Mental Health Moments: Learning to Break Up With Social Media As A PR Pro
⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛
I am currently in the break-up phase with social media.
I pay attention to what is happening in the world through the lens of social media while using it to promote my company and my clients’ missions. I use its behind-the-scenes marketing capabilities to hone in on my target audiences’ actions, behaviors, desires, pain points, and more.
On a personal level, however, I’ve learned that less is more with regards to sharing. While social media can be a tool for change and conversations that need to happen, it can also be detrimental to your mental health. I’m sure all of us can relate to the sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Even if we don’t consciously think about it, we are subconsciously influenced by what we view online.
After having a miscarriage one year ago, I started weaning myself off of social media personally. Truth be told, posts about children were triggering to me. While it’s no one’s fault, and I know parents are proud of their children, my grief and overall headspace were not healthy enough to see those posts. I know that there is something that likely triggers you, too.
How do you lessen your social media usage as a public relations pro when you want to focus more on your mental health? After all, we are expected to manage our own digital footprints and those of others, so it’s challenging to not have some sort of social media persona.
I feel so much happier because of this decision to not post as much. Here are some ways that you can use social media for business purposes but begin to “break up” with it personally:
Only put what you feel like would benefit others.
As a writer and a natural empath, I want to share my experiences with others. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve started to post something and then deleted the post after I thought more about it. My modus operandi is: Will people care about this post? I mean, perhaps a few people. Probably. But, I really watch out for posts that seem negative, like complaining about something and overindulging posts, like, “Look at me and what I have!” I think the power of being a writer is that you can use platforms for good with crafted messages that will resonate with your audience. I just don’t think everyday posts are fascinating, if I ever did think that.
Use another platform for personal posts.
You may have noticed that I don’t constantly post about my pregnancy and other behind-the-scenes looks into my everyday life. My philosophy is this: if someone wants to know about my son or anything else going on in my life, I can communicate offline with him/her. Have a separate network of close family and friends where you share more personal information. This not only helps you feel a little bit better, but it also keeps your emotions and feelings in check -- not to mention your overall safety. Not everyone needs to know your every move every day. I have learned to not chase the high of likes and other engagements with my personal posts. While I appreciate them, I don’t live and die by them.
Set a limit for social media on all of your devices.
Gone are the days of mindless social media timeline scrolling. While I still do this on occasion, especially for research purposes, I stop when I realize I am scrolling too much and wasting time. I don’t know about you, but I literally have zero time to waste scrolling through social media content I mostly don’t even care about. So, I have set limits on my phone and iPad for all social networking apps. If I am working from my phone, I allow myself to ignore or expand limitations for work-reasons only because that is sometimes necessary. My secret is to use the desktop applications of most social media sites, but you also have to be mindful of forays into black holes there, too. Just close the tab when you are done. It’s honestly that simple.
Unfollow what doesn’t resonate with you.
Look, I am the type of person that really gets stressed out over negative and passive-aggressive comments -- both in person and online. So, I have learned to shield myself from those types of behaviors when I know my mental health will greatly suffer as a result. One reason I don’t put too many things about my pregnancy is that I don’t want unsolicited backseat parenting advice when I know I will try my absolute hardest to do what is best for my child. (Plus, I also want to protect his privacy.) I don’t like to avoid situations, but I also know that social media can be a more curated experience. So, unfollow people who make you feel negatively about yourself or just in general. Do a social media audit every month or so and ask yourself, “Does this account still resonate with me?” If you have to follow or be friends with someone just to save face, you can always hide their posts, too, especially if they’re triggering.
Please note: These blog posts are not clinical, although we will provide symptoms and other information. These posts are based on my experiences with anxiety and mental health in general. If you or someone you know needs help, visit a website like Mental Health America to learn more.
Mental Health Moments blog posts are every other Tuesday of the month. Our CEO and contributors highlight what it's like to live with a mental health disorder and continue to fight the stigma through storytelling.
Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, Luke’s mom, cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.