On a whim I decided to log off instagram for the final 5 days of 2018. For some of you that probably sounds like no big deal. For me I felt like I was disconnecting from the freaking world.
Of course I’m fully aware that instagram is just an app but for me it sometimes feels like my life revolves around these teeny tine square pictures. I’m constantly planning out the photos I need to take. I’m on the prowl for cute places to take a photo in NYC. My brain is always thinking about witty captions and what part of my life I want to share.
And I’m also constantly comparing myself to other bloggers on instagram.Why do they have more followers, more likes, more engagement, more sponsored post? What am I doing wrong? Should I be posting the kind of content they post?
I knew I needed a break from the ‘gram and I figured the final days of the year was the perfect time for a social media detox of sorts. I logged off on December 27th and wasn’t allowed to log on again until 2019. Truth be told, I ended up logging on for 5 minutes one of the days to quickly share my end of the year blog post. But besides that I stayed off instagram the whole time.
I didn’t expect this to happen, but the biggest benefit of logging off ended up being that it helped me fall back in love with my business and blogging as a whole.
Instagram Burnout
I’ve been blogging since 2011 — at the time I was 21 years old and a senior in college. I started blogging because I loved to write and because I wanted to share my own wellness journey as a full-time college student falling in love with fitness.
Blogging is totally different now than it was back then thanks to instagram –being an instagram influencer wasn’t a thing yet.
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit meh about being an influencer on instagram. I know I’m hardly an influencer and there are people with literally thousands of more followers than me. But I do promote brands on instagram and make money thanks to it — something I’m super grateful for because running a blog ain’t cheap and it something I pour my heart / soul / time into.
It’s hard to put into words but I’ve been feeling very turned off by the “consumerism” side of instagram. Constantly promoting expensive products. Having my voice and brand be dictated by what other brands want me to say. I’ve noticed a shift in the content some of my friends and favorite instagrammers create — they’ve lost their point of view and it’s just #sponsor after #sponsor after #sponsor.
And I didn’t want to be a part of that, even if it’s money to pay the bills.
Gaining clarity
Logging of instagram game me the time [and space] to take a step back from my business. Yes, I consider Kayla in the City along with my instagram partnerships a business. It’s my baby and my brand. I’ve been spending so much time on instagram comparing my brand to that of others I lost my own voice and point of view along the way.
I didn’t set out to ask myself big questions about my brand during my instagram detox, but it kind of naturally happened.
I realized my bigger goal is to be a resource on blending wellness and hustle to fellow millennial women following non-traditional career paths. This blog has gone through various evolution throughout the years, but so have I. I’m sure I heard this on a podcast but I believe the growth you experience in your 20’s is massive compared to your teens. Every year you are constantly reevaluating who you are and the path you are going on. And I’ve been doing the same on this here blog.
Redefining my focus and my purpose for blogging and creating content reigniting my passion for blogging. Suddenly I had a million ideas of new blog posts I wanted to share. And a bigger goal about the direction I want to take this blog + my business in going forward.
I am excited to blog again.
Excited to create new content and share with it. And I also have a new view on where instagram fits into my business. I still want to be a blogger first and foremost. I want this to be the place where I spend my most time hanging on the internet. I’m planning a massive redesign in the near future (ah!) and for content to continue to further reflect this redefined direction.
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I challenge you to take a step back from instagram. Log off for a few days. Set some rules around what times you can be on the app. Turn off the noise and chatter of what all the other people are doing and tap back into you.
I really appreciate the honesty behind your Instagram burnout and fully support your focused goal after gaining clarity. I’ve unfollowed a lot of influencers because I, too, got sick of #sponsor after #sponsor. Nothing seems authentic anymore and I’m tired of having products shoved in my face. I’ve actually stopped using some brands because of their #sponsor bombardment. It’s already annoying with Instagram’s sponsored/ad posts showing every two-three feeds. Last year, I marie-kondo’d my instagram. I follow less accounts (I don’t follow any celebrities at all), and I’ve never been happier. No more comparing myself to those younger, prettier and more successful-did wonders for my mental health.
I also want to thank you for being very open and real with your struggles/challenges. There are so many fitness/yoga/wellness influencers who only show “perfection”. While it is a good motivator at first, endless posts showing polished life/Paltrow-esqe vibe gets old and not relatable at all. SM accounts and you are a brand in itself, but I do like to see a more human side to the influencers that I do follow. Continue to do you 🙂
i hope you know you are SUCH a resource for me. always have been, always will be. love you, girl!