Social Media Meltdown: Tackling Burnout (for Writers)
By Heather Webb | February 27, 2020 |
Being accessible online has become a mainstay for writers today (or author-preneurs, as I like to call us). Sometimes it’s a lot of fun chatting with people, seeing their pictures of their travels or their children, hearing about good news from our colleagues. Getting to know our readers. But it can also be a thorn in the paw and cause some serious issues, like these:
- Serious disruption to our creative brains when we need to be living in our protagonist’s world
- Become a major time-suck
- Increase our anxiety levels
Speaking of anxiety, I have to admit, I’ve been finding myself increasingly anxious after spending time on social media, though in general, I enjoy using it. This anxiety is probably because, oh, a few things in the world are “in flux,” shall we say, like these:
- Coronavirus
- The U.S. Presidential Election
- Climate Change
- The constant snafus in the White House
- Brexit
- Syria
- Do I really need to go on? I’m getting anxious just typing this list!
But I do think there’s a way to exist as an author online, doing our thing, talking about books and any other topics that are associated with our brand and our platform, and not being constantly mired in anxiety or incessantly distracted. Here are a few ideas to try:
Be honest about who you are as a social media user
The start, be honest with yourself about your habits, as well as what you can handle emotionally and still be creatively productive. If you don’t want to disconnect for a full day, schedule your SM usage in chunks of time. After I reach 500 words, I can stop for a social media break, or at the end of this two-hour session, I’m allowed 15 minutes on SM, etc.
Install apps that short-circuit your internet for a specified length of time.
These apps can be really useful for those of us who don’t have enough self-control to turn off notifications, or close windows that need to be closed. Freedom is one such program and I’m sure there are others. A little handy dandy googling will help with that, or posting the question to a writer’s forum.
Carefully prune your lists on Twitter and your groups on Facebook.
If there are certain people whose posts inspire negative thoughts or feelings, either unfollow or unfriend them, or mute them. Another possibility is to set up lists (or groups on FB), including only the people whose posts you’d like to see. This way you can avoid reading your main feed that may be filled with anxiety-inducing landmines.
When a story breaks that you simply must follow, read about it in a variety of sources.
If you’re reading a headline that triggers anxiety, I like to look up the same story in news sources that oppose each other in their “leanings” or bias. It helps to balance the sense of outrage or propaganda. You may also get more data by reading widely and there’s a lot of comfort in data. It has a way of cutting through the emotional hysteria and grounding the topic at hand. Things may not be as bad as they appear when you read an article from a more level-headed and logical source so choose your news sources wisely—and widely.
Remove social media apps from your phone.
We have our phones in our pockets or at our sides almost all the time these days, which means we have social media—and the world—at our fingertips instantly. If the social media platforms are only available on your laptop, you’ll be relieved of the constant pings from notifications and the itch to scroll mindlessly for hours after your workday is finished. This way, you’ll have a proper break in the evenings. While this is great advice, I haven’t yet resorted to this myself. One day, I keep telling myself. #addicted
Post the kind of content you’d also like to read.
Like attracts like. The algorithms and creepy internet gnomes built into Google and Facebook and everything else, registers the types of posts you write and/or “like” and they begin to show you more that are similar to them. If you want lots of pet videos or inspirational quotes or Hallmark videos in your feed, share, like, or post them yourself.
Schedule posts far in advance
If you want to avoid spending time on SM daily, schedule posts for the week in advance. This could save you a lot of time. The only kicker is, social media is all about socializing so if you don’t respond to those engaging with your content, the point is lost. But hey, we have to protect our headspace, so scheduling and interacting later is far better than posting nothing at all.
Take a break
Sometimes we just need a break. If we disconnect from social media, maybe we’ll feel more connected to the immediate world around us. Maybe it will heighten our senses and sharpen our writerly lens. Perhaps we won’t miss it, or miss out on anything, and we’ll get back to what we’re supposed to be doing: writing a great book.
How are you feeling about social media and your writing life these days?
Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction. As a freelance editor and an adjunct in a MFA in Creative Writing program, Heather has helped many writers sign with agents and go on to sell at market. When not writing, she feeds her cookbook addiction, geeks out on history and pop culture, and looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. To date, her books have been translated to seventeen languages.
Hey Heather – One of the best things I’ve done for my writing was to leave Facebook. I had no idea how freeing it would be until I did it. A side-benefit: I use the time gained not just for writing, but also to read actual newspapers for my news (2-3 papers daily). I also highly recommend taking all SM apps off of mobile devices. For me, these are just quality of life choices, and I feel more fulfilled because of them.
It’s really all about making wise long-term choices, in advance, as you say here, rather than being at the whim of impulse (as the SM giants prefer to keep us). For example, I’m still on Twitter simply because I don’t feel much of a lure to check Twitter. Hence, better impulse control. My choice.
