Social media managers flex each their artistic muscle mass and significant pondering every day. Behind each rigorously curated Instagram feed and viral TikTok is hours of technique, planning and stress. And nonetheless, a social media staff’s job is rarely carried out.
Based on The 2026 Content material Benchmarks Report, 70% of customers say manufacturers do an amazing job of maintaining with on-line tradition and offering leisure. Nevertheless, 61% wished entrepreneurs did extra to work together with followers, publish really unique content material and reply to crises.
It’s tougher than ever to chop by way of the social media noise as a deluge of content material seems every day (Merriam Webster’s 2025 phrase of the 12 months was “slop” for good cause). Associates, household and even colleagues typically don’t perceive or diminish the work you do. These calls for, coupled with the “at all times on” nature of social media make burnout a really actual problem.
“We’re linked to your entire world through social media, however extra dissociated than ever”, says Carolina Barbosa, ex-International Social Lead at Flo Well being. “The algorithm gave us attain fatigue and we’re drowning in content material however ravenous for connection,” she provides.
Whereas a optimistic signal by way of engagement metrics, this will imply much more duties on entrepreneurs’ plates. The work required to develop technique, reply to engagement, navigate fixed community adjustments and easily exist in a fast-paced career is what’s driving social media burnout.
What’s social media burnout?
Social media burnout is outlined by continual psychological, bodily and/or emotional exhaustion shaped from unmanaged, work-related stress. Lia Haberman’s annual ICYMI 2026 Predictions Report confirmed social entrepreneurs are feeling the pressure. Respondents to her survey used phrases like “exhausted” and “overwhelmed” when discussing how they felt in regards to the 12 months forward on social.
This gradual build-up of stress reveals up in a different way relying on the particular person, however a couple of frequent signs embrace:
- Feeling overwhelmed or empty
- Bodily manifestations resembling fatigue
- Cynicism
- Sense of inefficacy or lack of ability to finish duties
A 2025 research outlined social media burnout as a “collection of unfavourable hostile reactions to actions on [social networking sites], resembling disinterest in communication, frustration, exhaustion and fatigue.” It could possibly affect each social media customers and entrepreneurs, and disrupt your work/life stability, sleep high quality and even your skill to take pleasure in life offline.
The research notes that customers regularly reply to burnout by discontinuing use of 1 or all social media channels. For entrepreneurs, that’s probably not an choice–so understanding the causes of burnout and find out how to tackle them are key. Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at what contributes to social media burnout.
What contributes to entrepreneurs’ social media burnout?
A number of elements trigger social media burnout for entrepreneurs. Social media professionals put on many hats whereas juggling numerous obligations. They’re additionally the primary to see unfavourable suggestions or complaints, which are available in any respect hours of the day.
Social media is a catalyst in at present’s 24/7 information cycle, driving traits each enjoyable and critical. “Trendjacking” could be a highly effective tactic for manufacturers, however the fleeting nature of traits requires pace and on the fly artistic pondering from entrepreneurs. The difficult international information cycle provides complexity, regularly requiring publishing schedule shifts and hard requires social media groups.
Interacting with an inflow of knowledge every day can result in compassion fatigue, elevated emotional labor and nervousness. Social media saturation is draining each entrepreneurs’ skill to chop by way of the noise and customers’ capability to have interaction with content material. Manufacturers hoping so as to add worth and join with audiences are up in opposition to feeds overloaded with AI bots, evolving social points and different entrepreneurs attempting their finest.
And when most entrepreneurs hop on their private social media after clocking out for the day, it’s no marvel we’re tapped out. Lack of assist within the office can worsen these signs as nicely, so it’s crucial for leaders to point out groups they care.
Social media burnout: Why advertising and marketing leaders must care
Advertising and marketing leaders ought to care about social media burnout and the way their groups are navigating it. Listed here are a couple of the explanation why.
Groups can’t afford to lose nice expertise
Management is taking discover of social media’s affect on the underside line. Based on Sprout’s 2025 Affect of Social Media Advertising and marketing Report, 80% of selling leaders are reallocating finances to social from different areas. Manufacturers will want a robust staff in place to assist an expanded finances and present ROI.
The Affect of Social Media report additionally discovered that three-quarters of B2C advertising and marketing leaders and 50% of B2B leaders anticipate growing the headcount of their social media groups within the subsequent 12 months. Hiring and coaching take time, and shedding expertise to burnout will hinder a social staff’s skill to excel. The calls for of social practitioners are advanced and nuanced, so manufacturers must be considerate and strategic on the subject of figuring out, attracting and hiring for his or her social media groups.
