From Edie: Feeling exhausted by social media? Discover 8 practical ways writers can avoid burnout, stay visible online, connect with readers, and protect their creativity.
Social Media Burnout for Writers: 8 Ways to Stay Visible Without Getting Exhausted
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I know, I’m supposed to be the cheerleader of all things social media. But let’s get real here. Some days—some weeks—it just makes me tired.
And social media feels more exhausting now than it used to.
There are new platforms, new features, new algorithms, and new experts telling us what we absolutely MUST be doing if we want anyone to discover our books. We’re supposed to post consistently, make videos, engage with our followers, grow our email lists, learn the latest trends, understand what the algorithms want, and somehow still find time to actually write.
Then there’s AI. Our feeds are filling up with more content than ever before, and some of it has begun to sound suspiciously alike. Add in the endless stream of outrage, arguments, advertisements, and people trying desperately to get our attention, and it’s no wonder we’re tired.
There are times when every writer gets weary of social media. Usually it happens when certain situations arise:
- I haven’t had any meaningful conversations in a while.
- I’m posting regularly, but it feels like I’m talking to an empty room.
- Life in general has gotten chaotic, and it’s squeezing the creativity out of me.
- My numbers aren’t moving up. They’re sitting there like an old tire in a mud hole.
- The algorithm changes—again—and suddenly what worked last month doesn’t seem to work anymore.
- I’m tired of being told I need to make more videos, try another platform, or learn one more new thing.
- Everything I read on social media seems rude, wrong, artificial, or just plain shallow.
Yeah, I’ve been where you are.
But I’ve also come through it to the other side. There are things we can do when social media gets to be too much to deal with. Here’s what I do when it begins to feel like just too much work.
Social Media Strategies for the Exhausted Writer
1. Remember your why.
We all should know WHY we’re doing social media. And if that why is meaningful, it will help sustain us when the going gets tough.
For me, I have a double why. I do it to bring light to the dark. I want to bring God’s joy to people online. The second reason I do it is to equip others to discover the strength and ability God has given them to fulfill their purpose. With these whys always before me, I can stay the course when the algorithms change, the world gets ugly, and others decide to leave.
But remembering my why also gives me permission to ignore some of the things social media experts tell me I have to do. My goal isn’t to make an algorithm happy. It’s to connect with people.
2. Take a three-day break.
Don’t stay away too long, but I’ve discovered that giving myself a short, three-day vacation often gives me the time I need to regroup. The permission to not open Facebook, Instagram, or whatever platform is making me crazy can be almost exhilarating.
One thing about this, though—don’t advertise it. Don’t get online and tell everyone you’re getting off social media for three days. That falls into the category of noise, not meaningful conversation. Just quietly take a few days off. And while you’re gone, resist the urge to worry about what the algorithm will think. The algorithm will survive without you. And so will your platform.
3. Set a timer.
When you return, watch your . . . er . . . watch. Don’t try to make up for lost time. Instead, be very deliberate about the time you spend online. Give yourself a reasonable limit and stick to it. For me, that might mean 30 minutes devoted specifically to social media work.
I’m not talking about time we spend online because we enjoy it. There’s a difference between scrolling through Instagram because photography makes me happy and spending time there because I’m working. Know which one you’re doing. Because we all know how easy it is to open Facebook to answer one comment and emerge 45 minutes later wondering what just happened.
4. Reply to those who’ve engaged with you.
If someone shared your blog post, commented on something you posted, tagged you, or took the time to send you a message, spend a few minutes responding. This is especially important when you’re tired of social media because it reminds you what social media is supposed to be about.
People.
We can get so caught up in reach, views, followers, shares, and algorithms that we forget there are actual human beings on the other side of those numbers. I would rather have a meaningful conversation with five people than collect 500 views from people who scroll past and never remember my name. Social media is supposed to be social. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of that.
5. Share something meaningful to you.
Don’t try to anticipate what will get the most traffic humming. Don’t worry about whether the latest expert says you need a Reel, a carousel, a video, a Story, or something else you haven’t even figured out yet. Just be human.
Post a picture from childhood. Share something that made you laugh. Ask a question. Tell your readers what you’re working on. Share a beautiful sunset. And please, don’t feel as if every post has to somehow circle back to BUY MY BOOK. People connect with people, not marketing campaigns. Sometimes the best cure for social media exhaustion is to stop performing and start connecting.
6. Evaluate your social media content.
Look again at what you’re sharing.
Has your feed become predictable? Are you sharing things because they matter to you and your audience—or because someone told you this is what you’re supposed to post? Spend some time looking for new voices to follow and new places to visit online. Shake things up a bit. You may discover something that gets you excited about connecting again.
And don’t forget to evaluate the platforms themselves. We do NOT have to be everywhere. Let me repeat that for those of us who have trouble saying no to something new.
We. Do. Not. Have. To. Be. Everywhere.
If you’re pouring hours into a platform that gives you nothing in return—not connections, conversations, readers, or enjoyment—it may be time to reconsider how much energy you’re investing there.
7. Change your routine.
- If you normally work on social media in the morning, move that to late afternoon.
- If you’ve been posting every day, experiment with posting less often but being more intentional.
- If everything you share has become promotional, spend a week focusing on conversation.
- If you always post the same kind of content, try something different.
Streamline what you can, but remain disciplined in your consistency. Sometimes a simple change in routine is enough to shake us out of a rut.
8. Stop chasing every new thing.
This is one I’ve had to add as social media has evolved. Every few months, we’re told there’s a new platform, feature, strategy, or type of content we MUST use.
- Video is everything!
- No, newsletters are everything!
- You need short-form content!
- Long-form content is back!
- You have to be on this platform!
- No, everyone is leaving that platform and moving to this one!
It’s exhausting just typing that list. And now AI has made it possible to produce more content, faster than ever before. That doesn’t mean we should. More isn’t necessarily better. We’re writers. Our strength is communication, not content production.
We don’t have to chase every trend. We don’t have to join every platform. And we definitely don’t have to let social media consume the time and creativity we need for writing.
Social Media Is a Tool for Writers
Social media is a tool. It’s a valuable tool when we use it correctly. But like any good worker, we can’t use just one implement to get the job done.
Sometimes we need to put it down and pick up another one.
Remember also that being a writer—like any other career or creative pursuit—has aspects that aren’t fun. There isn’t anything out there that’s one hundred percent fun one hundred percent of the time.
Sometimes we have to do the dreary work.
But don’t let the dreary work become the reason you’re doing the work.
- Go back to your why.
- Go back to the words.
- Go back to the people God has called you to reach.
For me, that means remembering why I’m online in the first place—to bring light into dark places and to help others discover the strength and ability God has given them to fulfill their purpose.
Social media isn’t the calling.
It’s just one of the tools I use to live it out.
And when I remember that, social media gets a whole lot easier to put back in its proper place.
Now it’s your turn. What do you do when you get weary of social media? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEETABLE
She and husband Kirk have been married 44+ years with three grown sons and four grandchildren. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found with their big black dog hiking the mountains. Connect with her at www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.
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