Social Media Breaks are Needed

Many call me a blogger, a social media influencer, a content creator and some have even called me “famous”. To me, I am just Annie- a mama who enjoys sharing about the things she loves, talking about her #momlife experiences and creating relatable content with you all. The sole reason I started ANNIEXRUIZ two years ago was for those sole purposes. I love what I do on social media! I love the connections I have made, the community I have built & the platforms I have created to be able to share about my life with you all, but the social media burn out is real.

Those not in this world do not know nearly how much work is put into creating content. The blog posts, the photos on the feeds, the video edits, the podcast recordings, the presentations, the contracts and pitching to companies, the presets, the captions, the writing, the scheduling, the planning…I mean the is never ending and sometimes you still do not feel like you have done enough. Do not get me wrong- I promise I am not complaining. I absolutely LOVE what I do, but sometimes taking a social media break is needed.

I am currently in the midst of my social media break, but this blog post has been weighing heavy on my heart and I wanted to share my thoughts…

For all of my bloggers, content creators, influencers, digital designers, etc:

It is so easy to fall into this trap of comparison. Who is doing better and why. Trying to compete and out-do even your closest friends. Who has the most likes? The most followers? Highest engagement? Who landed the best brand deals or who took the better feed photo. Who had the nicest DIY or the better idea for a holiday post. Who is the better instagram mom? The charcuterie bandwagon everyone is on. The BOHO trend everyone is following (I am very guilty of this one, lol). Who has the prettier house? The better playroom? Who can get the most expensive items or afford the $800 rug or the LV purse, etc.

I recently felt very un-inspired. I felt like everyone was doing all of the same things. I found myself comparing my progress to others. Over doing it to get the most engagement. Participating in more threads than I could handle just to get that extra comment. Going on large shopping sprees to snag all the cool holiday stuff for all the DIY’s I was not going to get to and I caught myself and asked myself why?

Why am I doing these things when my goal this entire time was to gain my audience and my engagement authentically? I was here to share the things that I love. I started this platform to talk about my life as a mom and the things I enjoyed doing. My favorite sales, beauty items, mom stories, home decor, etc. So why was I so obsessed with all these other things that involved NONE of the things that this platform was meant for in the first place? I admitted that mostly it had a lot to do with comparing my progress with others and starting to do things very similarly. That is when I knew I had to take a break to refresh, reevaluate, find my purpose again, go back to the drawing board and come back with a fresh mind full of ideas.

It has certainly been weird not being on socials 24/7, but it has also been rather refreshing. I have posted on my feed to sustain some consistency, but I am not obsessing over my feed or presence on the platform right now. My mind and my body needed it. I have enjoyed planning bigger things to come in the future and creating memories with my kids as the weather warms up. I am excited to be back soon with a refreshed mind full of new ideas and a better attitude about my progress. I have come a long way and it has taken a lot of work to get to where I am. Everyones journey is different (& most very un-authentic). So don’t get down on yourself because you have not made it to all your goals just yet, you will get there. If you are feeling uninspired or like you are seeking the wrong things in this “blogger” world - take the break. To all my girls in this community, seriously, take the break! Our journeys are all different. Be authentically you/put in the work and you will go beyond what you ever dreamt of.

I hope this was helpful to anyone feeling the way I had been feeling. I cannot wait to be back, I have so many great ideas in store and i am sooo excited to share them with you all!