Hi!
You may have read some of my recent thoughts on social media last night by way of Instagram stories, but I I thought I would open up a little bit more. I’d like to note that I am not going anywhere! Nothing is going to change in terms of my presence on social. I have been sharing more actually as of late! But after reading that tweet I mentioned, coupled with things I’ve felt this year, I wanted to voice some thoughts. What has changed is my mindset and the way I feel about and utilize social media. I am in a great place right now with my blog and content and am feeling super energized, inspired, and more connected to people who read my blog than ever. What led me here is realizing all of these things I’m about to talk about.
I wasn’t planning to share this part, but after connecting with many people last night whose feelings align with mine and who have been struggling, I want to. This year was the most challenging for me in my career. This summer, I felt like my mental health was in a really bad place. I felt like I was failing in every sense, isolated, not good enough. Self-doubt was causing me to stand in my own way for too long, too, making it hard to get myself out of the mess I was in. I’ve always been pretty self-aware and able to find a way back to equilibrium… but it got to a point where I felt like I lost sight of myself and how to sort through my thoughts and emotions.
The effects of social media played a massive role in getting me to that low point. The mindless scrolling, inevitable comparing, trying so hard to see progress and growth on Instagram, which doesn’t really happen for most of us these days. My blog has actually seen incredible growth this year, but for some reason I let the social stats bring me down. It’s so silly, but at the same time, I think it’s because that’s how many companies are measuring your success these days. Which is kind of crazy, Instagram is the wild west. Full of bots, to boot…
In September, I had a long heart to heart with Matt which was so cathartic to finally admit how badly I felt. That was a turning point for me as we spent time diving deep into the issues… he was like my free therapist that month, haha. I spent time after that talk taking extra good care of myself and trying to reshift my mindset. Mindset really is everything.
I disconnected myself emotionally from social media in a sense and now take it with a grain of salt. I decided to spend less time on the app/scrolling and stop overthinking what I share. The time I do spend on the app now consists of sharing something I am excited to show you or discuss and chats in my DM inbox. I also love following accounts that inspire, motivate, and help me grow. Like interior designers who bring such great styling ideas to the table, chefs sharing delicious recipes, an astrology account that is so fun and motivational, etc. These changes in habit and mindset navigated me back to feeling like myself again. The last few months I have felt better than I have in years with my blog and have been so excited to hop out of bed every day to create.
The takeaway from my personal experience I had this year and getting back to a good place is to focus on the important things. Human connection, feeling inspired, personal growth. When you use social media, think about the ways that it can help propel you forward vs. hold you back. Cut through the clutter. Detach yourself from the aspects that play any negative role in your mood or life.
Last thoughts because it’s also my new mantra: Instagram is fast food and my blog is the nice meal. You will still find me in your feed (I look at Instagram as a bulletin for my blog), but there’s just much more value (and heart) on the pages of BoC.
Thanks for reading!