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Last night my husband and I were talking about how much everything has changed over the past decade. When I was in high school, MySpace was a pretty big deal. Remember when you could customize your own page with music and graphics that took forever to load? Well, at the end of my junior year, I started hearing about this thing called “Facebook.” The seniors were talking about this exclusive college platform and we had no idea that it would evolve into what it has today. There was no Twitter, Youtube, or Instagram (not even Pinterest!)… I mean, I didn’t even have a cell phone that could take photos at the time! Thinking back, it seems like a lifetime ago but it’s really not that far back in the past and with the evolution of social media (that is now ironically my career!) and it’s presence in the world, I can’t help but imagine what the future holds. Social media has completely changed the way we live our lives and at the same time has put so much pressure on all of us to be “on” all the time and to live picture perfect lives. Even with all the good that social media does by connecting us with like-minded people, broadening our horizons and causing us to think in a different way, it’s still important for us to take a social media break every now and then and just live in the moment.
Outfit Details
WAYF Dress c/o | Bernardo Heels (similar under $25!) | Handbag (similar here) | Alexandre de Paris Headband (similar under $20! c/0)
Most of you know that I just went on my very first cruise (yay!). I have been dyinggg for real vacation! Since I tend to work insane hours between all of my businesses, it can be really hard to turn off and relax sometimes. Within the past year, I realized that I absolutely have to schedule in some “me” time because working around the clock is just not feasible… and you know what? It’s helping (I’ll talk more about that in a future post)! Although I’ve been making these small, positive changes to my work schedule, there was still one area that I was unsure of how to navigate…traveling.
We take a lot of un-planned day trips that I don’t share on the blog or Instagram or on stories because sometimes it’s nice to just live like a normal person and not feel the need to share every single second, but I find that it’s more difficult with a longer trip. When bloggers go on vacation, it’s not really a true vacation. We are expected to share a play-by-play on stories in real-time along with the most incredible photos on Instagram. Anddd I just want to say that I actually do enjoy doing that…I genuinely enjoy sharing my adventures and connecting with everyone and I loveee taking photos in new places! It makes me feel so inspired! BUT at the same time, I think everyone feels pressured to share everything all the time and to get the most “Instagrammable” shots (and now it’s almost expected!) but that kind of pressure can wear anyone down regardless of whether they are an influencer or not. When I travel, I do share on stories but I don’t share everything single thing and I do take photos but I don’t post them in real-time and we take them super early in the morning (pre-planned) so we have the rest of the day to enjoy, but there are some times when you feel like you can’t truly enjoy yourself because you “must” get the perfect photo.
This cruise was a really big deal for me not only because it was my first one but because it was the very first time in over four years that I went completely off the grid. I’m talking no Instagram, no Facebook, no emails, no text messaging, no cell phone service…and it was completely intentional. The moment we stepped on the ship, I threw my phone in my bag and didn’t look at it again (or even charge it). We left our DSLR at home in favor of the more compact camera for candid photos only….NO Instagram shots. We took FIVE photos total (including the one of me below and one with my husband and I) and decided to just be in the moment for the rest of the trip. And you know what? It felt incredible!
At first, it felt strange to not document the trip because there’s this stigma that if we didn’t share on social, did it even happen? As a society, I think we are accustomed to this way of life… we share what we’re eating, what we’re wearing, where we’re going, what we’re watching, what we’re thinking, etc. Very rarely do we just live. The initial idea of connecting on social media has now become a world full of FOMO, competition and alternate realities that can become all-consuming and toxic at a certain point… almost like an addiction.
This is why I feel like it is absolutely necessary to take a social media break every now and then. It’s vital to detach yourself from seeing everyone’s highlight reels and the exhaustion of trying to keep up. With so much going on all at once, it can be easy to lose yourself and get burnt out. I was away for five days and it seemed like an eternity. It was so refreshing to enjoy the littlest things in life without feeling any pressure. Not only did I learn the value of boundaries and enjoy the nostalgia of life before social media, but I also came back feeling more encouraged, motivated and excited about my business. Mission accomplished ๐
What are your thoughts on taking a social media break?
xo
Shop the Look
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This week’s most clicked on post was…
I adore this darling polka dot outfit and loved all of her fun photos in this post!
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