Could you do a social media detox?

In October 2019, I woke up to the fact that I had been experiencing smouldering stress, related to my coaching business, for an extended period. I was waking at 5 am most mornings feeling anxious; I felt sick at breakfast time and was struggling to eat. I was on the go from dawn to dusk, thinking about nothing except my business and frequently losing my patience with my kids. Every time I sat down, I felt sleepy and was lacking energy. Some days I just wanted to crawl onto the sofa and stay there.

I had worked hard on my business since it started in 2016. I loved every minute of it, but the reality was that it was far from where I wanted it to be in terms of numbers of clients and profit. It’s tough when you love what you do but it is making you ill. With regards to social media for my business, I felt like I was consistently feeding a hungry animal which was never satisfied - just one more webinar, one more blog post, one more Facebook live, one more free training course... the list continues. Something needed to shift. I had a hunger to quieten the noise and experience greater ease and balance without striving. I wanted to be giving to my clients from a place of plenty, rather than lack.

I committed to change. I started by giving up all my business activities on social media and imposed a complete social media detox. No Facebook, no Instagram, no LinkedIn. I upped my cardiovascular exercise, started making better food choices and met with a counsellor to explore my emotions. I re-started daily journaling and invested in my relationship with God. I announced I was taking a three-month sabbatical to my Facebook group and a few other key individuals connected to my business. I physically and mentally let my business take a back seat, focused on my family, and gave myself some proper care and attention. I walked our neighbour’s dog regularly and met up with friends to walk or have a coffee and chat.

In those three months, with regards to my business, I decided to be more reactive than proactive. I continued to attend networking meetings every couple of weeks and conducted several workshops to get in front of my ideal clients. I offered to meet people for coffee and continued to be intentional about mutually beneficial collaborations. I focused on the areas of my business I loved the most, and let the rest go. I permitted myself to do things differently.

The change has been transformational for both me, my home, and my business. Three months on, I feel in a completely different headspace, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. People are commenting on the difference they can see, not only in my face but also how I am showing up to this thing called life. I am present and connected with my kids and value our time together. With regards to my business, I’ve gained more new clients in the last three months than I had done in the previous nine months. I have more money in my business account than ever before. I now see the success of my business, not in terms of money, but in terms of the small, but impactive, part I am playing in transforming the lives of frazzled mums for good. I am enabling families to operate better, and seeing mums thrive in their roles both as leaders at home and work.

So what does the rest of 2020 look like for me and my business? Well, I do want to have a presence on social media, and I am not 100% sure what that will look like yet. What I do know is that I don’t want to go back to feeling as though what I am doing is not enough. I am seeking to find a way of showing up which is calm, inspiring, easy, and flowing. My word for 2020 is serenity, and I am committed to being free from striving and pushing.

Something magical happens when we share our stories of challenge and triumph. It can be a relief to feel that you’re not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you’re struggling right now, take time to invest in yourself and get the support you need. Life is too precious to stay stuck.