Thanks for the tips! Nice seeing you on Twitter (with reasonable frequency ;) .
Thanks, Vaughn. I think, for me, letting go of social media also means I don’t interact with people I like or who I’ve befriended along the way, and as an extrovert in a job that is mostly quiet and at home, it makes my loneliness more pronounced. This is a big part of why I haven’t deleted my accounts. That said, I do fantasize a bit about the freedom I’d feel. I suppose it’s really all about balance, as usual, though that can be a challenge.
And I do miss seeing you on FB! But I’m glad you’ve taken to Twitter, at least a little. :)
#TwitterPandemic
#WorldWritingPlunges
#WhereIsMyFacemask?
#PhoneQuarantine
#PenseLeadsResponse-OhNo!
#PhoneAbstinence
#AloneWithMyMss
#WordCountRising
#DoneDoneDone
#ThankYouHeather
This made me laugh!!!!
This made me laugh!
Thank you for this post, Heather.
I agree with you that curating who and what we listen to online is a way to reduce anxiety. However, I worry about our culture. It’s true that our time is limited, and we should focus our energies towards our writing goals. My question is how can we be a reflection of society if we have the ability to pick and choose how we experience that society?
I’m well aware of the engineered misinformation that can seep into our social media timelines (watch out for your kids fellow parents), still if we get into the practice of disengaging with everyone we disagree with would we be doing a greater disservice to ourselves as writers if not as citizens?
Please consider this a further consideration and not a direct criticism of your post. I mean no offense.
No offense taken at all! This is an excellent point, James, and one of the reasons I’m still very active on social media. I do agree a better idea is to not shut it out completely but to learn to balance your time. That said, for some, it’s a quality of life issue as well. In any case, thanks for your insightful comments today!
You are welcome.
I tried SM, didn’t like it, deleted my acct. Time is precious and I far prefer engaging with people in my community than online, present company and the children’s writing board excluded.
I subscribe to a couple of news magazines and it’s enough. No need to be embroiled in the day-to-day chatter about it.
Life is good. I read, write, sing, pray, spend time with family and friends and speaking of, I’m getting ready to have a full house with my kids and their friends for spring break :)
Well, we’re so glad you consider Writer Unboxed as part of your “white list”! :)
Enjoy the visit with your family.
Dinosaur here. So far I have avoided social media (except for largely unused LinkedIn at the invitation of a dear friend a few years ago) and have therefore never had to undergo the dreaded withdrawal (online mahjong is another matter, but let’s not talk about that now…).
I recently applied to a free course that looks excellent but—now they tell me—requires membership in a “secure” FB discussion group. I’m just about ready to make the tradeoff, withdraw courteously from the course, and continue to avoid FB.
Probably most of the WU community uses FB and puts it to good use, and I mean no disparagement. I just do not believe it would work for me. I’m still open to persuasion, however.
Thanks for your comments, Anna. I do think the benefits of social media can outweigh the negative if used properly. I can’t even count how many amazing connections I’ve made with people and all I’ve learned through the various groups on Facebook and the people on Twitter, etc. Your class might be worth it. ;) You can always decided how often you’d like to be on FB.
Happy writing!
Thanks for this post, Heather. I reached SM saturation and limit my Facebook time to a brief scan once a week. Twitter lost its appeal years ago, and Instagram, though delightful, is filled with ads and rubbish. I’ve the bare minimum of Apps on my phone. I understand, and desire connection with online communities. Let it be in a healthy way of my choosing, rather than force-fed.
Nature is my sanity-saver. By unplugging the SM noise, I’ve regained my footing, freeing space for my passions.
You offer some wonderful tips. Thank you!
Brin, I’m glad you didn’t give up on it completely because I love your duck videos! They make me so happy for some reason. :)
Whew, does this resonate–especially lately! Thank you for the sanity tips. :)
I’m happy to send them your way. It’s all about balance, I keep trying to remind myself. lol. Happy editing! :)
Feelings! Social! Media! Writing! Life!
All that stuff can eat a bag of…
Okay, seriously, I love social media because I get to see my Unboxers, which puts a smile on my face most days. Ha, just the other day I was talking to Jo about The Umbrella Academy. It was a short, beautiful, and slightly painful connection (Cause I miss Jo). All brought about because Mr. Swift needed help finding some Netflix entertainment. (The bump didn’t choose my suggestion). Thanks, Mike for the wonderful news feed. People from all over WU chimed in and some of us interacted with one another. Yum–love that shi–stuff.
As for writing, it’s plodding along.
I have a pretty decent balance of social media and writing.
Ooo, looky looky, there’s Heather Web on social media. *smiling*