Is it possible to enjoy living in the moment while simultaneously keeping an active social presence? We think so. Read on for some tips on balancing the world #IRL while simultaneously being able to #KeepSocial. 😜
In this age of “pic or it didn’t happen”, it becomes increasingly hard to draw the line between experiencing and documenting. If you’re like me, it’s easy to get a little bit obsessive over every minute detail –– to the point of freezing up and not doing anything at all. Or, on the flipside, becoming so sucked into the perfect post that the world goes by before you can catch up.
I believe the answer lies in the delicate balance between both. Social media can be an awesome way to digest, document and reflect on key moments in our life. It can be a source of inspiration, empowerment, conversation and opportunity. However, this omnipresent pressure to “do it for the gram” can often distract from the way the grass feels between your toes.
Everyone is different, but here are three of my best tips to posting (and living) authentically.
1. Don’t compromise the experience at hand for the perfect ‘gram.
Live life first. Cultivate your social presence second. Often, I catch myself drafting an IG caption for an event while it’s still happening. I feel that it simplifies an entire world of sights, smells, thoughts, and emotions down to 1080 pixels. Rather, I’d recommend really being in the moment and taking 5 minutes to reflect and digest later. Often, the most important feelings float after some time has passed. This helps articulate how and what was so moving at the time in a much more interesting and articulate way.
2. It’s not perfect and that’s okay.
Rather than throwing up your hands and saying “I’ll never get the perfect post while living in the moment” I offer some controversial advice: it doesn’t have to be perfect. So you’re 99.9% happy with your post. Just press “send”. If you regret it, you can always edit or delete it later. All those minutes (oh believe me, I know,) spent obsessing over the right filter, could be spent trying something new, reading your favourite book, or having cool conversations leaving you more room to post more, cooler content.
3. Be kind to yourself.
Hey, by the way: you rock. You’re doing a great job existing in this chaotic tumble of time and space that is 2019. Don’t beat yourself up for posting twice a day, or once a day, or not at all. It’s okay to post late, or to not post at all if something feels personal (even if it seems like the rest of the world is talking about it) or early. Everybody moves to their own rhythm and don’t let social media prevent you from feeling the sun on your face. When you’re feeling relaxed and confident, that’s where the magic happens.
Thanks for reading, I hope this helps – it’s a hard balance, and we’re always finding new techniques and solutions along the way. Have something you wish we’d discussed? Let us know or join the conversation @SerotinaMedia!
Go forth and post-per! Yikes.
Xxx
Ellie
