I’m always the first person to jump up and be the biggest blogging cheerleader you’ve ever seen. It is so important to support your fellow influencers as much as you can, and not only that appreciate everything that bigger bloggers have done so that smaller bloggers like myself have a chance to work with incredible brands everywhere.
The other day however, I went on a massive unfollowing of various influencers for a lot of reasons, which kind of goes against everything that I normally say about supporting other influencers but I did it for a reason.
So lately if you missed my blog post I said I took a break from Twitter, well I also decided to have a clear out of my Instagram, not just because a lot of the people I followed were completely inactive and had been for about 2 years, but because I honestly felt like I wasn’t feeling connected to the content anymore.
I think the fact that I have grown as a blogger and a person I want to feel connected to the content, I want to feel inspired by the content and if I’m not inspired, then I feel like I need to reassess why I’m following them.
That is nothing against the person, I’ve unfollowed a few people with over 50k followers because I just don’t feel like their content is something that I love anymore.
The thing is with Instagram is the fact that you can roll through liking all the pictures, adding comments, and even though I love the platform, it can leave you feeling like a pile of poo. I am not one of those people that wakes up with perfect hair, I prefer Instagram feeds that are more real life with captions that I can relate to.
I do follow a few feeds that are more inspirational, I mean the photos literally look like something from heaven, they’re incredible but I feel like I can relate to them through the captions & the photos make me want to improve my photos. They’re inspiring me to be a better photographer and that is something that I enjoy so much!
I have also unfollowed a few influencers that are triggering my mental health, they seem to be bringing me down, doubting myself, my recovery and my content. It’s not their fault, it’s their feed, they can tweet and do whatever they like, however I have found that it is so important for me to do that for my own happiness.
I’m still that person though that feels guilty for unfollowing someone & there is nothing that I can do to change that. Like I said at the beginning of the post I like to be the biggest cheerleader for the blogging community (or at least I try my best to be anyway!) and I feel like unfollowing is basically withdrawing my support for them, and I guess in a way I am, but I need to feel inspired by someone’s content and not feel brought down by others unintentionally.
I don’t feel the need to justify myself, however it is so important to not just follow someone because you feel obligated to follow them.
Follow the people that inspire you, that make you want to create, fill your feed with all these amazing creators and don’t forget that just because other people follow them, it means that you should to!
What are your thoughts on unfollowing? Let me know in the comments!
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I totally agree! I unfollowed a few people on Twitter that were constantly negative, and some of never even spoken to and didn’t relate to. I had a clear out of Instagram too, for similar reasons to you. I still always feel guilty but I want to see content I love and relate to rather than scrolling through image after image of perfection.
Hels 💗
I totally agree my darling, I think a good clear out really helps and not only that it makes your feed exactly what you want! xxx
I have unfollowed a few accounts lately for the same reasons, if they bring me down it’s not worth it, I like my social media to be a inspiring positive space, I know life isn’t butterflies and rainbows all the time but boy do some people bring you down xx
https://www.katescloset.uk/
I totally agree, it’s not about everything being positive, it’s about having a space that you can enjoy and you don’t feel is constantly negative! xxxx
I’ve unfollowed a few accounts recently, if I’m not enjoying what they post or I don’t speak to them, then really what’s the point? I’m all for supporting other bloggers but it’s so important for our social media feeds to suit us and be the content we’re actually interested in xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
I totally agree my darling, I think if they no longer inspire you, or you don’t relate to their content there is no point in following them anymore! xxxxx
I think that our own well being is so important and definitely relate to feeling bad after comparing yourself!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
I totally know what you mean, it’s such a competitive world blogging, it can be so hard! xxxx
You better not have unfollowed me lady or I’ll cry haha x
Hahaha don’t worry you are absolutely safe! xxxx
I’m 200% with you, I unfollowed a lot of people who I used to enjoy their content but my tastes changed and so did their content so I unfollowed.
I see nothing wrong with that personally but I know that one of those people did take offence with it and sadly there was nothing I could do about that.
If the feed doesn’t make you feel something good or keep you interested, unfollow.
