When the time comes

my overdue hiatus from social media begins

If we gain the ability to look into ourselves with honesty, compassion and unclouded vision, we can identify the ways we need to take care of ourselves.

I stumbled upon this quote from Gabor Mate and his incredible bestseller, When The Body Says No, while wondering what to post on the socials this week. I first shared it about 8 months ago, reading it and recording it as a reel on Instagram.

It’s a powerful quote — a sentiment and message many people could benefit from that highlights the importance of self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-compassion and self-care. All the things I value and have built my life and work on.

But Instagram only ‘allowed’ about one fifth of my followers to see it.

I planned to share it again today on Instagram, this time as a static quote post, but how many would Instagram show it to this time? Maybe I should make it into another reel? Or turn it into a photo with the quote displayed on the image so people don’t miss it because not everyone reads the caption.

Or maybe I should just stop posting on Instagram ( and Facebook)…

Stop the incessant unfulfilling purpose-destroying energy-sapping rollercoaster that is social media when you’re a small business.

I’ve been toying with this idea for many months now, while engaging in paid and free training on what I can do better to reach more people on social media. Because it hasn’t just been this post that has had hardly any reach.

So many meaningful messages have been posted but not ‘shared’ to my followers and I’m so tired of trying to work out why and what to do to change it.

I’ve hinted in previous posts here and on Instagram and Facebook at how overwhelming I find it to be on said platforms as a HSP, but now it’s also a case of time and energy and head space taken up ‘trying’ to create posts that will ‘please’ the algorithm.

And so when Gabor Mate says that if we look into ourselves with honesty, compassion and unclouded vision we can identify the ways we need to take care of ourselves.

My honesty, self-compassion and unclouded vision are telling me it’s time to take a hiatus from social media.

All the research and changes I have made to my mindset and way I share on socials doesn’t change the fact that the social media platforms decide who to show my posts to.

I know this is not personal — the algorithm is the algorithm and I have read many posts by other creatives that share the same frustrations and exhaustion as me.

I love learning—that’s the seeker in me and the seeker in Seeker & Sage.

And I love inspiring others to learn from their experiences, heal their wounds and grow through life’s challenges.

And I doubt that will ever change.

But for now I need to focus my energy and creativity on what I can make that has longevity and a more solid reach.

A book is in the wings just waiting for me to finish it! And so is the idea to publish journals that speak to this vital sentiment that Gabor Mate has brought to our attention via this quote.

I still want to be part of your journey and want you to be part of mine.

So please consider subscribing here to Substack. It’s where I will continue to share these blog posts which will arrive in you email inbox for free.

And if you’re not already you could also get on my email list here so I can keep you updated on my new creations and offerings.

Thank you for listening. And thank you for all the ways you have supported my work on social media over the years. I’m not sure how long this hiatus will last but Substack and being on my email list are worthwhile ways for us to stay connected and journey together.

With so much love and gratitude, Gena xo