Why This Social Media Manager Says You Should Turn Off Your Phone
Take a deep breath and learn how to deal with being addicted to our phones and burnout.
After the last few years, it seems everyone is more burned out than ever. Information overload is all too common in an era packed with push notifications monitoring a 24-hour news cycle. Alert fatigue and burnout are ubiquitous issues in our present always-on culture, Lorrisa May, head of social media and influencer marketing at Molekule, shares why we need to fight burnout culturally and the importance of pressing pause and disconnecting from our phones.
One study from Pew Research Center claims that two-thirds of Americans feel fatigued by the amount of news, and even more are saying they don’t like the news they’re seeing. While social media is an invaluable tool for staying connected and up-to-date on what’s happening in the world in real-time, the constant scrolling of headlines can exacerbate feelings of helplessness and being overwhelmed.
But as social media managers, we don’t have the luxury of taking “social media breaks” — our jobs require us to be “always on.” In my nearly decade of work behind the keyboard running social media for companies like Molekule, TaskRabbit and Care.com, I’ve seen social media channels and managers quickly rise to be the main touchpoint for brands – from leading consumer engagement to sharing positions on current news and politics, to essentially becoming the help desk.
I have a deep-rooted interest in what brings us together culturally and what separates us – I even received a Master’s in community psychology to study it formally – and struggling with mental health is a ubiquitous experience most of us can relate to. As a social media professional, but more importantly as a people manager, I think it’s important to have these conversations not only so we can individually take care of our mental health but also show up as leaders that advocate for our team’s mental health as well. Striking a balance between staying up to date on the news and trends and prioritizing self-care to avoid burnout can be a life-long challenge for many of us.
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What Causes Burnout as a Social Media Manager?
Social media doesn’t take a break.
Over the past 15 years, social media has become critical for several core elements of a company: brand and personality, customer service and engagement, crisis communications, and community building. That means being a social media manager requires quick and engaging content creation and an empathetic voice that aligns with your brand – all while avoiding missteps that change the view of the brand or affect the bottom line.
With the immense pressure that comes from being on the frontlines of your brand’s connection to its audience, it’s no wonder that it can be hard to set strong work boundaries and step away from a never-ending news cycle. Scrolling through social media and checking my phone is now an automatic part of my daily routine, both for work and for pleasure, and when I do try to step away, the feeling that I’m not fulfilling my role weighs heavy. I saw one study that shows a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among those who used social media, and that doesn’t even include those who do it for a living.
There are a few ways to mitigate this burnout and prioritize your mental health at work and in your personal life. Here’s what I’ve learned from my own experiences:
How to Avoid Burnout at Work
You should consider mental health when building out your day-to-day strategy and make sure there is a clear plan of how or when you and your team will find time to step away, whether it’s aligning on hours when your channels won’t be “on” or creating a process around asking for help and stepping away. Having a plan will create peace of mind and allow you to take the breaks you need.
In addition, align with stakeholders on what’s important to the brand. Remember – brands don’t have to respond to every little thing, nor should they. It’s important to stay up to date on current happenings, but it’s not realistic for brands to comment and engage on every single news event or trend. Knowing your brand’s top priorities will help you better prioritize your work, which ultimately will help you to step away when you can.
Ultimately we need to normalize asking for help – from your teammates and managers. Asking for help should be celebrated and not frowned upon. If you lead a social media team, remember to foster a supportive environment to benefit your team and improve retention.
See More: Social Media’s Impact on Culture and Cybersecurity in the Workplace
How to Avoid Burnout in Your Personal Life
While avoiding burnout at work is more than half the battle, it has to be combined with taking care of yourself outside of work.
First, log off — seriously. Sign out of your accounts or turn off notifications. It’s easier said than done, but setting that boundary will allow you to take care of yourself in your personal life, so your work isn’t as overwhelming.
Next, utilize social media tools like Sprout to set up alerts and push notifications for keywords that would require an immediate response. That way, you get the alerts that matter and won’t be overwhelmed with the ones that can wait.
Finally, carve out time to do the things that bring you joy. While this might seem like an obvious one, too many times, we find ourselves spending our off time running errands or doom-scrolling on our personal accounts. Make a conscious decision to unplug and connect to something that makes you feel refreshed, even if it’s just for an hour. The more you respect the boundaries you’ve set for yourself, the easier it will be to enjoy the time you have away from work.
Prioritize Your Mental Health by Talking About It
The reality is the social media engine never really “turns off,” but by bringing this conversation to the forefront, we can encourage one another to prioritize our mental health as social media professionals. At the end of the day, regardless of your role, you can’t do your best work if you don’t put your health and well-being first. Stepping away is not only good for your health but for the health of the business and brand in the long run.
How do you unplug to recharge your mental health and deal with alert fatigue and burnout? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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