Gillian xx Eyelinerflicks.com
Exactly, it’s so important to do what is best for you and your feed! xxxxx
I’ve unfollowed quite a few and brands in the spring and it felt very cleansing! x
http://www.ofbeautyandnothingness.co.uk
It is good for the soul to be honest! xxxx
I did this too! Xx
It’s so important to do it! xxx
I recently wrote a post about this and did the exact same with my instagram. It’s so much more refreshing and honestly made me feel so much better! Great post
I feel like I’m more motivated to produce content if I’m inspired by my feed! xxx
I totally agree with you! I have done the same thing recently, I feel like there has been a lot of drama and negativity where it just isn’t needed. I find blogging an escape for me and I feel like it’s best to keep it all positive! Great read xx
Blogging is my escape, it’s something I do to make me happy and you shouldn’t have to be surrounded by negativity! xxx
If people are triggering your mental health then you shouldn’t feel bad about unfollowing them! In fact you shouldn’t feel bad about unfollowing anyone that you don’t connect with anymore because at the end of the day it’s your feed! As long as you’re not playing the follow/unfollow game I don’t see the problem!
Jess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
Exactly, as long as you’re not being that annoying person that follows and then unfollows, it’s totally okay! xxx
I really liked this post – it was refreshingly honest. You need to do what’s right for you at the end of the day. I unfollow people if the content isn’t right for me. I think the people we follow can depend on where we are in life too. I sometimes unfollow people when I am in a certain place but feel I can follow them again a few months later. Don’t feel bad for looking after you.
Nina x
http://justnina.co.uk
Thank you so much my lovely, I appreciate it! It’s so important to do what to do what is best for you my lovely! xxxx
I’m with you too. If someone consistently irritates me, I unfollow them. I just went through a Twitter purge of accounts that don’t either make me laugh, inspire me, or at least say something interesting. I also think that in general people are getting tired of the endless perfection that people post and are appreciating real life content instead. I hope this trend continues.
I like to just be able to relate to a person and their content! xxxx
I am the same, I don’t unfollow very often at all and only rarely ever unfollow but will if they is some drama etc. I like to keep my social media as positive as possible!
Melissa 🌙 | Moonlight Mel
Social media is supposed to be fun, we are supposed to enjoy it! xxxx
I can definitely relate to this! Not so much on Instagram, but I really want to clean up my Twitter feed. Get rid of people I either don’t engage with or whose content I’m not a big fan of. Twitter is the biggest referrer for a lot of bloggers and I feel like I’m constantly missing posts from my favourites because I’m seeing people I don’t really care about. BUT I also suffer from unfollow guilt and have been holding off for a long time because I don’t want to upset or offend anyone. Well done for actually doing it! I’m glad it made you feel better! x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
That is so true! I think it is so important to surround yourself with bloggers that inspire you and see what you want to see on your feed! xxxx
An unfollowing spree is honestly so freeing! A while back I unfollowed so many people on my Instagram and afterwards it was just so refreshing. I was seeing the accounts I actually wanted to see on my feed, and I really just felt like a weight was lifted off me. I’ll be honest, I don’t like unfollowing people, because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but then I realized, chances are, they won’t even notice I’m gone, and really, I’ll be so much happier. And I agree, there’s no need to justify yourself for who you’ve followed or unfollowed. Simply follow the accounts you like! 🙂
It’s so important to do what is best for you and your feed! I never like unfollowing anyone, but it’s so important to put yourself first xxxx
It is really honest post. It is important to have more positive and inspirational things around us and on social media. If something is negative and really triggering MH then it is good to clear out the negativities. Thank you so much for sharing this nice post. I am a budding blogger and entrepreneur and it is really helpful to me. 🙂
I’m so glad that you found this helpful my lovely! xxx
Completely agree with you, you have to be surrounded by what makes you happy.
http://littlemissmelanie.com
Amen to that my lovely! xxxx
I’ve definitely learnt the value of the unfollow, mute and block button recently! I’ve been using it so much and I think that’s absolutely fine, we need to curate our feeds to suit us 🙂 xx
It’s so important to curate your feed to what you want! xxxx
i just relate to this so much. when i started blogging i followed everyone and took all of the inspo that i could and now that i am honing my talent and really finding out who i am as a blogger, i have decided to also unfollow people with unnatural goals or things that i actually have no liking for!
Rosie
Exactly, I think when you first start you follow everyone who you like, but now you’ve changed as a blogger you are selective about who you follow! xxxx
Well said! Oh yes, if it affects your mental health then unfollow. I agree. It is sad but I figure you can hone in on the people who you really enjoy and who add to your life. I also do this on facebook. I won’t unfriend but I will unfollow the feed if they say stuff that just make me angry everyday lol. I don’t want to be angry everyday. The older I get the more I realize how important it is to protect your mental health and brain space. It’s like you only have so much light and energy so don’t let them suck it out of you!
