Working in social media can be quite a stressful and overwhelming experience. The constant pressure of staying on top of one’s niche to provide quality content may lead to a lack of proper physical and mental rest. The consequences are not fun. Burnout makes life miserable and kills efficiency and productivity.
Those who have experienced burnout know that there are ways to avoid it. In this article, I will share five tips that I have used successfully throughout my career.
Automate your posts
Do you have profiles on major social networking sites? If so, you will probably agree with me: Updating them all can be very time-consuming, especially when you blog and are a one-person team.
Automating your posts is a great way to save valuable time and energy while ensuring that your online presence is kept fresh. For more information, refer to the following articles:
–”Update All Your Networks Automatically With Ping.Fm”
–”Update All Your Networks Automatically With Hootsuite“.
However, do not forget the ‘social’ side of social media. Make a conscious effort to interact with your followers a few times a week.
Set attainable goals
Social media experts will tell you this. If you try to do too much, you will end up blowing hot air because of unmet deadlines and overwhelming stress. Success in social media requires good organizational skills and efficiency.
Every week, break down important objectives into smaller and attainable goals. And stick to one at a time.
Take breaks
Breaks are essential. They help keep your mind refreshed and fit to deal with stress.
- During the day, take a short break every two hours. Exercise, listen to some music, read a good book, call a friend…
- Try to sleep seven or eight hours per night.
- Give yourself a day of rest every week.
- And if you must work nonstop for a long period of time, make sure that you take a couple of days off every 10 days.
Also, drink water frequently. Your body and brain will thank you for it. And you will be much more productive.
Learn to say “no”
One of my pet peeves is people approaching me on Facebook chat late at night or early in the morning to talk business. While social media has changed the way we interact and work, professional interactions require professional settings.
Having an online office does not mean that you have to put your life on hold in the evenings, on Sundays or on public holidays — especially when it comes to unpaid work. So, learn to say ‘no’. It will save you a lot of headaches and stress, and show others that you value yourself and your work.
Have fun with social media
Yes, it is possible to have fun with social media. There are always something new to discover, great people to meet and educational conversations to have. And the opportunities for business are, quite frankly, amazing. So make the most of it. Because if you don’t, stress will take over and burnout will always wait for you around the corner…
What are your tips to avoid becoming a social media burnout? Share in the comment section below.
Nothing like a little common sense about how to use social media. How refreshing.
I would like to add that to me what makes social media so powerful is the response of OTHER PEOPLE. Lifting up other people…first, is what gets their attention and encourages loyalty to you. The “better together” paradigm can really work wonders.
Hello Lamar,
Thank you for your comment! I totally agree with you.
Good tips for anyone starting out in the field
Thanks!
I’ve been blogging nine months … last month I hit a wall. There was so much stuff going on in my personal life that was overwhelming me, I guess there was nothing left to give to blogging. But I’m back. My problem is trying to do it all, like when you tried to reply to every comment. I want to try to make every craft I see, decorate the way “they do,” etc. Plus I am seriously addicted to those Stats in Blogger. But I’ve made some great friends along this nine month journey and I would have to rate blobbing at a 99.9% for fun! Thanks for sharing your idea about scheduling, I so need to do that, it would take lots of pressure off.
My recent post how to Challange Your negative core belief by experiment
Thank you for taking the time to comment! :-)