8 Tips to Overcome Social Media Burnout

Introduction to Social Media Burnout

Are you dreading social media lately? Does the thought of posting content on Instagram daily stress you out? Do you wish you could simply throw your phone out the window, without your business suffering? If so, you may be experiencing social media burnout.

Social media burnout is a common challenge among small business owners, especially in our digital age. Experiencing burnout from social media is normal, but you don't need to live with it. This post covers the root cause of social media burnout and tips to overcome it.

Why is social media so exhausting?

Social media, more often than not, is exhausting. That exhaustion is the start of burnout, and here are some root causes.

Consumption Overload

We were never meant to consume the amount of news and content we do today. Read that again. We have any information we could ever want at our fingertips, and that's simply not normal. You may be feeling burnt out from the amount of content you consume.

Comparison and FOMO

Social media paints a fake picture of what other people's lives and businesses look like. That beautiful, curated photo your favorite influencer posted in front of the Eiffel Tower may have you feeling like you aren't making enough money or traveling enough. But, behind that photo, you aren't seeing the family events they missed to be there or the lack of sleep they're getting from brand obligations.

You could feel exhausted from constantly comparing yourself to others, even if it's done subconsciously. This comparison feeling makes you feel behind, even though you are on your own journey.

Time Suck

Have you ever glanced at your screen time on your phone, only to feel disgusted or embarrassed by how much time you spend on social media? There's a good change you spend MORE time than intended on these apps. They are designed to keep you addicted and scrolling, whether or not you want to. That constant scrolling leaves you feeling exhausted and burnt out.

8 Tips to Overcome Social Media Burnout

Now that you understand some reasons why you may be experiencing social media burnout, let's dive into actionable tips to help you overcome it.

1. Use social media intentionally.

What's your purpose for being on social media in the first place? If you're a business owner, it's likely to reach your ideal clients, boost your visibility, and grow your community and email list. Think about if you're actually using social media for that reason, or if you're just mindlessly scrolling.

2. Take breaks to unplug.

If you're on your phone and computer all day and night, your eyes need a break. Your mind needs a break. Take blocks of time throughout your day to be off the apps and tuned into your life.

For me, I typically unplug from my phone in the mornings before work, during lunchtime, during dinner time, and in the evenings before bed. Learn more about business boundaries I set for myself in this blog post.

3. Make a deal with yourself.

Sometimes you need to make a deal with your brain in order to promote healthier habits. For example, tell yourself that every time you open Instagram, you need to engage with 3 accounts. This could look like leaving 3 comments, replying to 3 stories, or sending 3 DMs. That way, you're forced to use social media in a positive way and are less likely to mindlessly scroll without a goal in mind.

4. Delete social media off your phone for a time.

Opening up social media may be a habit of yours. Have you ever tried to remove the apps off your home screen or delete them altogether? If you do, you'll find that eventually, you reach for them less. Not having the constant reminder of social media will open up space for more breathing room and creativity.

5. Create more than you consume.

If you're a creative entrepreneur, you've likely heard the phrase "create more than you consume" or "create then consume". This advice may be overused, but it's still valid.

The goal here is that you create for yourself before you compare yourself to others. You spend more time serving your audience than scrolling. By following these phrases, you'll find that you feel more inspired and compare yourself to others less.

6. Unfollow or mute accounts that drain you.

Is there a creator that always makes you feel behind, left out, or not enough? Take audit of the accounts that you follow. If any accounts cause you to feel less anything other than inspired and motivated, mute or unfollow them. Social media is what you make it.

7. Retrain your algorithm to inspire and uplift you.

Your algorithm is exactly what you curate it to be. If the posts you see are all related to your industry, that may not be healthy for you. I know I have a hard time only seeing marketing-related posts, because then I naturally compare my content to them.

Instead, intentionally look up other types of content that will uplift you. For me, I like my feed to be a mix of content related to dogs, fitness, nutrition, faith, and travel. Of course there's business content woven in there because I follow a lot of small business owners, but that's not all I see online.

8. Journal and reflect on whether or not you should continue using social media.

This may surprise you, but you don't HAVE to be on social media if you don't want to. Yes I'm a marketing strategist, and I still believe that. The website traffic I get from Pinterest and blogging/SEO strategies (get 20% off the SEO course I recommend here using code "KARLEY) is greater than the traffic I get from Instagram.

That being said, journal about how you feel about social media. Do you really enjoy it, deep down? Do you look forward to it? Would your quality of life be better without it, and could you find other ways to boost your visibility for your business?

Conclusion

Small business owner, you don't have to live with social media burnout. If you're experiencing any of these burnout symptoms, I encourage you to take a break at a minimum and delete your accounts altogether if needed. There ARE other, powerful ways to market your business.

If you want to develop a custom marketing strategy to drive your people to your offers that doesn't revolve around social media, I invite you to book a 60-minute strategy session here. I'd love to collaborate with you on a step-by-step strategy that feels aligned to your life—no social media burnout needed.