The tension between trends and timeless truths

“Our nervous system doesn’t align with the fast-paced nature of social media, and promoting the idea of instant fixes can do more harm than good.”

In almost 20 years as a resilience consultant, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of stress on individuals, teams, and organisations. Over the years, my work has focused on reducing stress and building resilience through tried and tested, science-backed methods. However, recently – ready with a new range of hypo-tracks designed to help people relax, sleep better, and boost their energy – I found myself facing a new challenge: social media marketing.

Or to put it more simply: algorithms. 

As someone who doesn’t engage in social media in my personal life, speaking honestly, this felt daunting, and so I decided to seek help from an incredible young expert I know. 

The illusion of instant resilience 

During our training session on ‘How to Beat the Algorithm’, the trainer suggested creating catchy hooks for my audio tracks, such as “How to beat overwhelm in 5 minutes.” I was touched by his research and understanding of my field of work, combined with his knowledge of what works in the social media space, and, while it seemed like a surefire way to attract clicks and shares, it also raised a fundamental issue: overwhelm cannot be cured in five minutes. 

We all know social media is jam packed with similar ‘How to’ content and for some people and in some industries, the marriage of social media plus their message works perfectly. 

But what when the solution to a problem doesn’t fit into a 1-minute ‘short’, or what if the truth of what you want to say isn’t a catchy ‘hook’? 

Inconvenient truths and the reality of overwhelm

The truth is, our nervous system doesn’t align with the fast-paced nature of social media, and promoting the idea of instant fixes can do more harm than good. 

As someone deeply immersed in the science of stress management, I know that overcoming overwhelm is not always simple, no matter how much we wish it were. 

And likewise, resilience is not about finding instant solutions but about cultivating long-term habits that support our mental and emotional wellbeing. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge advocate for making small changes that can lead to big change over time (my Tiny Tweak videos are testament to this), but unless those changes form new and lasting habits, they are likely to have just short term-benefits. 

Resilience as a lifelong commitment 

Contrary to the allure of quick fixes, resilience is a journey that unfolds over time. It’s about making small, incremental changes that cumulatively build our capacity to cope with life’s challenges. Rather than seeking shortcuts, we must actually see resilience as a lifelong commitment – a way of keeping our tank full – which, ironically, is much more enjoyable, fulfilling, interesting and life-enhancing than a 5-minute video. 

The conundrum 

So where does this leave me as the business owner looking to promote my work? 

As I navigate the world of social media, I’m reminded of the tension between trends and timeless truths. While the allure of instant solutions may be tempting, for me it’s essential to stay true to the principles of resilience and resist the pressure to put algorithms before nervous systems. 

I’m going to keep sharing my message, including the Tiny Tweak videos, while continuing to repeat the mantra that resilience is a daily, moment by moment practice and like with everything in life, if we want results, we must be prepared to do the work.