It can be hard to imagine a time in your life, world, and business before social media existed, but exist it did. Businesses thrived, people talked, and coffee shops buzzed without the requirement of screens. Sounds like a dream, right?
If you’ve been thinking taking a social media sabbatical is a luxury afforded only to 7-figure entrepreneurs, think again! You can take a three-month social media break without burning down your business, no matter the size of your company. All it takes is a bit of planning, structure, and boundaries – let’s get to work.
What is a social media break, or sabbatical?
The definition of a sabbatical is an extended period of time away from work. Applied to the concept of taking a social media break, a sabbatical is an extended season completely OFF social media.
Often, people who take social media sabbaticals also decrease and severely limit their usage of screens and technology as well. If you’ve been craving a technology and/or social media detox, you’re in the right place.
Combatting entrepreneurial fatigue and social media burnout
Our culture idolizes the entrepreneur, but business owners and founders often pay a high psychological price.
Studies have shown that in 2022 nearly 60% of leaders say they feel drained and emptied by the end of the day – heavily indicating burnout. And, in another study entrepreneurs on average said they experienced some level of burnout at some point in their careers. Over a quarter of them said they experienced moderate burnout and 3% said it was severe.
Are you plummeting toward social media burnout?
Are you in desperate need of some strict time off social media? Here are a few signs of social media burnout and entrepreneurial fatigue:
- Constant energy depletion or exhaustion
- Inability to take time away from scrolling
- Trouble staying focused on work, rest, or play – especially when your phone is nearby
- Ahem, your phone is always in your hand
- Running out of content ideas
- Not responding to comments, DMs, and interactions
One study explains, “Social media fatigue is defined as a user’s tendency to back away from social media participation when s/he becomes overwhelmed with information.”
You should really take a social media sabbatical – really
The benefits of taking time off of social media are numerous. You’ll feel deeper contentment, a rise in creativity, and experience a richer sense of joy and purpose.
Taking a social media break will also help you:
- Reclaim your time
- Reclaim creativity
- Kickstart thought leadership by quieting outside influences and input
- Increase contentedness
- Decrease constant comparison
Preparing for a social media cleanse
If you’ve decided this is the path for you and you’re wondering if you’re really up for it, taking some time to prepare yourself and your business will help decrease anxiety, worry, and fear as you approach your sabbatical.
Preparing yourself for a cleanse
First, define your personal parameters. How long will you take off social media? What, specifically, are you refraining from doing on your phone or technology?
Next, ask for support. Amber Zaricor of Copperheart Creative and the Fill Your Cup Conference says you should have a team of five core people in your back pocket – a coach, mentor, therapist, friend, and cheerleader. These five people will remind you of your purpose and goals along your journey.
And lastly, have a plan for how you will replace the time you’ve been spending on social media. Have a stack of books at the ready, pick an old hobby back up, get ingredients to bake something yummy, or set your tennis shoes by the door so you can step out for a walk anytime.
Preparing your business for a cleanse
First, schedule evergreen content. Use an app like Buffer, Tailwind or SproutSocial to schedule content in advance. Know that this isn’t required, especially if you have a steady stream of leads and new clients coming in through other channels like referrals and affiliates.
Next, repurpose archived content. Go back through email newsletters and social media posts you wrote last year or the year before. Beef up the content and schedule it using your scheduler app.
Lastly, outsource if you need to or want to. You can find a temporary social media manager or online business manager if you absolutely need more hands-on support while you are gone.
How to come back from your social media sabbatical
- Set strict parameters for how you will use social media and tech upon your return.
- Ease in – don’t just dive back in. Set a few hours per week and increase it over time.
- Set office hours. Log on, log off – at the same time every day.
- Prioritize intentions. Before you open any app, know what you are setting out to do.
- Establish tech-free time. Log off – log ALL the way off – at a certain time each day.
- Automate as much content as you can from here going forward.
You may be surprised to find that with some intentionality and rethinking your strategy, you can easily build and market your business without social media entirely! Here’s to your journey – freedom awaits.
