Every time I’m constantly on my phone in public, I feel a little tinge of judgment. Why? Because I know everyone’s thinking, “Why is she on her phone so much?” And all I can think about is the fact that I have 12+ social media accounts to manage, dozens of emails to reply to, and three businesses to run.
But the truth is I often find myself questioning my relationship with social media and how it relates to my mental health. But the more blatant truth is that working in social media means constantly being immersed in several social media platforms.
And although the link between social media and mental health is highly documented, there’s not much out there that tells us how to navigate the relationship between the two as social media managers.
So let’s dive into how I keep my sanity as a social media manager.
Take a (real) vacation.
In my world, there’s a difference between time out of the office and a vacation. Time out of the office means I’m still highly active on my client’s social media accounts but not actively answering emails, while a vacation means I’m entirely out of the office.
To attain a full “unplug,” I lean on my admin or an industry partner to answer emergency communications from clients and engage on their social media channels. The critical thing to remember is her is that delegation is essential. You don’t have to have a team behind you to really unplug and take some time off. Try hiring a part-time admin or chatting with a trustworthy competitor to see if you can work out an agreement to perform vital tasks for one another while the other is taking a break.
Automation is your Friend
This goes without saying, but automation is your friend. When I know I’m working towards some time off, I’ll begin working a week or two ahead on social media content. Most of my clients don’t have the budget to pay for scheduling software, so I’ll use the native scheduler within the platform to schedule content ahead of time.
Affirmations and Mental Health
“In this moment, I can pause and be present” is an affirmation that’s stuck with me - especially as a social media manager. The affirmation encourages you to pause and really appreciate what’s happening now rather than focusing on the past or the future.
And I’d argue that it’s something we can take to heart as social media managers too.
Instead of constantly checking my phone during events or time with friends and family, I choose to be present at the moment. After all, taking a few minutes to reply to a comment and answer a message isn’t going to make or break your social media strategy.
Set Work/Life Boundaries - And Stick to Them
Setting boundaries between work and home is vital to your mental health. Try setting (and sticking to) office hours with your clients. I even go as far as setting up an auto message on my client’s social media platforms relative to when I’m in and out of the office. It lets them know I’ll get back to them within a specific time frame and provides a few FAQs. The important to remember here is that your brain needs a break, and your life can’t be “work, work, work” 24/7.
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