How to Avoid Social Media Burnout

If you're anything like me, your daily routine goes something like this: You're awakened by your alarm, then you allow yourself about 10 more minutes in bed to skim through Facebook, "Like" posts on Instagram and catch up on Twitter. You head to work and spend even more time on social media, from scheduling posts to researching the biggest industry trends. Afterward, you come home and unwind by doing exactly what you did in the morning: staring at your phone screen, switching from app to app to pick up right where you left off. While we can't deny that eating, breathing and living social media is enjoyable, a possible outcome of this repetitive lifestyle is social media burnout. As defined by dictionary.com, social media burnout is "fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity." A social media addiction combined with a profession in social media typically breeds burnout. When a person is affected by social media burnout, passion turns into chore, posting becomes infrequent and quality of content lessens. Social media is a constantly evolving sphere, and having to keep up is exhausting. The average person spends a total of two hours on social media every day. Add work-related social media use into the equation, and that's essentially being plugged in 24/7. Unfortunately, physical and mental health deteriorates when a person spends most of their time in the digital world. So, is there a way to stay on top of your social media channels without falling victim to burnout? As with anything, moderation is key. Luckily, social media burnout can be prevented if you work smarter, not harder. Here are our top tips for keeping social media burnout at bay.

4 Tips For Overcoming Social Media Burnout

Tip No. 1: Set goals

Working without goals is like driving with no destination. In order to make your work and self feel valuable, it's important to form goals so that you have a purpose for each of your tasks. For instance, your goal might be to speak to your audience demographic. Instead of mindlessly posting unrelatable content, setting a goal this specific will push you in the right direction. Here are a few examples of social media goals you can set for your brand or business:

• Increase brand awareness
• Encourage user engagement
• Bump up customer interaction

In addition, you should be keeping track of your social media ROI, or "return on investment," to identify which parts of your social media strategy are working. Doing so will help you to fine tune your processes.

Tip No. 2: Time manage your tasks

Trust us—sanity and trying to do everything at once is mutually exclusive. While multitasking might seem like a smart idea with a heavy workload, piling too much onto your plate will drive you to exhaustion. Moreover, procrastinating will lead to unnecessary stress. Calendars and planners make excellent time management tools. Separate your work day into time slots; for example, dedicate one hour to responding to customers and the next two hours to scheduling content. Fortunately, SOCi makes daily maintenance a breeze. In need of a small break? Our platform allows you to plan ahead and schedule content to run in your absence.

Tip No. 3: Take breaks

We get it—us creatives like to work nonstop when the ideas are flowing. However, it's important to give your mind and body a break. There are plenty of ways to give your mind a rest, from sketching in a journal to listening to calming music. Additionally, you can practice eye exercises to avoid eye strain, and do mini stretches for your hands and wrist at your desk. Studies show that the most productive workers take 17-minute breaks every 52 minutes. Whichever you choose, taking small breaks throughout your work day can help to refuel your creativity and energy. Often forget to give yourself a break? Alarms will be your best friend.

Tip No. 4: Recognize the importance of a work-life balance

It might be difficult, but give your mind time off from work when you're out of the office. Break the habit of refreshing your email and checking on your managed social media accounts. Practice disconnecting yourself from social media when you're at home, or at least limit your usage. If you allow yourself to step away from social media for a moment, you'll come back to work refreshed and ready to go. Remember, weekends are called weekends for a reason! There's plenty to enjoy in the offline world, from hanging out with friends to refining another hobby. Keep your burnout at bay by handing the job over to SOCi. Contact us today to see what we can do for you.