Tips to Overcome Social Media Fatigue for Your Mental Well-Being
Social media is so ingrained into our society that it’s practically unavoidable. But that doesn’t have to mean it’s a bad thing. Social media can be very fun and useful at the same time. It’s a great way to keep in touch with people, promote businesses, and push for change. And although we said it’s not always a bad thing, it still has its downfalls.
With social media practically everywhere, at all times, it’s not a surprise that social media fatigue is as common as it is.
“Social media fatigue refers to social media users’ tendency to pull back from social media when they become overwhelmed with too many social media sites, too many friends and followers, and too much time spent online maintaining these connections.” — Techopedia
Social media can seem consuming at times. With so many platforms out there, the pressure to be on all of them, and the fear of letting your audience down, it can easily feel like too much. Here are some tips to overcome social media fatigue for your mental well-being.
Pick and Choose
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, and countless other social media platforms are at your fingertips. It can often feel like you need to be on all of them if you want to reach the largest audience. That’s just not true.
When you feel pressured to split your time between so many platforms, it’s difficult to keep up with quality content and engage with people. When your presence is so split up, it won’t be as strong. By dedicating yourself to a few platforms you enjoy being on, you’ll be able to build a stronger audience. Your audience can’t care unless you care.
“Spend time learning a bit about every platform and pick 2 or 3 that you really love. Then work on optimizing your voice and reach.” — Like A Voss
Pressuring yourself to post content on a bunch of platforms that you don’t have the time to care about is a perfect recipe for social media fatigue.
Be Authentic
Authenticity is vital for success on social media as well as for your mental well-being. It’s easy to think that you need to create a perfect image for yourself. There was a time when people were all about making flawless facades for themselves, but that’s not what people want anymore. People want to see the real you, so let go of that pressure to hide your flaws. If you’re having a bad day, you don’t have to fake it just for your followers.
“I think that losing sight of who we really are, is often the cause of anxiety. […] Being genuine and true to ourselves can be so refreshing, and can ease off any pressures that we might be putting on ourselves.” — Forbes
Post what’s true to you, not just what you think people want to hear. When you’ve built an audience that cares about the true you — it relieves a lot of the anxiety towards being the real you.
Breaks are Completely Okay
As soon as you want to take a break but don’t let yourself you’ve begun to head down the road of social media fatigue. It turns social media into a chore and something you’ll begin to dread.
When you feel the need to take a break, do it. Taking the time to step away helps ensure that you don’t grow to resent social media. It gives you the time to think about yourself and come back refreshed and happy to be online. Nobody should ever feel guilty for needing a break.
“You need time to unwind, unplug, and you deserve to just take a break sometimes so you can come back to work refreshed and re-inspired.” — Later
Curate Your Feed
Make sure your feed is filled with things that make you smile. Don’t follow accounts that don’t make you feel good, even if they are your friends. Follow accounts that inspire you instead.
If you can’t unfollow someone, then mute them. They’ll never know.
You can also mute words that upset you. Make your feed one that makes you happy, teaches you something, and inspires you to grow!
Social media doesn’t have to be a chore if you don’t let it be. Social media fatigue is real, but your mental well-being is what matters most. Take care of yourself no matter what!
