Social media is fantastic. You can keep up with everyone without talking to anyone. It’s blissful. And as a business owner, social media is a dream. It’s free, it’s in front of everyone, and it’s easy.
At least that’s what we tell ourselves.
In reality, it’s not any of that. It’s not free – it takes time to curate, create, and schedule posts. It’s not really in front of everyone because the algorithm never seems to be in our favor, and there’s so much noise.
And social media really isn’t easy – not if you’re doing it intentionally. It takes thought, it takes effort, and it takes time.
Social media will ruin your holiday if you’re not careful. So whether you’re a creator or consumer of social media, here are 5 tips to keep social media from ruining the season.
Schedule your posts
This is good advice any time of year, but especially during the holidays. Plan out your posts and schedule them so you’re not frantically trying to figure out what to post each day.
Yes, you can still post authentically when your posts are scheduled. It’s just planning a little ahead of time.
Try 1-2 weeks out and if that works well, schedule for an entire month. Batching social media is one of the best time savers, and it allows your posts to go out whether you’re sitting in front of your computer or driving around looking at lights with your kids.
Scheduling your posts allows you to take a step back from social media while still showing up consistently for your customers.
Limit your screen time
Social media can be an anxiety trigger for many of us (present company included), so it’s best to take a step back where we can. Unfortunately it’s not easy to take a step back in the moment, so I suggest employing free services to help.
My favorite is Screen Time on my iPhone. (I know there are alternatives for Android users, too.) I’ve limited my social media use on my phone to a certain amount of time each day, within certain hours. Because I manage a few social media accounts, all my work has to happen within this time frame. This forces me to do work first, and mindlessly scroll second. By the time I get to my mindless scrolling, though, I get this friendly reminder:
Unfollow, unlike, & unfriend
If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely added friends and joined groups on social media that no longer serve you.
This is totally normal, and totally ok.
I encourage you to unfollow, unlike, and unfriend groups, spaces, and people that no longer serve you.
If you find yourself constantly outraged or irritated by posts in a group, leave it. It’s doing you no favors.
If you find yourself frustrated or angry after seeing posts by a consistent person, unfriend them. (If you can’t bear the thought of hitting that unfriend button, unfollow them instead.)
Take a little more control over what you’re consuming.
Listen to your gut
Your gut, your heart, your soul… it knows what’s up. It knows what you need. It’s connected to a higher power who is gently whispering encouragement and baby steps of growth to you.
Listen.
Stop and listen to what you need in this moment.
And then have the courage to take action.
You don’t constantly need courage. You just need it in small does in small moments.
If your gut says take a break from social media between Thanksgiving and New Years, do it.
If your heart tells you to stop scrolling because it’s damaging you, listen.
If your soul knows you can create better content that will lift others, pay attention.
Whatever your gut tells you – pay attention and take action.
(For the record, my gut has been telling me to write this post for days now, and I’m finally showing the courage to listen and take action.)
Spread kindness
Finally – social media is sparked by outrage and drama.
Stay out of it.
Spread kindness instead.
Take your platform, no matter your listeners, and use it for good.
Find some way to spread a little love, a little kindness, and a little goodness during the holidays.
Counter-attack with love.
And then spread kindness in real life, too.
Be a kindness- and goodness- and love- infuser in your digital world and your physical world.
Social media can’t ruin your holiday if you’re injecting love and goodness into the world on both sides of the screen.