Remember that time, way back when... Instagram was fun?!  Back before you used to obsess over numbers and photo edits? When it didn't need to reflect a perfect life, just the one you were living? Well, I have gone back to that and I'm loving it.

A few weeks ago, I decided, I had two choices when it came to Instagram - to find a way to start enjoying it again, or stop bothering with it altogether. It simply wasn't fun anymore and why put my time into something which isn't fun? So I decided to make a change. I'm not a quitter and I didn't really want to say goodbye to those little squares that I'd spent the last few years curating.  So instead, I looked for the positives. I searched for the joy the app used to bring me, and I found it - in today's blog post I thought I'd share how.

So for those who are stuck in an Instagram rut, like I was, here are my tips for enjoying it all over again:

- Lean into the bits you like:

There are so many things we do can do with Instagram - from photography to caption writing, to curating a feed, posing for pictures, video editing and the list goes on. Naturally, when given that long list of things, there will be the parts which you're doing because you think it's expected, and the parts which get you excited. Lean into those exciting bits. If you love the photography, then use Instagram as an excuse spend more time with your camera, if writing is a hobby of yours, show that off in the captions, or post your writing to your grid. The bits you enjoy, that's where you get to have the most fun, be your most creative.

- Step away from the bits you don't:

 As well as leaning into the bits you enjoy, you need to step away from the bits you don't. Do you find it a hassle editing your photos, then don't do it. Can never think of any cool captions to write? A couple of emojis will do. You shouldn't have to put your time and energy into the aspects of a phone app which feel like a chore.

- Photo challenges: 

Now, this will only apply to those that are in the love photography camp. Something which has got me back to loving Instagram is photo challenges. They've inspired me with what to post and I've found myself snapping things I wouldn't usually. Following in hashtags for these challenges have helped me find new great accounts to follow, and I've felt a sense of community on Instagram again. If you're curious, I've been doing the Zoella #comewhatmay challenge and occasionally the Shotfromthestreet #shotwiththetheme challenge.

- Unfollow:

The obvious one. Not only do you want Instagram to a fun place to post, but you also want it to be a nice place to hang out, where scrolling doesn't leave you feeling inadequate. Firstly, any accounts of people to who trigger that comparison side to you. just unfollow them. You definitely should not be comparing or obsessing over anyone else Instagram accounts (and not your own too). I think I've got the not comparing things on my own Instagram down (how is coming in the next bullet point) - however, it's something I've been struggling with when it comes to my new Instagram account for my Etsy store, where my account is new and I'm still finding my footing - so I've figured out, there's an account, who hasn't done anything wrong, but somewhere in my mind I set up a competition between us, and because of that I've found myself sad, that I wasn't winning the imaginary competition. - which is ridiculous. So I've stepped away from that account. I don't need to watch their stories or check how many followers they have - it's not serving me. Over the next few weeks, be a bit stricter with who you're following, anyone who pops up on your feed that you find yourself uninterested in, unfollow them too. Laura Jane Williams once said to me "Instagram is a magazine which you curate yourself" Don't have content in that magazine that you don't enjoy.

- Ignore the numbers: 

If you're going to change one thing about how you do Instagram, make this it. I know, when you're a bloggers/influencer as numbers can translate to jobs- but I've always found when I don't think of, or obsess over my follow count it grows anyway. When you stop worrying about the number and how to make them grow, it makes it easier to lean into the bits you like and step away from the bits you don't. Follow counts and numbers of likes you get does not translate into your worth - so obsessing over them - it's not helping your account anyways.

- Engage with your community:

 I've made friends on Instagram, and it feels like a place with shoulders to lean on. A community of people who inspire me. That's how you want it to feel. Engage with your community, get to know your followers and appreciate the time they take to engage with your content - you never know, you might also make a few friends like I have done.

- Remember, your feed doesn't have to be a masterpiece:

 If you want to post something, whether not it fits with your feed you should be able to. Remember you are one person and it's perfectly normal that you don't have a professional photographer follow you around on the daily. It doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to enjoy it, otherwise, what's the point?!

 Remember, you get to choose how you use this app, there's no right or wrong way. Any pressure there, you've probably put on yourself, so instead be gentle with yourself, and open your eyes to the enjoyment Instagram can bring you.

