In this episode of Show Up Real, Cat discusses the concept of Instagram breaks, emphasizing that they often stem from unhealthy relationships with social media.
Instead of taking breaks, Cat offers three solutions for you to practice instead including setting boundaries, creating signature content series, and connecting with the community to enhance content creation and marketing efforts. The episode provides actionable steps to help listeners enjoy their content creation process and engage more effectively with their audience.
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Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to Show Up Real. I hope you are having a wonderful, wonderful day. I am so excited about today’s episode. I am talking about Instagram breaks and taking a break from content. Look, I have a lot of thoughts about this, but this came up because one of my clients from my program Show Up Real posted on her Instagram, “Should I take an IG break?” I immediately answered and said, “No, absolutely not. You should try having some Instagram fun.” That’s what I told her.
It got me thinking because I’ve seen this mentioned a couple of times lately. I just know there are some of you who have this relationship with Instagram breaks that is very unhealthy. I wouldn’t even call it a break; I would call it a give-up. Okay? Let’s be real. Let’s be real. A break is a beautiful thing, but when you are in this cycle of calling something a break when really it’s you not facing the actual problem, that’s not good. That’s not good for you. That’s not good for your growth. That’s not you resting. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
We’re going to keep this one short and sweet. I also wanted to mention that one-on-one coaching is officially open for enrollment. I did change the offer. My one-on-one coaching offer looks a little bit different, and the price is a little bit different. I’m so, so excited. I’ll just tell you right here before we get started what it is. I’ll just run through it. I only have a handful of spots—three to get started in January. So if you want to work with me, this is the best deal you will get forever, to be honest, and I love this offer.
Okay, let me go through it, and we will get right into this episode. One-on-one coaching is open for enrollment, and this is what it looks like: You will get full Voxer access to me. Voxer is a communication app where you can ask me things anytime throughout the week, and I will answer you. It’s basically like having me on your phone to ask me anything. Full access to that. You get monthly calls with me that are 90 minutes long—one call a month. You also get full access to Show Up Real during the six months. It’s a six-month commitment. You get access to all my content, curriculum, and masterclasses, including my mastermind curriculum and portal. You get to see all of it.
I’m trying to think if I forgot anything else. Yeah, here’s the thing: You get full access to Show Up Real, and Show Up Real itself has so much value in it. You can get content reviews, IG story audits, Instagram audits, podcast reviews—there’s so much that happens in Show Up Real. I want you to have that community aspect as well when you are working with me.
But this is for folks who are really ready to put in the work and ready to utilize the support they buy into. Don’t work with me and then not Voxer me about anything. Don’t work with me one-on-one and then be confused or upset about why you still aren’t creating content when you want to be creating content. This is for people who are fully committed and want mentorship and coaching along the way. So that’s the offer. It’s six months long, and it’s $6,000.
Now, that’s a lot of money for some people, but it’s $4,000 less than what I have offered for one-on-one coaching in the last three years. It’s been $10,000 for six months for a really long time, but I changed the offer. The offer looks a little bit different. I don’t have weekly calls anymore—it’s monthly now, and they’re longer calls so we can get more done.
If you are interested in this, there are three spots available, and we will get started first thing in January. There is a payment plan available, but if you pay in full, you get a full-day in-person VIP day here in Los Angeles, California. I will take you out, we’ll strategize your business, and we’ll have dinner. If you’re interested, let me know by DMing me on Instagram @catdelcarmen, or you can email support@catdelcarmen.com.
All right, let’s get into this episode. I’m very excited about it. Here’s the deal: If you are always wanting to take a break from Instagram, I want to be clear that it’s not Instagram’s fault. It’s not Instagram’s fault. It is either your boundaries with Instagram or your mindset around marketing. It’s one of those. If marketing is a part of your goals for 2025, if marketing is needed to bring in money into your business, then you have to change something.
It is not going to be in your benefit to hate social media. It’s just not going to be in your benefit. The only person that loses is you and all the people who you’re not creating content for, not sharing your wisdom with, and not telling your community what they need to do to create the result you can help them with.
