Episode 26: Social Media Survival Guide: How to Implement Your Own Personal Boundaries - Part 2 of 4
https://www.chicstripes.com/podcast/how-to-set-house-rules-for-your-social-media-accounts
Now that you have boundaries for how people are to interact with you on your platform, it’s time to get some boundaries for how YOU will interact with this platform.
My personal theory is that Instagram is the NUMBER ONE reason we think we suck at life, that our relationships aren’t good, that we’re terrible humans or friends, and that our businesses will never make it.
Why? Because we are constantly comparing ourselves to what we see and it produces a near immediate, physical, negative reaction in our bodies.
I PROMISE you, that if you can stop tuning into Instagram as a hobby and start working with it as a TOOL, that those feelings will dissipate within 2-4 weeks.
So, let’s talk practicality of setting Instagram boundaries in a world where Instagram is the primary marketing tool for our businesses. I am going to share some common methods along with my own practice so that you can pick, choose, implement, review, and tweak what works for you!
Use a scheduling tool to automatically schedule your posts. This reduces the time spent on the actual app ten fold. I use Planoly which is $9/mo for one account, but there are also free accounts (like Later).
Respond to your messages on your laptop either directly in IG online OR using FB (if you have a business account). You’ll want to use what is less distracting for you here. I personally like using FB as it works a little better than through IG.
Use the social media time limits on your phone AND STICK TO THEM. I used to have an hour limit and that was just not enough for posting, engaging, and a little bit of catching up on accounts I wanted to see. Now, I have mine set to 2 hours and am working on increasing my integrity in sticking with that limit.
Consider creating a personal or other account that tis your inspirational / learning account. I have a personal, private account where I follow less than 200 accounts in interior design, food, spiritual or something else. These accounts NEVER inspire a sense of negative feeling - and if they start to, I delete. So often we don’t delete or unfollow on our business accounts for fear of what that person will think. Which leads me to….
Unfollow / mute. Guess what? This is YOUR account. If someone is mad that you unfollowed them, that’s truly something for them to deal with, not you. This is YOUR Instagram account! You literally get to do you!
Before I go into how I currently implement my personal social media boundaries, I want to give you a disclaimer that the first time you try or the first few weeks you do this - IT WILL BE HARD.
Your brain will resist. You are addicted to the likes, comments, the need to know everything. You’ll feel like you’ll miss out on things if you aren’t constantly on.
But trust me my friend - the people you want to stay connected with, your friends - you’ll text or call. Your appetite for knowing will slowly fade away. You’ll feel more content, creative, productive, and inspired. You’ll feel connected to your passion, your job, your reason for being here.
About a month ago, I instituted these personal social media boundaries (on my Chic Stripes page) because I was fed up, tired of feeling like Instagram controlled my life and dictated my emotions.
My rules are:
I don’t check Instagram AT ALL until 1 or 2 PM for the first time every day. This protects my energy and sets boundaries with myself.
When I get on, I first post whatever stories I want to share from the weekend or that morning’s activities. So I am taking photos during the day / weekend, etc., but not logging on to share them until later.
I respond to my DMs on my FB page.
I write/schedule a post if I feel inspired.
I will go to friends pages I want to see, or learn from.
I will check in again maybe later in the after noon, but I don’t go into my DM’s unless I have the energy to thoughtfully take the time to respond to every comment with a greeting and someone’s name.
I also implement ALL of the above (2 hour time limit, scheduling posts, FB DMs).
My default IG account that I log into is always my personal - that way I don’t get sucked right away into more “business” things.
Ready for my results?
After one small rebound a few weeks ago, where I felt the depression, comparison, and worthlessness HARD CORE (I was crying in bed and my partner talked me out of it!)I feel:
More productive and creative - good ideas are just FLOWING to me and they are ones that feel FUN.
I get MORE work done - I am more in tune with my business and it’s translated into more sales so far.
My appetite for scrolling is literally gone. I will log in and sometimes scroll a bit and then realize, I don’t even want to consume this content right now.
I am thinking, journaling, and reading a lot more
Overall, I feel way more full of JOY, I have high energy, and when I DO get on Instagram I am excited to share, be of service, and engage.
By the time you hear this podcast episode, I will be in week 4 of this experiment and I expect my results to be even BETTER.
I’d encourage you to give this a try, especially if you struggle with feelings of perfectionism, comparison, or you’re just feeling stuck.
Get out of everyone else’s business and start focusing on YOURS.
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