Six Months Since I Quit Social Media

Six months since quitting social media: insights
Can you believe it’s 6 months since I quit social media? Here’s a few quick insights and an update on what I’m up to. Ant to listen instead? You can do that HERE 
Overall, most people have been intrigued and inspired by my decision to quit. I’ve gained a smaller, but more engaged community that feels both enriching and manageable. I feel there is a definite pull from a community of women who are looking for that reassurance that they too can scale right back or even quit and still be OK.
I’ve shared plenty of upsides before. My head is clearer and my sensitive soul is less affected by the compassion fatigue that is seeing what everyone is doing all the time.
Something I’ve had to grieve though is the realization that quite a few relationships have not survived without social media. It’s two fold. On the one hand, I get it – a ‘like’ or a DM is a quick way to keep in touch with people. We like our routines and conveniences. However, it has, at times, been mildly triggering for my childhood wounds. Particularly around female friendships where it becomes apparent that there isn’t an equal exchange of energy. Going 6 months without social media will definitely reveal relationships where perhaps the other person isn’t as invested as you are.
If you’re using social media for business and have some sort of ‘expert’ role, withdrawing this part can activate feelings of “I’m only worthwhile if I’m useful or productive”. This is one of those tricky false beliefs that I know many of us in helping/healing roles need to watch out for.
The big gift of quitting social media is time. Before the 2021 lockdowns I knew I had more tasks in my business than I could actually achieve in the time I had.
According to Parkinson’s Law, how much you need to give to a task depends on how much time you actually have.
With lockdowns, I’ve cut back from 10 hours a week to just two. Rather than throwing in the towel on my business, I use two hours to just maintain consistency. A couple of mentoring clients here and there but mostly I’m using that two hours to throw together a weekly email, 10 minute podcast episode, answer a few emails and squeeze in a tiny bit of writing. Instead of stressing about all the things I ‘should’ be doing, I instead focus on very short, clear, achievable goals.
Work expands so as to fill the time available for completion. My conversion rates from my blog and emails are really strong, so this is where I dedicate my time. If I have ‘extra’ time and energy, I’d put that into course creation, because again, that will eventually be passive income and my conversion rates are high.
Put your energy where there is a return on your investment – money sure, but also your time and your energy