Self-Care Awareness month is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean we should stop seeking ways to care and find gratitude for ourselves. If you’ve been following our social pages, you may have noticed a theme of celebrating the small acts of service we do for ourselves every day, cleaning the kitchen, making our beds, or saving money for the future. These all seem like givens, mandatory chores that are just part of being an adult, but that doesn’t negate the effort we put into accomplishing them. Being an adult in a tumultuous world is mentally and physically draining; reminding ourselves that we are enough, are doing a good job, and deserve gratitude and love is the best way to care for ourselves.
Now, this blog will be talking more specifically about self-care for content creators and those who are passionate about social media. If you fall into one of these two categories, read on; if you don’t, read on anyway because you’ll still find useful self-love tips! ;)
Take Breaks When You Need Them
When we say “take breaks,” we mean this in multiple ways. The first definition is to take a mental break when your precious brain juice just isn’t flowing. What do we mean by that? As social media strategists, marketers, and content creators, we are constantly taxing our minds to capture every ounce of creativity in there. Whether for a new ad for our clients, a blog for our website, or a story to share on social media, it takes mental energy, and sometimes we are tapped out. This is when you should put down the screens and take a walk to soak up some sunshine or if you are lucky enough to work from home, tidy the house a bit or take a quick shower. Writer’s block doesn’t just happen to morose novelists or fame-hungry screenwriters. Even conjuring copy for a two-sentence Instagram post can bring on the frustratingly blank mind of the creatively frozen. Give yourself the space to shake it off and come back fresh when your mental muse is awake again.
The second definition for “take breaks” refers to social media in general. As we discussed last September in our blog post, “The Good, the Bad, & the Viral: Social Media & Mental Health,” social media is both wonderful and draining all at the same time. Even if you aren’t a content creator, you can find your mental health strained by the overconsumption of social media. It is easy to get lost in the rabbit hole and come out feeling worse for wear. We encourage you, especially as a person who works in social media, to give yourself space from your pages, whether that is “phone bedtime,” monitoring screen time, or even setting days aside that are completely social-free. We invite you to read that blog for more tips on managing mental health and social media.
Our final “take breaks” definition is about work-life balance within the social media marketer and content creator world. The lines between “working hours” and home life often get blurred when much of your work is done in the palm of your hand. Social media doesn’t sleep, but you need to! SocialMediaClub.org has some helpful tips on how to set the necessary boundaries between work and personal life. Though you or your client might feel like it is the end of the world when a post has an error, it isn’t. The world of social media is always changing and updating; what is viral today won’t be tomorrow, so remember to take a breath, a break, and keep on creating!
Collaborate With Others
Another way you can take care of yourself as a content creator or social media marketer is to remember the sage advice of Vanilla Ice, “Stop, Collaborate and Listen!” Whether you work on a team or not, something great happens when you ask a fellow creator for advice, thoughts, or ideas. You don’t have to write in a silo even if you write or create solo; reaching out to others within our industry helps create a community of inclusion where great content can be produced.
If you find yourself frustrated with executing one of your brilliant ideas, DM a fellow creator and ask for their input; we bet they’ll be honored that you asked and offer sound advice. “How to Protect Your Mental Health as a Content Creator” from Limit Breaker said it well, “It’s a funny online world out there and sometimes, lovely Brenda you grew up with, just doesn’t understand.” Work to build a network of like-minded social media creators so that you can not only be supported but also support others when the frustration of our profession starts to take hold.
Work Somewhere Beautiful
This last bit of advice has a two-pronged approach depending on your work situation, work from home, or work from an office. If you work from an office, your first instinct may be to disregard this advice because maybe you work in a fluorescent-lit, cubicle-filled space every day and nothing about it feels beautiful. But don’t throw this one out! It may take a bit more effort, but you can create beauty anywhere. Take time to curate your desk with photos of loved ones and beautiful vacation scenery, add a plant from home or pick out a desk lamp that helps diffuse the overhead lighting. Do you know what is also beautiful? Having a treat drawer or box on your desk to reward yourself when you need a mid-day pick-up. Check out this article from Buzzfeed to inspire your cozy cubicle to revamp, “34 Ways To Make Your Cubicle So Much Better.”
Now, if you work from home, the same suggestions apply for curating your workspace, but additionally, we suggest changing up the view when you can. Remember to take advantage of the freedom you have by working from a local coffee shop or a scenic park. Sometimes just changing the view from over your laptop can revitalize your creativity and energy. Another often overlooked ability with a work-from-home or freelance lifestyle is traveling while working. Taking a trip without days off might not feel like a full vacation, but it can still help keep your motivation and spirit high just by being in a different city!
We hope that you have been kind to yourself this month and every month. Continue to care for the most important person in your life, you! Creating entertaining, informative, and engaging content is hard work, but we’ve got your back!