Social media is overwhelming. Even if you just create for fun, you’re bound to get stressed out. It’s important (shall we say essential) to take care of yourself. And while it can take a little time to find your ideal process, there are a few things you can start doing to elevate some of that stress.

Here are our top five self-care essentials for content creators. They’re quick and easy and will help you refill your content creator battery in no time.

Prioritize Fun Content ✨

Focus on creating content that you’re excited about or interested in! Your content is probably already about your passions, but emphasize content you’ll have fun creating. Start a new series just for you, create a video you’ve been dreaming about, or choose a theme you’re dying to talk about. Be like Marie Kondo and get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy.

Set Boundaries 🙅

Boundaries are life-savers. They come in a lot of different forms, but we’ve got a few favorites. Have designated “office hours” or creator hours, where you’re focusing on social media for this time and this time only. Or, if you can’t commit, have no phone hours! You can also turn off notifications, so you can really unplug from your socials. At the end of the day, just make sure you’re spending time off of and away from social media completely.

Optimize Your Process 🤖

This will take a little work on the front end, but it will make life so much easier. Find tools or resources that can help you streamline the process. Can you schedule videos in advance? How can editing be made easier? Can AI help you come up with ideas? Make a list of the things you dislike, and start looking for alternatives to make it easier.

Have “Self-Care” Creators 😍

Find creators that you love but create in a different niche or style. We recommend creators that do things you’d never want to. This is content you can watch for fun and can help you unplug while you’re scrolling or doing your work. And since it’s content you have no interest in creating, there’s no pressure to be just like them. You can just enjoy the fun restaurant worker skits and press pause for a bit.

Practice Basic Self-Care 💆‍♀️

There are a ton of tiny self-care or self-soothing tactics you can try. Most of these are quick solutions to help you recenter and relax when you feel overwhelmed.

• Take breaks often. Step away for ten minutes if you’ve been working for a while.
• Download a meditation app and do some breathing exercises.
• Stay hydrated and remember to eat. You’d be surprised what this fixes!
• Write a list of your achievements and keep it near you.
• Talk with a friend, whether that’s over text, a call, or face-to-face. Pets work, too.

Self-care, even for content creators, isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’ll have to try out a variety of solutions to find the one that resonates with and helps you. And it isn’t something you do once and never again! You’ll want to practice self-care often and try out new methods.