It is now just over one year since I decided to take the plunge and join Bookstagram, after months of scrolling and following others from my personal Instagram account. It was pretty daunting at first - thinking of fresh ideas to post, when to post them, and generally just navigating through the exciting new platform I had made for myself. Of course, it wouldn’t be a journey if there weren’t lessons learned along the way. These are just a small, yet highly important handful of things I have discovered in my tenure on the platform. Both about myself, and my Bookstagram in the short time I have been a part of the community. You won’t always want to post, and you don’t need to be active 24/7 I think everyone goes through the honeymoon phase when creating a Bookstagram. Always being active, wanting to post every day and being completely obsessed. Do not get me wrong, I still love my page and the wonderful community I am now a part of, but after several periods of severe burnout, I have taken a lot of the pressure off myself. I found myself forcing myself to post daily, forcing myself to read what I feel I have to read, and ultimately forcing myself to be active constantly. There is absolutely nothing sustainable or healthy about this, and while the growth might feel so good to see, the inevitable lul that comes with the crash will leave you feeling obligated to post again and again and again. In reality, finding a schedule you can stick to is not only better for you, but far more consistent for Instagram’s incredibly inconsistent algorithm. Because of this, I now post what I want to post and when I want to post, and it is honestly so liberating. The vast majority of us are fortunate enough to have work, school or other commitments which take up the majority of our time, and Bookstagram isn’t paid. Even though we all wish it was! If you are feeling swamped and burned out, remind yourself why you joined. Allow yourself to lessen the stress. Reading and Bookstagram are hobbies and they are there to be enjoyed. You won’t like every single book, no matter how much everyone raves about it This is one that really sticks with me. I often feel the pressure to be reading the books that others are all reading, especially those that are particularly popular at a given time. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of FOMO, that fear of missing out on the “it” thing of the moment, that one book that everyone is in love with. It can feel fantastic when you love that same book everyone else does, but when you’re not loving it? It’s something that really can bring in a feeling of anxiety and fear that you’re about to isolate yourself from the community. I now find myself more and more picking up a book because I want to, not because I feel I have to. I’ve made peace with the fact that I won’t like every single book that everyone else does. Equally, I am now a firm believer in DNF’ing a book I am not enjoying. It hurts, but if you’re not into it, you’re not into it. Life is too short, and there are far too many books to read something that doesn’t bring you any form of joy. Nobody is going to think any less of you just because you decided to not finish a book. Bookstagram is the kindest and most accepting community I couldn’t do this without mentioning my love for the community. I have found and proudly helped to nurture a safe space for not only my followers but just as importantly, myself. You really will struggle to find a more welcoming community of people, who will accept you and love you for just being you, and who you are. I have made many forever friendships on Bookstagram, I have co-founded a virtual and diverse book club with my best friend all while rekindling and strengthening my love of all things books and reading. How incredible is that? A whole lot of people I get to talk to about all things books, and even life with! If you are considering making a page and taking the plunge into Bookstagram, then please go for it! You really won’t regret it. Sarah @readersramblings