A burned-out staff is a low-performing staff
In case your staff is feeling burned out, they gained’t be capable to do their finest work. Clouded minds and exhaustion may result in artistic block, or turning into unmotivated to create participating content material. In addition they gained’t have the bandwidth wanted to check and experiment, which is essential to making a profitable social media technique.
Burnout may replicate poorly in your model
Your social staff interacts regularly with prospects and clients, so practitioner burnout may replicate poorly in your buyer expertise. In case your social staff is feeling burned out, it might trickle all the way down to these interactions. It’s vital for manufacturers and leaders to acknowledge the arduous work their staff does by investing in profession development, sources and recognition for his or her staff members. Actual individuals are behind each little bit of viral, brand-boosting content material, and everybody appreciates being seen for his or her work.
6 tricks to decrease social media burnout
Everybody needs to really feel supported, particularly within the office. Listed here are eight ideas tailor-made to assist social groups really feel seen and heard—together with a couple of to maintain in your pocket for your self.
1. Talk your social media priorities and technique
Social technique will get a supercharge when it’s aligned with broader enterprise targets–and when social groups are comfy vetting requests from different departments. Saying “no” is a type of self-care too. Social groups may be small and mighty, however let’s be trustworthy, they’ll’t do every little thing on a regular basis.
It’s vital for social media entrepreneurs and leaders to flow into their technique, priorities and knowledge with stakeholders in different areas. The Affect of Social Media Advertising and marketing Report discovered that advertising and marketing leaders need different departments to make use of social insights, from digital advertising and marketing (89%) to buyer expertise (58%) and enterprise growth (49%).
Social knowledge can inform your entire buyer journey, and speaking your social media advertising and marketing priorities is a key a part of syncing up everybody’s strategy, so your staff isn’t overloaded with requests as the worth of social intelligence grows.
To keep away from burnout long run, you would possibly even must audit your social technique and ruthlessly prioritize duties and targets. Prioritization can maintain your staff targeted on the networks and content material sorts that matter probably the most to your model and viewers.
As you implement your technique, encourage your staff to speak about burnout with you and make it clear you’re open to their considerations.
2. Construct a social media moderation technique
Buyer care is a significant a part of a profitable social technique and requires time, consideration and considerate engagement.
The Sprout Social Index™ discovered that 73% of social media customers say if a model doesn’t reply on social, they’ll purchase from a competitor as a substitute. These expectations put quite a lot of stress on social groups to reply rapidly whereas sustaining empathy and professionalism. Creating a considerate social media moderation and buyer care technique will help your staff tackle burnout-causing points earlier than they come up.
Keep away from among the stress by making a response and moderation protocol. Doc frequent causes clients attain out to you on social media, the sentiment behind them and examples of find out how to reply—plus conditions the place your model gained’t reply in any respect.
Strategic social silence could be a useful moderation technique for sure tense conditions, international crises and harassment. Official buyer considerations ought to by no means go unaddressed, however be cautious of trolls. In case your model is frequently focused by a particular particular person utilizing hateful or inappropriate language, think about muting or blocking them if that’s an choice in your model.
You need to use know-how to ease the burden of responding on social, too. Clients have gotten extra comfy with AI in buyer care, with Sprout’s This fall 2025 Pulse Survey discovering that 65% of customers say they’re comfy with manufacturers utilizing AI to make sure quicker customer support. Contemplate what first-line responses your staff can handle with AI and the place it’s finest for a human to step in, preserving personalization in thoughts throughout the board.
3. Lean into your group for assist
As people, we’re programmed to crave and search out connections. That’s the entire level of social, proper? Should you’re combating burnout, your staff and different social media professionals can empathize and assist each other.
Group sources like The Arb by Sprout give social practitioners a spot to intestine verify questions, share concepts and discuss by way of challenges. On-line areas like LinkedIn teams {and professional} Slack channels are straightforward to seek out, and offline choices additionally exist. Search for native networking teams constructed for social media professionals or industries you’re employed in.
If your organization has a smaller social staff, otherwise you’re a staff of 1, search for extra assist from trade friends. Or, if you happen to can supply assist, think about opening your self as much as others.
Should you’re discovering it difficult to set skilled and private boundaries, lean into the group and human connections that make social media such a strong platform.