Teri – http://millennialadulting.life
Amen to that Teri, it is so important to curate your feed to what you want! xxxx
I can totally relate to so many things you’ve said on here. Recently, there have been a lot of bloggers that have been tweeting/creating content that is just far too triggering to me and my mental health so I’ve had to unfollow. Its a bit of a shame but I have to do it for my own well-being really!
Lucy | Forever September
I totally agree my lovely, it’s so important to do what is best for you! xxx
I’m with you 100%! I unfollowed a lot for the same reason, I just feel like they try to make their lives impossibly perfect, and it can be way too much, right now I am loving the picture perfect feeds with the realistic stories. But I must admit I love Mrs Hinch for that reason too, even at 1M she still uses her stories in the same way. I want to feel happy looking at my feeds, and nothing should disrupt that, and I hope people take enjoyment from mine in that way too! 🙂
Erin || MakeErinOver
I love your feed and what you do my darling, you’re ridiculously talented! xxxx
Love the honesty of this, and I completely get it. Sometimes the influencers you follow can even make you feel down on yourself, and then the unfollow needs to happen. It’s not anything personal but its necessary for your own piece of mind! This was such an interesting post!
http://www.whatevawears.co.uk
Thank you so much Eva, I totally agree, it is nothing personal, it’s just what is best for you! xxxx
This was such a great read Amie, I completely agree with you – Instagram can become a massive comparison game, which isn’t healthy!
♥︎
It’s so hard when it comes to Instagram, it’s like we are all in a comparison bubble! xxxx
I completely relate to how you feel about how social media can bring you down. I took a long break from Insta because I felt like it was just soul-destroying! Since then I started up a new account, and changed my content and who I follow and I feel a lot better. I only have a handful of followers, and I am satisfied because I opted out of the never ending rat-race to the top. Thanks for bringing it all home. You are not alone on this. Great post!
Trace x | http://www.thefashioncollector.com
As long as you enjoy what you’re creating, that is the most important thing in the world! xxx
I normally don’t unfollow however I agree with a lot of what you said in this post!
Thank you so much my lovely! So glad you agree! xxx
I love that you’re a cheerleader for other bloggers :). Sometimes, we need to unfollow for our own sake. I know I try to unfollow people I can no longer relate with. It’s nice to have support and it gets draining when you’re giving support and not receiving some back. You definitely don’t need to justify yourself. I’ve unfollowed people before for various reasons (like being too spammy for my liking). Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I think sometimes though there can be certain people who will call others out for unfollowing and it’s important to see the other reasons people unfollow! xxx
I did a massive unfollow on Instagram and Pinterest yesterday myself. I feel like you do, some just don’t suit me anymore and others seemed to be more about complaining than influencing.
It’s so important to have a clear out of people you are no longer inspired by! xxxx
I feel you! Instagram is a *allow me to say* pretty much hypocrate platform. I don’t feel people that actually have talent and potential are shining there, on the contrary those who are complimenting every single picture posted from some sort of “Guru” seem to have what it takes to became influencer.
I’ve just discovered your blog and I’m so excited about it, I’m literally in love with it!
Keep being yourself and post whatever you feel like without following the “mass”. Society need more people like you 🙂
I have a humble vegan blog myself, where I share easy recipes. Feel free to take a look on your spare time <3
Have a nice day!
Thank you so much Adriana, that means the world to me! I wish when it came to Instagram it felt like an equal platform! xxxx
This sounds like the best decision you have made. I actually closed my socials down three years ago, and only opened it recently. It can be so triggering!
It can be so triggering and draining sometimes! xxxx
I love this blog post, I don’t seem to follow many influencers myself for the same exact reasons. 🌸✨
With love, Alisha Valerie x
| BLOG | TWITTER |
It’s important to have a feed that inspires you and does what is best for you! xxxx
I totally understand why you did this, I often have to do it too. I hate being bogged down by posts that just don’t do anything for me. In fact, I have actually stopped following people, unless I think they are going to contribute something worthwhile to my timeline.
Kirstie xoxo
Kirstiekinsblogs
That is such an amazing way to put it my lovely! Being so selective over the people we follow is such an important thing! xxxx
I do this every few months on both Instagram and Twitter. Most of us change and grow as a person and it means that we can outgrow content that we previously liked. Nothing wrong with that at all. I follow people whose content I enjoy. I will not follow someone just because they followed me. I will check their feed & only if I like it, will I then follow. If there are accounts that I am following that affect my mental health negatively in some way, then I will unfollow them. I am sure none of us needs or wants the added negativity that some feeds give us, be it making us feel inadequate, lowering our self-esteem etc. The people we follow & their feeds should be something positive that we enjoy viewing, reading and interacting with, if that’s not the case, then they serve no purpose other than to make us feel bad about ourselves. 🙂 x
That is what I do, I would never just follow someone because someone has followed me! xxxx
Yesss!
