Why I regularly disappear from LinkedIn – and stopped caring about my algorithm
(a post about LinkedIn and #MentalHealth)
I’m coming back to LinkedIn after a two-month break. I didn’t plan it, it just happened. Let me tell you why.
“You should start a weekly newsletter”
“You have to be regular with your posts”
“You need to interact with your followers more often”
From the moment I started to have more followers than most people, these suggestions came. Although they come from a good place, it took me time to realize they won’t apply to me.
➡️ I love LinkedIn.
I keep telling colleagues – and anyone really – to consider using that powerful social media platform (I may say why in another post, I have a lot to say!).
➡️ LinkedIn is also exhausting, especially if, like me, you have to prioritize your mental health.
There are some days, some weeks even, when answering a direct message on LinkedIn, checking my notifications, or scrolling down requires a lot of energy from me.
➡️ LinkedIn is demanding.
If you want to maintain or grow your visibility or make your algorithm more relevant to you, you need to use it regularly: post, comment, like...
That’s how it works. That’s what any LinkedIn trainer will tell you (apologies to my colleagues who do LinkedIn training, they are incredible!).
Whether you have more than 30,000 followers like me or 150 connections, to make it work for you, you have to work for it (sounds cliché, but so true).
➡️ LinkedIn is tough.
The impact of social media on mental health has been researched, documented, and known to many.
“People celebrate their challenges, but I have nothing to celebrate”
“This person does such cool projects, I don’t”
“Do I have anything interesting to say anyway?”
“Will I face backlash if I talk about this?” (sidenote: when I was named LGBTQIA+ #LinkedInTopVoice this year by LinkedIn News Europe, I received many unkind (to say the least) comments and direct messages).
A lot of us have these little voices in our head when we check LinkedIn (there is a gender dimension to this, but again, that's for another post).
They take a toll on anyone’s self-esteem and mental health.
I’m not asking for pity or trying to justify myself.
I just want to say: if you can relate, know you are not alone ❤️
Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion. Maybe I will lose opportunities. But when I come back, I enjoy it so much more. I care about my mental health, but I also love the people I’ve met and keep meeting here. It's all about finding balance after all.
So LinkedIn, when are we talking about mental health AND you?
