social-media-burnout

Social media burnout can be common, especially for sensitive entrepreneurs

Let me guess. You know you should be active on social media but you just can’t seem to do so consistently. 

Or… you might be in the camp that avoids it all together, wondering “Do I really have to use social media for my business?”

Social media can feel like a lot of pressure and stress for a business owner.

And social media burnout is common, especially for introverted and highly sensitive entrepreneurs. 

In this post, I’ll share some tips and strategies on how you can avoid social media burnout, so you can use it effectively in your business.

What causes social media burnout

It’s not uncommon to dislike social media. In fact, the results of a recent informal poll I conducted on my Instagram stories showed that 80% of followers felt yell about social media! 

I think this can be for a few reasons.

1. Social media can cause FOMO and self-criticism.

You may worry what other people think of you. What if you look or sound stupid? What if people judge you? What if you (gasp) get a mean comment from a troll? (The fear of being seen can really come into play here!)

2. Social media can feel like a giant waste of time.

Every time you open the app, you get sucked into a black hole and lose all track of time. Once you resurface, tired and drained, you forget what you were doing there in the first place!

3. Social media can cause a vulnerability hangover.

You finally muster the courage to post on social and share something about yourself — only to walk away with a vulnerability hangover ready to retreat under your covers, never to be seen or heard from again.  

4. Social media can cause addiction.

In fact, it was created to be addictive. Studies show that 5-10% of the population (probably more) are addicted to social media. If that is or has been you, you want to take steps to remedy it.

Each and every one of these things can lead you to crashing and burning out on social, and wanting to avoid it altogether.

It can be even more difficult for highly sensitive and introvert entrepreneurs

Of course, as an introvert, empath, or highly sensitive entrepreneur, social media can be even more draining! 

Even though we are alone in our rooms scrolling and posting, we are still affected by all the collective energy circulating in the online space.

Think about it: Just as you feel drained from a noisy networking event, you can feel the same way when it comes to social media — especially if you don’t have practices and boundaries in place to manage your time and energy.

3 ways highly sensitive entrepreneurs can avoid social media burnout

So what’s a heart-centered entrepreneur to do? 

The answer isn’t hide out entirely and hope social media just goes away and you never have to worry about it.

Instead, you can put specific boundaries in place to protect yourself when it comes to using social media, so that you can use it for your business, without it using you.

You must take care of yourself and your time and energy in order to be of service to others, right?  So it starts with you!

Here are 3 tips to manage your time and energy on social media

Remember that you are in charge. Social media doesn’t run your business. You run your business. You get to decide where, how, and when you show up. 

Keep that in mind as you read the following tips:

Tip #1: Decide the role social media plays.

I’m not a fan of just doing something just to do it. Any action you take in your business should be aligned with your business goals as a whole. So first ask yourself, How will I use social media in business? How does it fit into my overall marketing plan for my coaching business?

Tip #2: Give yourself boundaries.

Social media is going to feel like a black hole that sucks you in… if you let it. This is why it’s so important to include social media in your business boundaries,  and hold yourself accountable. Decide ahead of time how much time you’ll spend social media and put a plan in place to follow through.

Tip #3: Curate your feed.

Notice when you start feeling drained or triggered. Are there certain people you follow on IG or Facebook groups that drain you? Consider unfollowing those people and leaving those groups that don’t feel supportive.

You can use social media without burning out — even as a highly sensitive entrepreneur

If you decide to use social media, you want to use it in a way that supports your business and yourself.

When you use social media effectively, you can connect with your people, collaborate with like-minded partners, and share your message… without burning out.

If your goal is to make a positive impact with your business, to serve more clients, and to grow… social media can help you do that, as long as you are strategic and create boundaries to set yourself up for success.

When you create boundaries to manage your time and energy on social media, you can show up and FEEL GOOD about using social media for your business.

There’s more to showing up effectively online than just managing your energy

As a highly sensitive and/or introverted entrepreneur, managing your energy on social media is one aspect of showing up with confidence in your business… But it’s not the only thing! 

You also need a strategy — a plan that tells you what topics to share and when to share it so you have a clear path to follow.

And you want an effective way to quiet the voices of impostor syndrome and self-doubt when it comes to showing up, so you can take the steps you need to get your business out there.

These are all aspects I cover in my new program, Show Up and Shine. You can check it out and get on the waitlist here.