I have a love-hate relationship with Instagram. Although I enjoy the creative process, I find it comes with a lot of pressure. Follow counts on Instagram, seem more predominate than anywhere else, I guess mainly because having a large following in Instagram can be can money maker, and it seems brands are more and more interested in working with 'influencers' on Instagram posts than they are in long-form content, such a blog posts and youtube videos, which logically, seemed to cut the workload down slight for the influencer, and who would say no to less work and more money?


I find Instagram tricky, because, my followers rarely grow on there, and I know people endlessly say follow counts don't matter, but when they are what stands between you and your dream job, they kind of do. I don't want a career built on Instagram, not for a second, but as a blogger and a writer, my Instagram following has become something that could give me a ticket into the career I want. It's frustrating. I've said similar things to this on Instagram itself before - so I won't bang on too much about it here, instead, I want to talk about where I think the future of the platform is heading.
                                                                                 

I read something recently about how with traditional media, you get the advert between the entertainment, but with Instagram influencers, the entertainment is the adverts, which is completely true, advertising has become more integrated with the entertainment. Or is this just the first time we're realising? Product placements on TV shows have always been a thing. Is it such a bad thing that people are trying to sell us stuff? If we enjoy the free content they're putting out there, I see no reason we should not have to see the occasional toothpaste advert which is simple enough to slide into the content which is already there.

It's odd that Instagram is a career for some people, and a hobby for others, as with blogging and youtube, and many creative careers. Most of us have Instagram, some of us have several accounts. We're addicted to doing what some people get paid for, for free. Although unpaid, we might not be putting so much pressure on the images, and captions, hiring photographers and planning out our grids, but we're still contributing to that platform, unpaid. It's a place where humans are ranked by follow counts. I don't think I've ever looked how many friends somebody has on Facebook, or been concerned by followers on twitter but on Instagram, I'm more likely to interact with an account with more followers, which is absolute bullshit. I know, from experience, your follow count can be low but that doesn't mean your content is not thought out and valuable.

Something which does bother me is the idea that the print industry will one day be replaced by online platforms such as Instagram.

Personally, I've found myself heading more towards traditional media more than ever recently. Instagram can feel a bit samey, and while I have the blogs which I love, it seems bloggers are choosing more and most to posts on the 'gram rather than their own website, which is completely understandable, as writing a blog post takes a lot more time, and probably get a lot less engagement.



But lazy Sunday mornings, when I lay in bed, scrolling through insta doesn't quite cut it, and I begin to feel sick of my phone. I've realised nothing brings me the joy of a magazine and a cup of tea on those lazy. There's something satisfying in flicking pages, and the articles often tend to be a mixture of my favourite writers and some new ones. Articles I never expected to find myself reading can impact my thoughts, change my day - which I'm sure could happen with an Instagram caption, but sometimes I want it to be an event, consuming media, and scrolling Instagram is more of a habit than an event, there's nothing about it which feels special. With Instagram, it feels like something I consume when I want the minutes to slip away from me, but reading a magazine feels like a way to embrace the time I've got, and really make the most of it. It's a way to indulge in the words of others and curated imagery.

There's a pressure to post on Instagram, to create content which adds to what everyone else is posting. It's nice to read a magazine and know I don't need to worry about my input.  On Instagram you expect everyone to be relatable, real, and when they've got abs and a  new home, your average joe doesn't feel quite average which can leave a feeling of inadequacy, at least with magazines, the models printed aren't supposed to be the girl next door, they're too far from me to compare.

Having said all this, I do love using Instagram, I'm not against adverts on there if they're from somebody who's content I trust. and I think we're all smart enough by now to really, we don't need skinny teas.

I love that is something I can curate myself with who I choose to follow and I love that I have my own input in the space, but it's no replacement for the pleasure of carelessly flicking through the crisp pages of a magazine.


Jumpsuit: New Look - Lipstick: Marc Jacobs Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - i-D Magazine

Illustration by Ella Masters.

