More social media...

That one time when I deleted all my social media?

Yeah...I started a new Instagram account. 

I didn't want to stick with the old one, even though I had almost 1,000 followers. It wasn't fitting what I wanted out of social media, and I didn't want to stick around there.

This one, @the.elementary.atelier, is brand-focused. I'm rebranding my Teachers Pay Teachers store, hoping to turn it into a money-maker. I needed a huge update, and part of that was me realizing that in order to maximize my reach and potential, I needed to have social media again.

It's different this time. I'm not posting anything personal or political. It's teacher-related, TPT-focused, with bookish stuff mixed in. It's going to be a lot more cohesive, with elements that cross over between areas. 

I guess what I really wanted out of social media was a fresh start. Now I have it.

Social Media

I've done a thing over the last year and a half. I've deleted all my social media accounts. (Note: I don't consider Pinterest and Goodreads social media, because I'm not there interacting with people. They're just places for me to keep track of stuff.)

For me, social media became a huge burden on my mental health. It dragged me down and kept me there. I found that, for me, there was nothing redeeming about it. It aggravated me, made me feel less than, and made me want what I knew I couldn't have.

So it's gone.

I do not have Facebook. No Instagram. No Snapchat, TikTok, or Twitter.

You know what? I find that I don't miss it AT ALL. I've found time in my day to engage in hobbies like reading, needlework, piano, coloring, and crafting. I've found myself enjoying life a whole lot more and feeling a LOT less stress. I feel like my life is so much more enriching and engaging.

Deleting social media has been one of the best things I ever did.