I’m going to share three things with you on what you need to do instead of taking another IG break. Number one: You have to create certain days off in your calendar to take off. I recommend one to two days a week as your no-marketing days. Two days where you are officially not marketing, where you give yourself full permission to not market.
I find that folks put so much pressure on themselves to be consistent that what happens is they’re so hard on themselves that all they can think of is social media. They’re thinking about it but not doing the work. You’re doing all thinking, no action. When you’re doing that, your head spins. You get stressed. You get anxious because you know what you need to do for your business, for your life, but you’re not doing it.
One of the reasons I find that you’re not doing it is because you’re way too focused on getting it right. You’re way too focused on making it perfect, on doing it well, that it doesn’t get done. Or when it does get done, it’s like one great piece of content every week because you’re so in your head about it. When the reality is, you probably need to create more because when you create more, you feel more creative. You have a lot more to say.
But specifically, you have to have specific days off. You have to have specific days off where you give yourself permission to just not post. I don’t need to post on these days. For me, it’s usually the weekend. Sometimes it’s Friday and Sunday. The reality for me is Saturday and Sunday. Those are my days where I’m allowed to.
Does that mean I don’t post on those days? Does that mean I don’t work on those days? No. I market if I have something to say, but if I want to take the full weekend offline, I’m always allowed to—every single week. Last week was Thanksgiving, and I let myself enjoy the whole weekend. I just gave myself permission to. When I got back, because I gave myself so much permission, I had so much to say. I felt so rested.
There’s a difference between taking days off because you’re so in your head versus having a schedule where you don’t have to post on certain days. I want you to have a schedule where you don’t have to post on your days off. When you do that, you have better boundaries with social media, better boundaries with marketing, better boundaries with your business.
So step one: Identify what days you will take off from content creation. On those days, remind yourself, “No, I don’t need to post today. This is my day off.” Again, if you want to, wonderful, but you never have to on those days. This will help you calm your anxiety and help you show up when you do have to show up for your business, for your people, for your community.
All right, so that’s number one. Number two: If you want to stop this toxic IG break cycle, I want you to create one to two signature series. A signature series is content you post that is repeatable and specific to you, your personality, your business, who you are, and how you do things. Think of it as a very special piece of content that you repeat on a regular basis.
Many people grow a following and go viral because they do the same thing over and over again. They get good. They get great at one type of content, one type of format, one type of idea. They do it so much and get better and better and better that they become known for it.
For example, Devin the artist grew huge by sketching people on the subway and giving them the sketch. He did that over and over. My friend Karina F. Daves created a type of content where she gives advice in her car—problems and solutions for her ideal clients. It’s extremely simple, but anyone who follows her knows that’s her signature series.
I have a client, Andrea, inside Show Up Real. She grew a following to over 100K by using her iPad to explain complicated money topics. She got very, very good at one type of content.
When you have a signature series, it eliminates a lot of the decision-making. It expedites getting content into the world. Because you’re doing it regularly—posting every day or five days a week—you get better and faster at it. You start identifying what topics people like, what’s helpful, what’s not.
These series should be doable and repeatable for you so the only thing you’re changing is the topic. That’s the
second thing to eliminate this toxic “I need a break” cycle.
Number three: If you’re in this energy of wanting to take another Instagram break, you have to connect with your community more. The truth is the people that follow you are real human beings. Look at your last three posts, and I promise you, you will find a handful of people you don’t know. Go check them out. Be friendly. Say thank you. Social media is about being social.
When you lean into community, it gives you perspective. It reminds you why you got started. Ask yourself, “What can I do today to connect with my people?” Maybe do a poll on IG stories or go live and give them an update.
When you do these three things, I promise you, you will start enjoying creating content. You’ll have so much to say, and you’ll care less about likes, virality, and engagement. You’ll go out there and create engagement instead of waiting for it.
I hope this was helpful. Go right now to your posts. Find people you don’t know and say hi. Follow me on Instagram @catdelcarmen. If you haven’t joined my Pistola email series, make sure to join. I’m sending you a big hug. Have a good day. Go serve your people. Help them create the results you know how to do so well. Bye!
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