time limits, but I do try to take days off. I like to take the weekends off to sort of reset and not think about work the whole time. I may still post, but I’m not checking and responding as frequently.
2. Unfollow/Unfriend: Curate your social media feeds by unfollowing or unfriending accounts that contribute to feelings of inadequacy or overwhelm.
   *I do sometimes do this, but mostly it’s to stop putting energy into other people’s accounts that don’t return that effort.
3. Seek Inspiration Offline: Take a break from social media and seek inspiration from the world around you, whether it’s through nature, books, or engaging in new experiences.
   *This is my favorite thing to do, and I try to do it often.
4. Engage Authentically: Instead of feeling pressured to respond to everything, focus on authentic interactions and engage with content that truly resonates with you.
   *I always try to do this, although I feel pressured to respond to comments left on my own photos. Sometimes though, I just go through and like them all.
5. Focus on your Purpose: Remind yourself of the purpose of your social media presence, whether it’s for personal enjoyment, promoting your blog, or connecting with others. Align your actions with that purpose.
   *My purpose is all those things! Maybe my purpose is too broad.
6. Reevaluate Metrics: Consider the metrics that truly matter to you and your goals, rather than being solely driven by views and engagement.
   *So, what are the metrics if not views and engagement? I thought that was the point?

WordPress didn’t suggest whining about it on your blog, but that’s what always works for me!

I am happiest when I have something fun to create, so I think I just need to sit down and plan a fun photoshoot day. Something creative and original. That’s what always gets me excited to do things and post and share.

I lost a bit of that excitement when I decided to close the Midnight Pumpkin shop, which was my creative outlet. I’m starting to realize how much I need that creativity in my life.

So that’s my goal for today. To come up with something new and fun to shoot, but I also need to tie it in with the blog stuff. Just need to connect all the pieces and make it work together.