You can’t.

Or let me rephrase: you can try your best, but you have to remember to put yourself first.

The world of social media is a magnificent thing in a multitude of ways, but it’s also the most toxic world you would ever willingly immerse yourself into. But in being a coordinator for not just one, but two (plus one) Instagram accounts I’ve managed to find a balance.

The key is knowing when to disengage from it all, because honestly you’ll be better for it. Your happiness will thank you, your sleep will thank you, your physical health will thank you, and most importantly, your mental health will thank you.

That being said, I absolutely love all the freelance/volunteer work that I get to do. As I mentioned in my first post back, I’ve lived my whole life in the creative world and I’ll probably spend the rest of my life doing it. But no doubt, it gets a little overwhelming especially when most of it is done on or for social media.

I’ve wanted to take a social media hiatus for a while, but it’s a nearly impossible task when “social media” is part of your freelance job title. So instead of taking a social media hiatus altogether, I just put my phone down more. I try to check it less, I immerse myself into different tasks that don’t involve my phone, and I log out of all the accounts I manage as soon as I’ve finished doing what needed to be done. Whether it was putting up a post onto the feed, making a reel, making an IG story or sharing something on IG stories, or simply just responding to comments or inquiries.

I know for me, the constant flow of notifications every .5 seconds was becoming a little too much for my liking, so logging out as soon as I’ve finished everything has taken the weight off a bit.

(I forgot to mention that your phone battery will thank you too lmao)

I think trying not to check my phone as often has resulted in some habits such as:

1. Not answering text messages right away like I used to, which could often go unanswered for weeks (maybe even months).
2. Not answering DMs or Snaps, which could also go unanswered or unopened for weeks or months.
3. Generating a fuck ton of “red bubble” notifications (for the iPhone users in the chat).

Yeah, I’m pretty terrible and I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s taken notice of what I guess we’ll call a bad habit.

And it’s actually funny because most times when I get messages, I’ll probably see it or read it even but I won’t respond. And if I don’t respond immediately, I’ll end up forgetting about it and eventually too much time will go by to even reply.

Now I can’t explain to you why this is the way this is – sometimes it’s due to laziness, but most times it’s due to my emotional willingness to (in other words, whether or not I’m in the mood). That being said, it might also be a dead conversation and I just might not be as invested in it as you are.

(I sound like a bitch, but I promise you I’m really nice and every conversation I’ll ever have with you will be real and genuine)

This is a habit I’ve tried really hard to break time and time again, but as the saying goes: “old habits die hard.” I pretty much end up falling back into it again and even in trying my best, I’m only human and I am most certainly not perfect.

I used to be all for text messages and DMs – I’d be one of those people who would respond within .5 seconds of getting it. But now, I love Facetime and phone calls more than anything. It sounds intimidating, but that’s how you’ll most likely get ahold of me (unless I’m asleep or at work).

If you text me or send me a DM? Imma need 3-5 business days.

So what did we learn from this post, ladies and gentlemen?

1. It’s possible to be a social media coordinator when the age of social media has grown incredibly toxic. You just need to be able to separate the digital space from your reality. Take a break from your phone by checking it less or being less present on social media. You’re allowed to log out of your accounts in order to save your sanity, even when taking a full hiatus (as much as you crave it) isn’t possible. You come first, always. The creativity and motivation to bring abstract ideas to life is impossible if the creator is in mental distress. Again, your mental health will thank you for it.
2. I’ve become a bad texter, but that’s only because I’m trying to disengage from my phone. If I respond to you days or weeks after you’ve sent something to me, please don’t hate me.

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me.

(My text tone is Kim Possible’s beep for a reason lmao)

ED out x.

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Listen to: I Don’t Want to Be // Gavin DeGraw