Hello, friends! If you’re reading this, then I know that you’re one of the real ones because I just haven’t been consistent lately on social media or my blog. It’s one of the cardinal sins of building an online presence, along with sharing too many selfies or too many pictures of what you had for lunch that day… and the social media gurus will tell that you that it’s the fastest way to destroy all of your hard work! Nooooooooooooooooo…
As someone who works on social media for a living (yes, I’m a social media manager!) and for fun (hello prostaffing and blogging activities!), let me tell you this.
Social media burnout is real. And it is brutal.
Right at the end of April, I finished off a stint in a leading role as “Drucilla, the Ugly Stepsister” in the Corpus Christi Ballet’s production of “Cinderella”. Soon after, I wrapped up the dance studio’s recital and attended my sister’s wedding in Kansas. It seemed like we would finally be back on the water and I was pumped to start creating content for another season on the DSG Fish and ReelCamo Girl Prostaff teams.
If you’ve heard anything about Texas or live in Texas, then you know that we’ve had some of the hottest temperatures in years and a perpetual drought all over the state. Unfortunately, even saltwater ecosystems are not immune to drought conditions, and our beloved Laguna Madre suffered. Water levels dropped to winter depths (in other words, the water was gone) and the rising temperatures raised the water temperature, too. To escape the heat, the fish vanished.
My husband kept in contact with his bayfishing guide friends for updates on water and fishing conditions so we could get back on the water once they improved. Week after week passed with no change. Guides started turning down trips because there just weren’t any fish.
Can you imagine?
That was our reality this summer, and as someone who needed to crank out content for her outdoors platforms during fishing season when there weren’t any fish, I was a little anxious. Okay, I was freaking out. The few times we made it out, the content I was able to make just didn’t last.
I watched other outdoorswomen online slaying it on the water all season, catching all these fish and spending every weekend on the water. With each scroll of my finger, I felt myself sink lower and lower into social media despair. I have nothing to share.
Coming up with anything to post started to wear on me on top of creating content for my clients’ profiles and it didn’t take long for me to hit the burnout point.
And right before last week, while I was teaching dance, one of my students was horrifically injured and I fell into a major funk. Like, do-the-bare-minimum-to-keep-things-running funk. I didn’t scroll. I didn’t post. I just stepped away while I tried to break out of my funk and back into a rhythm.
My accidental hiatus from social media is probably the most productive thing that I’ve done all summer. I woke up today (Monday, when I’m writing this) and felt ready to create content. Maybe even excited to create content for the first time in a long time.
It reminded me of a few lessons I’d forgotten over the months;
- Social media is a highlight reel; you can’t even begin to compare the everyday positives and negatives with the big highlights that others choose to share on social media.
- Mental health > content creation. End of story. If you need a break, you need a break. And your followers will understand. (Or they won’t, and that just means they never fully supported you anyway.)
Social media is a double-edged sword. It connects us with people and opportunities that we would never find without it. It can breed comparison, anxiety, and make us feel worse about ourselves. At the end of the day, you have to decide how you will let social media influence your life; connection or comparison?
As deer season takes off, don’t let the endless “grab-and-grins” make you feel less if your freezer is still empty. Don’t let someone’s pose with a high fence monster make you feel bad about the buck you stalked and worked your tail off to finally harvest. Don’t let yourself compare your day-to-day with someone else’s extraordinary day.
If you’ve followed my rambling to this point, then I also hope that you’ll take some time and give yourself space when you need it. Your mental health should always be your priority, no matter what.
This felt like a pretty vulnerable post compared to my usual content, but I hope it’s the start of a more authentic, less curated “me” online.
Jess and the Outdoors 