How many times have you looked at a photo that you wanted to post, stared at the photo for too long, which gave your brain just enough time for the insecurities and fear of scrutiny to fill your head and change your mind?

If your answer is one too many, then I hope by the end of this article, I can get you to post whatever you wish without facing trembling anxiety.

Let's start simple:

What Is Social Media?

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Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create, share, and exchange information, ideas, personal messages, and other content within online communities. Basically, Social media is a place where you can express yourself and your individuality, whether that be photos of yourself, your friends and family, or random photos from your camera roll. It could also be an outlet for you to simply be yourself.

The reason that people tend to overlook the possible channel for self-exploration is rooted in fear. Fear of being different, fear of being made fun of or being perceived as something you're not.

I'm not going to lie and say that that will never happen, because it can. But that can also happen as you're walking down the street, or at school, or living your best life in the Bahamas. Social media doesn't exempt you from scrutiny, but it does give you a vent from life and allows you to be whoever you want to be.

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Why Do We Care So Much?

Part of why posting feels so scary is that Social Media has become a stage. Everyone seems polished, filtered, and "perfect", so it's easy to think that our own posts won't measure up. Psychologists even call this the "spotlight effect", which is the belief that everyone is paying more attention to you than they really are. In reality, most people are too focused on themselves to notice the tiny details we obsess over.

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So, how do you stop the fear? How do you find the confidence to post freely? Well, that's easy, you just block out the thoughts.

Blocking Out the Thoughts

The easiest way to "block out the thoughts" is by just impulsively posting something. Anything.

The second you hit post, I want you to turn off your phone and do something else. Go on a walk, take a shower, read, anything. When you go back to your phone, you'll see that the world doesn't collapse because you posted.

Nothing catastrophic happens. And honestly, with all due respect, people won't really care unless you post something harmful. We spend so much time overthinking and worrying about what we're posting that we forget everyone else probably won't pay much attention to the post itself.

Hopefully, after you've posted, you'll find that what does happen is this: you get braver. And with each post, you chip away at the fear and anxiety until it no longer controls you.

If that doesn't work, which I doubt it won't, then try these small tricks to make posting easier:

• Set a timer! Give yourself 30 seconds to decide and hit post before the overthinking creeps in.
• Writing a caption quickly without editing it 10 times.
• Muting people whose opinions make you nervous.
• Reminding yourself that you can always delete a post later if you truly hate it.

So...I Just Post?

Yes! You just post!

Your voice deserves to take up space offline or online. Your passion deserves to be seen. You deserve to be seen.

If the fear of scrutiny is what's holding you back, then you have to realise that at the end of the day, the people who matter will see you for who you are, and the rest? They'll scroll on.

So post the photo, share the thought, and give yourself permission to be unapologetically you.

Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels