Let’s talk about: taking a social media break
Let’s talk about is a series dedicated to exploring the questions we all ask in business.
Today we explore the elusive, but desperately needed social media break. And not just one that involves a nice weekend offline ~ but a chunky, weeks upon weeks sabbatical from all things Instagram.
I am sharing my perspective fresh out of six-ish weeks (was it seven?) offline. I went cold turkey and separated from my personal and business Instagram accounts. And because I don’t do things by halves, I also decided to use my time offline as a sabbatical, meaning that I didn’t take on any new clients or work on any projects during my break.
For the first time since starting Rust, I got to hang up my business hat on a hook in the cupboard and lock the door and forget about it with bliss.
I learned that your business will not fail if and when you take a break. In fact, taking a break is the best thing for it.
For some context, I chose to have this break as I was completing a 40 day japa journey with the divine Alison Rice and Dalia Gencher. I experienced, learnt and released a lot thanks to my japa ~ more in that in another article ~ but one thing that took me by surprise was how easy it was to switch off, step back and fully surrender.
When sharing my plans, a lot of people expressed awe and curiosity. They thought I was doing a wonderful thing for myself, but also couldn’t imagine going offline for so long with a digital business. And I get where they were coming from.
If I was operating Rust as usual, it would’ve been a challenge to communicate, launch, share and connect without the access to my Instagram community. I can see how the fear would’ve risen, the questions shooting through my brain like spears, the doubt causing tsunamis in my belly.
But I chopped all of that off at the head the second I decided to press pause. I closed my shop, made myself unavailable on my booking system and gave myself the space to play with my newsletter and journal articles. At the beginning of my journey, I imagined that I’d be overflowing with thoughts and ideas and things to share, but it took me by surprise by being a deeply internal time. I barely spoke to family and friends, and left all channels of digital communication on holiday mode.
Bearing this in mind, I’m excited to share some insights into how you can prepare yourself and your business for a break too. Coming back, I am committed to taking a month off at least on an annual basis. It is now a non-negotiable and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see how incorporating this sacred rest will support my self and business to thrive.
So where do you begin? If you’re feeling deflated, exhausted and uninspired when it comes to creating for or engaging with your social accounts, then that’s a pretty clear sign from your body that it’s time for a break. I know it seems impossible, given all of the garbage we’ve been fed around showing up and schedules and algorithms, but from here on out we’re going to be ignoring the shoulds and tuning into the body.
When you sit with and think about going offline for two or four weeks, how does it feel? What emotions and sensations arise in your body?
Is this something you can see yourself doing? Does the idea of having more time, energy and space feel good? And on the flip side, what fears are coming up around doing it? Are they real, or simply expectations the world has forced upon you?
When making moves like this, I enjoy imagining myself in a secluded cottage by the ocean or in the woods. I am living completely off grid, don’t have to worry about money, and other people’s opinions never cross my mind. I tap into this feeling of bliss and contentment and then ask myself: “do I want to do this? Here, right now, just me. Does this feel good for me?” and the answer is pretty damn clear (and often confirms what my initial gut response had to say).
If you don’t already have your own cottage or happy place, I encourage you to dream of one. Another I love to use is a seaside villa in Italy, very Call Me By Your Name aesthetic. Anything to attach that feeling of bliss, peace and deep relaxation to.
Now that we’ve decided to take a break and have worked out how long said break will be, it’s time to get our ducks in a row. This is the less sexy side, very much the packing before a holiday. You know you have to get it done in order to have a delicious break, but the actual task of it isn’t that enticing.
Things like money will come into play. How are you going to support yourself financially if you’re not actively selling or earning for a period of time? Are you going to channel some of your savings into supporting you ~ or are you going to create an income goal to work towards before your break? Do what feels right for you. On my end, I had a casual job two days a week which meant my bills were covered, and I received a government grant which allowed for extra cushioning and opportunities to invest in things that would expand bring me joy (hello, new puppy!).
Once the money is sorted, I’d recommend organising your schedule, upcoming commitments and let people know that you’re not going to be available. I know in certain creative fields some clients can have zero respect when it comes to our boundaries and breaks (thinking of my darling graphic designer, digital marketer and copywriter pals here) so the earlier you can anchor in that you are out of motherfucking office, the better.
Next comes the fun part ~ actually getting the hell offline! Truly, I adore Instagram for the opportunities it’s given me and the magical friends I’ve made, but it can be an absolute sinkhole if you dawdle for too long. Sometimes we don’t know how draining it is to reflexively scroll until we stop.
Depending on how you go with these things, you might find it supportive to set yourself some rules or loopholes, or a grace period in where you wean yourself off socials (I did this and it was really helpful. By the time my offical offline season commenced, I wasn’t even interested in checking IG anymore).
I also encourage you to be gentle with yourself. There will probably be days where you succumb to your curiosity or you hear about some big news and you want to dive into the mosh pit of the comments, or perhaps you just need to see if a restaurant is actually open. You’ll know your limit, and what feels light and inconsequential vs what is damaging and setting you back five steps.
Wherever you end up, however long you last, the main thing is that you set an intention to put yourself first and look after your mental health. That is huge, and should be celebrated as such.
The wonderful thing about intentions is that there’s no fine print. It doesn’t matter if the end result or destination looks nothing like what you’d pictured. The good stuff is in between. In the mess of it. In the moments where you find yourself reacting differently or reflecting on how calm you feel or how well you slept. It’s that sweet feeling of detachment and focus on the now.
I wish you an abundance of joy, peace, pleasure and bliss in your break, sweet creative. What you are doing is brave and exciting and something you are going to look back on with pride and gratitude. And probably longing to do it all over again.
With love and art,
Viv
Creative Mentor & Artist