Perhaps you have noticed that I’ve been a little bit more quiet on social media lately. It actually wasn’t something I did consciously at first. I just had a lot of work on, we had friends over, and generally I just had a lot to do so I didn’t really have time to be on social media, either for scrolling or posting. And then something happened.
After a couple of days without looking or posting on Instagram (I did reply to messages there), I started to notice that I was feeling better. I was feeling happier, less pressured, more in alignment, more calm, and more present. Don’t get me wrong, I am generally very happy, but this is a kind of happiness that comes from being present in your life. Whether it’s enjoying a beautiful view without needing to share it on social media, watching a movie without scrolling or writing an article without constantly being disturbed by inputs from social media.
Here’s the thing. I have never actually liked social media very much. While I am grateful for the connections I’ve made through social media, I’ve never actually liked social media that much. I prefer newsletters, blog posts, podcasts, books, phone conversations or conversations in real life.
I personally find that social media takes me out of my real life. I rarely ever feel better after logging on Instagram. I rarely ever feel worse either. It’s more neutral for me. I rarely ever feel inspired or feel that I learn something. And no, it’s not about the people I follow. I actually follow people that I genuinely like. It’s just that I like their newsletters, blog posts and podcasts better. I feel more connected to them there.
Social media and beating to the tunes of your own drums
I also feel that social media makes it harder for me to tune into myself, be authentic and present in my life. I find that my voice can get a little bit blocked out in all the noise on social media, and I find it much easier to express my authentic self in my newsletter, here on the blog or in other more long formats. Perhaps it’s the writer in me. Perhaps it’s that I’ve never particularly enjoyed being the center of attention.
Anyway, what I have observed is that Instagram is just not my medium. It’s just not my jam. And at the end of the day we all have to beat to the tunes of our own drums. You do you. I do me.
I’m not planning on never going on Instagram again. I am, however, planning on changing how I use Instagram significantly. I will probably still share a post every week, but I am taking off the pressure to post every single day. I am taking off the pressure that I need to post and share my life on stories. I’ll share when I have something to share. When I have something to say. When I feel called to share something. But most likely, that won’t be much more than once a week.
Instead, I want to focus on my blog. My newsletter. My book. Creating a podcast. One on one yoga sessions. Online courses. Writing articles. And most importantly, being present here in my life. Making beautiful connections. Spending time with my loved ones. Meeting up with friends. Just being present here in my life.
For a long time I thought that I needed to be on Instagram in order to grow my business, but I no longer buy into that belief. My business will thrive the most when I show up as my authentic self, and posting on Instagram day after day is just not showing up as my authentic self. Writing is. Being present is. Connecting with others is. So, I’m letting go of the belief that I need to be on Instagram all the time in order to grow my business. It’s simply not true. At least it’s not true for me.
xxx
Heidi
