On this week’s Dear Katie, someone asked: “Every time I go to record a video, I freeze. To be honest I don’t want to be judged as lame as that sounds.”
Putting yourself out there, especially on social media, can cause anxiety.
I’m not going to lie to you, saying “Don’t worry, no one’s paying attention” is NOT true.
People will notice. You want them to notice. It’s a good thing.
You post to get noticed. If people pay attention, your hard work and effort are paying off.
So, let’s take a moment to dig a little deeper.
When you say “I’m afraid of judgment,” what do you really mean?
A study from Dow University of Health Sciences and the College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, found that social media makes people anxious. So, you’re not alone.
But think back to the last time you clicked on someone’s post or profile.
Did you think: “what are they doing?” or did you think “I wonder what they have been up to?
I’m going to be honest.
I don’t visit someone’s profile to make fun of them.
If I go to someone’s profile, I am curious to see what people have been up to, especially if it’s someone I’ve lost touch with.
Or if I see a post from someone that intrigues me, and I go to their profile, I go to their profile to learn from them and be inspired.
Here, I’m not judging a person’s posts. I’m admiring them.
And people want to see your posts so that they can admire them, too.
18-year-old Katie wanted to post on social media, but I didn’t.
In fact, I didn’t start really posting on social media until I was in my 20s.
I find myself saying, “Tomorrow, I’m going to create a Youtube video.”
Then tomorrow came, and suddenly, I couldn’t do it.
I’ve felt the freeze before, and it had nothing to do with being dramatic or lazy or anything like that.
It’s your nervous system reaction.
There’s something called the “window of tolerance.”
When we’re outside of our window of tolerance, we:
Your brain is trying to protect you in that moment of hesitation.
This same action happens when you do anything outside of your comfort zone.
This could be public speaking, going skydiving, really anything new.
The key is not letting your natural reaction from your brain stop you from reaching your goals. There is a lot of things you can do to expand your window of tolerance.
And we can talk about those in another episode, but for this one, let’s focus on social media specifically.
When you use social media intentionally and shift your mindset, you realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of when posting content online.
Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
Breathe and remember this:
“This content isn’t about me. It’s about who it helps.”
This one shift in mindset can pull you back into a space where your body feels safe. Over time, you’ll find that your window of tolerance expands. Filming and posting content won’t feel so scary.
In fact, I bet you’ll find it to be fun!
Ultimately, your goal isn’t to be invisible. Your goal is to make an impact.
So, I encourage you to get out there and start posting your content.
Yes, people may see it. But let them.
Let them look.
Let them think, “Wow, this is great advice!”
If someone leaves a rude comment or unfollows you, so be it. Their actions do not mean you did anything wrong.
It just means that:
And when you stand for something, not everyone will clap.
That’s okay.
Their judgment doesn’t pay your bills.
Your content just isn’t for them.
Your content is for the person who messages you a month from now, saying, “Thank you. I really needed that.”
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
Start small and shift your mindset to focus on how your content helps others, rather than worrying about judgment.
Understand that not everyone will resonate with your content, and their judgment does not define your value or the impact you can make.
Yes, many people experience anxiety about posting on social media; it’s a common reaction when stepping outside your comfort zone.
Focus on creating content that provides value and resonates with your audience, rather than worrying about how it will be perceived.
Start posting consistently; your audience will grow over time as you share valuable content that connects with people.
Look for engagement metrics like comments, shares, and messages from followers thanking you for your content to gauge its effectiveness.