Judging, copyright Kati Prescott
Is social media anxiety keeping you up at night?
Are things moving too fast for your comfort level?
Do you feel compelled to check your Twitter messages constantly just in case someone sent you that million dollar message?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
The rapid pace to keep up with so many sites and so much new technology can drive a person crazy. If you’re using social media to promote your brand and to get your expertise to the masses, then you can’t afford to have a stressed out life behind the scenes.
I can’t address this issue if I don’t share my own social media stress story:
In 2008, mainstream marketers latched onto social networking in a big way. Because I’d been using it regularly since 2006, many of my peers knew I was a few steps ahead of the journey and they came to me asking for advice. I realized I had to get up to speed with some sites I wasn’t familiar with so I put myself on a social media learning blitz. In typical fashion, I completely overestimated what I could handle in regards to time, energy, and focus.
One night I woke up from a nightmare. In my dream I was bombarded with direct messages, inboxes overflowing with new messages, people wanting something from me every which way.
It reminded me of those stress dreams you have before a big exam or when you’re involved in some huge nerve wracking project. At that point I knew things in Dodge had to change.
Number 1: Don’t let social media infiltrate your peace of mind.
You may not realize it, but obsessing over social media will creep into your serenity at other times (like when you should be happily asleep enjoying dreams of floating on clouds). Keep a strong boundary.
Number 2: Use time saving tools
Everyone can benefit from the time saving tools that make social networking flow more smoothly. 2 of my favorites are www.TweetLater.com and www.Twitterfeed.com
Number 3: Focus on Quality
One of the biggest delusions in social media marketing is that numbers are what matters. Robust numbers are great IF they’re the right kind of numbers based on quality. You want ideally matched followers, not just a collection of numbers. When you lift the pressure to acquire mass numbers, you free yourself from a major source of social media anxiety.
Of course you can add in other stress reducers such as taking time out, exercise, using a timer, or blasting your work area with lavender aromatherapy (works for me!).
Have you experienced social media panic attacks?Is Twitter stressing you out?
Share your comments and solutions below especially if you have some tips to share.
About Nancy Marmolejo
