I'd like to use this post to discuss periods of inactivity on bookstagram, including what they are, how they happen, and what happens as a result of them, as well as a little story about our own, current state of inactivity.
Periods of inactivity. We all have them, right? Those days or maybe even weeks where you don't post anything. Whether it's because of a lack of time or inspiration, camera issues or personal issues, we all have them at some point. In fact, if you keep up with our bookstagram, you would know that we are actually in a state of inactivity right now.
A good amount of the time, periods of inactivity aren't planned. (Or at least that's the case with us.) They just happen because you're busy and don't have the time, or something sudden has happened. Sometimes, you just can't post one day and then the next, and so on and so on until, when you actually have the time to post, you're so "out of practice" that you simply choose to neglect your posting responsibilities. The thing is, these happen to everyone, and they're perfectly okay to have.
There are also the planned periods of inactivity. Periods of time when people know that they can't or will not post, due to similar issues with time, health, even motivation. And it's okay to take a break. Because bookstagram is supposed to be a community and a place where you can get something worthwhile out of your time and effort, and if you're not feeling good about what you're doing, then by all means, take a break.
...bookstagram is supposed to be a community and a place where you can get something worthwhile out of your time and effort, and if you're not feeling good about what you're doing, then by all means, take a break.
However, there are some downsides to taking breaks, although I certainly wouldn't force yourself to continue just to avoid these effects.
As might be expected, you will lose some followers as more time passes without a post. Additionally, when you start posting again, you might notice that your posts aren't getting as much attention or engagement as they did prior to your bit of inactivity.
Of course, this is reasonable. I suppose it's just like trying to do something after not doing it for a while. It might take some time to get back to where you were, but you'll soon pick it up again and things will be just as they were before. They could even be better, if you now have whatever was lacking that caused you to be inactive. In the long run, your bookstagram experience will be better because you'll be happier and better prepared. You have to trust me when I say this, for we've been inactive multiple times.
As of July 3rd, we've been inactive on Instagram. It started out because we were unmotivated and unsure about our slight theme change, which we had started only a few days earlier. We didn't know where we were going with it and were confused as to how it was different from our old theme.
"We...don't really have any idea as to what sort of theme we would like to pursue," I wrote once on our Instagram story. "We had originally had one particular style in mind, but we soon realized that we were not very good at this style. I also wasn't very fond of it thought I tried to like it for Em."
Then, as I've explained a few times on our Instagram story, some personal issues have come up. Or, as I wrote on our story, "there's been some things going on lately."
Since we began our period of inactivity, we have lost around 15 followers. Losing 15 followers doesn't seem too bad when written like that, but when looking at the number in comparison to other periods of inactivity, I realize that it is worse than other times. (Before, we had only lost 10 followers maximum.)
However, I hope to get back into things soon. We have some new ideas, but just need to take some more pictures in order to execute these ideas.
Still, I recognize that taking breaks is okay. A lot of us do bookstagram on the side as something that's supposed to bring us joy and happiness. Therefore, it's not healthy nor right to force yourself along if you're not comfortable doing so. I think we need to remember that we all are human, and we won't always be perfect. ♡
Click here to read the next Navigating Bookstagram post, "Losing Followers (Story)", or check out the Navigating Bookstagram tag here.
Comments
Post a Comment
We would like to hear from you! What did you think of this post? Do you have any suggestions? Then please leave a comment. (We allow anonymous comments too!)