Do you need a social media detox?

The pressures of social media can impact our wellbeing – some times more than we even realise. So, is it time to disconnect? Amy Martin, owner of AMB STUDIO & Georgie Smedley Group brand ambassador, based in the Scottish Borders, shares her thoughts…

‘Having goals & ambition is great – but don’t let yourself get caught up in the game’.

Amy Martin

Social media can be a great and useful tool for interacting and showcasing your work online. It is why I created my Instagram profile: to show off my work to my friends, family and clients. I used to love posting my nail designs and seeing my clients comment and talk about them in the salon.

Over the years my following started to grow – and because of this, I started adding extra pressure onto myself when it came to creating nail designs and posting them to my profile.

“I even forced myself to create nails when I didn’t want too and steered away from the designs I loved doing because it wasn’t ‘on trend’.”

I got caught up in it all without even realising. There would often be times I created a set of nails that I was so proud of – and if they didn’t reach a certain number of likes – I instantly regretted posting them. I’m not embarrassed to admit this and, after speaking to other nail techs in the industry, it’s clear to see that this is something a lot of people are currently going through but is rarely talked about.

I decided enough was enough and it was time to take a step back. I had three weeks off from posting online and started to change the way I was working. I asked myself ‘Who am I creating these nails for?’. The answer was me – and me alone.

“We should be excited and have fun while creating nail designs – not worrying about what everyone else thinks of them!”

It doesn’t matter how many likes a post gets or how many followers you have – these numbers don’t reflect on your work and they definitely don’t make you any better of a nail tech. Yes, it is bonus when a larger account acknowledges or shares your work, but that’s all it should be – a bonus.

I read something online once and it made me change the way I thought about posting. Next time you worry about picture that only got 30 likes, try this: picture those 30 people all standing in a room clapping and admiring your work. Suddenly that’s a lot of people, isn’t it?

We all need to take a step back, stop putting pressure on ourselves and start creating nails that we love for ourselves. Don’t let yourself worry about what anyone else is doing. Everyone is on their own journey and we all have to start somewhere.

Follow Amy on Instagram.