I am well and truly addicted to my phone, and honestly, I hate myself for it. I don't want to spend my time constantly looking at the screen, and losing hours of my life scrolling through Instagram. I love my phone, but sometimes I wonder if I was happier before iPhones were a thing. My phone is both my favourite and least favourite thing. It's great that I can fit so much technology in my pocket, that I have google maps if I get lost and I've always got a camera on me. But honestly, sometimes WhatsApp notification leaving me feeling anxious, and I feel a constant pressure to document life rather than just live it. Sometimes I find myself scrolling and before I've even realised it's happening I've wasted an hour. So with that in mind, my phone and I have headed off the couples therapy and I'm working on building a new positive relationship with it that isn't all-consuming.

Here are some of the ways I'm making my time on the phone more positive:

Turning it off 

Actually switching it off, and putting it in a drawer, as if it's a Nokia 3310. It's weird what a difference this makes. It's a reminder that I can be without it, I don't feel tempted to use it as a means of procrastination and it taught me that the world will not end when it's not on. I actually get things done when it's off and when it comes back on, hell I'm reading twitter updated that I haven't already seen four times before and social media actually becomes enjoyable again.

Not sleeping with it under my pillow 

My excuse for sleeping with my phone under my pillow has always been the alarm app, but honestly, I just found myself scrolling Instagram at 2am instead of snoozing. No smart alarm is going to make me less tired in the morning if I'm spending my nights staring at the light of my phone. So, I finally gave in and started placing my phone the other side of the room before bed, it cuts out the late night phone time, which means I sleep better and getting up in the morning is so much easier when I have no choice but to cross my bedroom to turn off that alarm.

Making use of screen time 

The new iPhone update came with the Screen Time feature so you can track how much you're using your phone, only allow use on certain apps for a certain amount of time, and personally, I think it's great, it's worth utilizing. I've set the downtime on my phone so, once it hits 10pm each night, my phone locks the majority of my apps, making it harder to access them. It gives you the option to unlock them, for the night or just for 15 mins, but it's a great reminder to give myself a bit of time away from the screen before settling down to bed.

Deleting some apps 

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I've found deleting certain apps has meant I've spent less time on my phone, using apps which I didn't make me feel good. I used to find myself spending my time on Snapchat and Facebook and really gaining nothing from it. Deleting the apps takes away that temptation.

Unfollowing 

 I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times before, but unfollowing those whos updates you don't enjoy changes everything. Laura Jane Williams once described Instagram to me as my own personal magazine which I get to curate myself, with that in mind, I tried to make sure it's a magazine which I enjoy every part of, that I come away from feeling good. I'm feeling more liberated with the unfollow button and social media has become a nicer place to be.

Forest App 

Once again, something I've previously mentioned, but if you struggling to put that phone down, or find yourself reaching for it when you should be working, this app is perfect. You set a time limit to grow and virtual tree, and you cannot use your phone until the tree has grown, it's surprising motivation working to grow fake plants.


I hope this helps if you're looking to tone down the phone addiction, I'm certainly spending less on my time looking at the little screen since I've put these things in place.


Follow

After reading this post by TheAnnaEdit, I hit follow on all of the chic French girls which Anna recommended and felt an overwhelming desire to up my style game, so naturally found myself, still on the 'gram, scrolling through the accounts of those who have me heart-eyed emoji over their #OOTDs.

As sharing, is caring, so I put together my own, not so French, favourite fashion Instagram accounts worth a follow.

@brittanybathgate

@oliviabynature

@lucywilliams02

@ardenrose

@chloeplumstead 

@hollyrebeccawhite

Holly is a model, and boy oh boy does it show on her Instagram. Some of the photos are so breathtaking. She certainly has her own style which shines through. Her signature make up look is red lips, minimal face makeup and 0 eye make up, which is so unusual and really compliments her red hair and pale complexion. Her style is playful and unique.

@meganellaby

What I'm wearing:     

Who are some of your Instagram style favourites? I'm always looking for new accounts to endless scroll, and new faces to make me excited about getting dressed in the morning.
*Affiliate links are used in the blog post
Follow

This is my first weekly round up in a couple of weeks, so sorry about that! But it's back.

I thought it might be nice to write something a little more casual and to go alongside this I'm going to sum up my week on instagram - I post instagrams as if they're my little scrapbook, so it makes sense to include them here too!


Monday 5th October - Sunday 11th October