Taking a Social Media break| Mary Wairimu| Mental Wellness
I woke up with a deep need to unplug from Twitter on new year’s eve and I knew that I had to do it. Over time, I have learned how to honor my need for rest compared to the old days when I would keep going even I knew I should not. One of the biggest changes I have noticed is that I am more in tune with myself. As such, I understand and prioritize what I need at any given time, within reason, of course.
Three months prior, I had stopped updating my Instagram account for similar reasons. To be honest, 2020 started on a low note for me and I felt like I needed to retreat to safety instead of putting myself out there. Coincidentally, it turned out to be the most stressful year globally given the pandemic and series of issues that arose as a result. I remember coming very close to deleting my Instagram account after three years of blogging and having fun while at it. Good news, I did not!
Content creation and marketing felt overwhelming because my mind was always working. Before unplugging, my mind would work overtime creating ideas and it never seemed to stop. I guess it’s safe to say that rest or normal breaks were not a priority to me at the time. In fact, it was only until I started reading posts by The Nap Ministry that I understood why I needed to take more naps. I love the idea of being able to let my brain rejuvenate.
I have been online long enough to know that sometimes it is challenging to take time off. This mostly happens when I have multiple projects running concurrently. By the way, I had to be very honest with myself concerning my addictions in relation to the grind culture and social media. I did not like what I discovered. However, I am continuously working on prioritizing rest, and being off-grid this year. I feel like that will help me manage my online and offline activities better.
As I reflect on the time I was off various platforms, I realized that I was overexerting myself and doing too much in terms of creating content from a very broad scope. As such, I resorted to niching down. Trust me, I am still shocked that I actually adopted a concept that I thought was too hard for a multi-passionate creative like me. From today onwards, I will be creating content around mental and emotional wellness. As I write this piece, I am easing back into Twitter and Instagram. In addition, I am hopeful that 2021 will bring positive changes. I wish you a happy new year and many returns!
PS: I do realize that January is almost over. However, I really love sharing best wishes. Have a happy week ahead!