5 Things I’ve Learned From Taking a Break from Social Media as a D.E.I. Leader

In February 2022, I decided to take a full break from social media for 30 days.

This turned into a 9 month’s break…and it was accidentally the best decision I made for myself.

First, some context:

As a D.E.I. and HR Leader, I found myself called to social media, not to get more exposure but to give more exposure to the work itself, in an attempt to help me understand how to get beyond what I have long-called “ DEI on a shelf” work and into work that actually moves the needle in organizations to actually be equitable and inclusive and not just say that they are.

I was in the habit of posting regularly and then 2020 happened. And transparently, I convinced myself that I had a responsibility to share more, be more present, and do so on a daily basis even on the days that I was so tired of the news and what was happening in our world that I wanted to cry and crawl up in bed and pretend like the absolute madness didn’t exist.

But I didn’t pretend. And I stayed posting daily, hoping that if I did so one of my daily posts would reach more leaders, more companies, and there would be more meaningful change.

Now, do I believe that some people changed as a result of what I shared? Yes.

Do I believe it was worth my tears and writing on a daily basis? I’m not so sure.

And so I’ve spent the last 9 months, reflecting on that last question, working to understand why my 30-day break turned into almost a year away and as I come back, what it means for how I will show up in this space going forward.

5 Things Being Away Has Given Me the Space to Do:

1. It’s given me space to not be seen as just one-dimensional

When you begin posting about a topic that you have a lot of deep passion for, it can be really easy to get sucked into a space where it’s the only thing you’re known for.

I found that because of my passion for posting about D.E.I. and anti-racism work, this became the only perspective that people wanted to hear from me. I was reduced to a single dimension of my multi-dimensional identity and it was frustrating. Yet, I continued to…