I am all for this! I also unfollow people on insta if I feel that their constant is making me feel like I’m not enough or I see myself constantly comparing myself to others! There is nothing to feel guilty about in that!
Thanks for sharing this! xx
Beaulife.org
Exactly, as long as you’re not following and unfollowing all the time with the same person, that is all that is important! xxxx
it’s always good to have a clear out! if something doesn’t make you feel good then you don’t need it in your life.
I totally agree my lovely! xxxx
I understand where you are coming from, I like to surround myself with positive people and people who support me! Thank you for sharing xx
It’s so important to curate your feed to what you want it to be! xxxx
I agree with you, I unfollowed people for the same reason. It’s good to follow people who not only inspire you but are relatable. I like to keep up with accounts that make feel encouraged to become a better writer and photographer but not feel guilty or lower my self-esteem because their content is unattainable or non-relatable.
Natonya | http://www.justnatonya.wordpress.com
Exactly, and the beauty of it, is you can follow who you want and who inspires you! That is the most important thing when it comes to following people, is they make you feel positive and inspire you! xxx
I always feel bad for unfollowing people, coz i wouldnt want someone to do that to me
I know what you mean, sometimes it’s necessary though! xxxx
I only follow people on Instagram that empower me and/or have captions that I can relate to or make me laugh. I don’t feel bad, it’s my mental health and I’m taking control of it by unfollowing people who make me feel rubbish and are bringing me down.
Amy | hookedonthemusic.com
It’s so important to do what is best for you and follow the people you enjoy! xxxx
I love a social media cleanse. It’s so refreshing! I used to feel guilty about it but now I don’t. I unfollow people if there’s a disconnect, if I’m cutting them off or if their content is not relevant to me. I did a massive Twitter cull a few months ago and I felt so much better because too many people were clogging up my feed.
As for Instagram, I’ve gradually cut down the number of people I was following because I couldn’t stand the amount of cookie cutter images I was seeing. It’s unrealistic.
Chichi
The Cosmetic Notebook
http://thecosmeticnotebook.com
It’s so important to do what is best for you at the end of the day! xxxx
I go through my social media platforms and give them a good cull every now and then. I agree with what you say, some influencers do just make you feel like you don’t measure up. I unfollowed two big bloggers whom I’d followed for a couple of years, and actually, I feel so much better now. It can be such an unhealthy environment sometimes with all the comparisons etc. Fab post and an interesting read.
Samantha x
https://thebeautyspyglass.com
It’s so important to do what is best for you and unfollowing some people can really help you in terms of how you feel abut social media! xxxx
I completely agree with this. I tend not to follow people with picture perfect feeds unless I really really like their content because I also end up comparing myself and it can feel rubbish. Real life content (to me) is much better! You shouldn’t feel bad for taking care of your mental health and getting rid of negative influences! Xx
I’ve unfollowed quite a few people lately because of this, I have a lot of flat lays on my feed but I try to keep it real with my captions! xxx
No shame in unfollowing folk who no longer inspire you and especially if you feel their feed isn’t helpful to you. Unfollowing later is not the same as doing f/uf, after all 🙂 And with smaller more appropriate follows you actually get a feed you enjoy rather than the gems getting lost in the noise 🙂
I totally agree my lovely I’ve unfollowed quite a few and I feel happy with where my feed it right now! xxxx
I totally understand why you would feel guilty, Ive been there too! I try to support other bloggers/instagrammers. But when you feel like they aren’t supporting you back in the same manner sometimes that’s not fair either. Good for you for unfollowing those who don’t inspire, don’t support or just mentally drain you. You deserve to have an inspirational and motivational feed ☺️
I can literally relate to it so much! I’ve been following so many “inspirational” people on my personal Instagram account but some of them left me feeling like I’m not enough. It was a great decision to make, darling!
I agree with you. I unfollowed two peeople on twitter a few days ago. I did this because 1 was always negative and the other one was always pushing about how successful they are and how you can do the same.
I know many others do this, but this person was constantly in my face trying to sell stuff. I didn’t want that so I got rid. I felt bad at first, but I have no regrets
I completely agree with you! I need to do the same!