4. Clear up and average your private feeds
It’s a standard assumption that long-term, routine use of social media can take a unfavourable toll, significantly on younger individuals. Nevertheless, in keeping with a research by Harvard College, findings counsel that so long as individuals are conscious customers of social media, sturdy social networks are related to optimistic psychological well being and well-being.
Analysis scientist Mesfin Awoke Bekalu, who co-authored the research, suggests “the ways in which individuals are utilizing social media might have extra of an affect on their psychological well being and well-being than simply the frequency and length of their use.”
In different phrases, be conscious of the way you’re utilizing social media each at work and at house. Set intention in your social media utilization by cleansing up your feed and moderating how you utilize numerous networks. Mel Robbins is a proponent of Unfollow Friday, the place each week you unfollow accounts that don’t deliver you pleasure.
Refresh your feed by unfollowing some individuals, together with family and friends. If their content material is making you are feeling unhappy, anxious, drained or one other unfavourable emotion, it’s time to hit the unfollow button. Curate a timeline that aligns along with your values and way of life. Observe accounts that encourage and feed you. Observe the accounts that merely make you smile or giggle.
For instance, right here’s an lovable compilation of a child elephant on the Oregon Zoo.
On the finish of the day, give attention to feel-good content material, no matter that appears like for you—simply be sure to aren’t scrolling for hours on finish.
5. Restrict the time you spend on-line
Many social media entrepreneurs restrict display screen time by setting a timer or utilizing a productiveness app. Some social apps report your display screen time natively, so attempt these numbers to verify your self.
As an alternative of shopping social media to loosen up, attempt different strategies like taking a stroll, dancing to a favourite track or meditating. In an interview for Sprout Social’s Social Futures Substack, Emily Huffer shares a tip for getting herself to log out.
“I exploit Brick!” Huffer says. “I’ve carried out a few utterly free social media weekends and I typically use it within the night to remain off TikTok and spend extra time portray and making crafts,” she provides.
Should you discover it troublesome to take time away from social every day and even weekly, Antonio Gary Jr., Affiliate Director of Social Technique at Burrell Communications, gives a plan impressed by his exercises.
“Just lately, I began incorporating deload weeks just like what you see in weight lifting packages,” he says. “Each 6-8 weeks, I drastically cut back my display screen time and consumption.”
Social media networks are conscious of burnout and have integrated psychological well being initiatives into their platforms, so customers and social media managers alike may be extra conscious of the methods by which they’re utilizing them.
For instance, you’ve in all probability come throughout TikTok Ideas whereas binging on the app and heard one thing alongside the strains of, “You’ve been scrolling for approach too lengthy now.” By this account, TikTok has shared associate movies with Headspace that invite scrollers to pause, breathe and meditate. Headspace posts plenty of movies on their very own account that supply tricks to decelerate as nicely.
Social media mindfulness is likely one of the finest methods to battle social media burnout, so take into consideration what works finest for you.
6. Use automation and advocate for extra staff sources
Automating what you’ll be able to and ensure your staff has the proper sources that assist battle social burnout. Utilizing AI for social media is one choice to chop down on human workload with out sacrificing viewers connection.
Automate repetitive duties like development evaluation and efficiency monitoring and streamline workflows to take issues off your staff’s plate. AI can be a artistic ideation software that may save your staff time and mind area. Social practitioners with the proper instruments excel. The 2025 Affect of Social Media Report confirmed 58% of skilled groups use social media administration software program, greater than rising groups. These instruments supply methods to automate, faucet the ability of AI and handle buyer journeys on social. With the proper instruments, social groups can head off burnout and place themselves to adapt for the way forward for social advertising and marketing.
Showcasing social ROI successfully can inform choices about which instruments and sources are finest suited in your staff. Be certain your reviews transcend the numbers and craft a story about how social media ties to big-picture enterprise targets. Construct the case for higher instruments and workflows by highlighting the human affect on each goal audiences and your staff.
Social media burnout is actual, however you’re not alone
The center of social media is connection. However being too chronically on-line (and most social entrepreneurs naturally are, it’s arduous to not be!) can depart you feeling disconnected, exhausted and overwhelmed. Should you’re struggling, know that you just’re not alone; discover methods to log out, take a break and construct group offline. And if you’re again at work, search for methods to automate what you’ll be able to and construct a more healthy workflow–you deserve it.
Sprout will help alleviate some stress by streamlining processes and powering effectivity. Study what social media duties to automate so you’ll be able to construct some respiratory room and re-focus on creativity.
