5 Signs You Need a New Relationship with Instagram

Instagram is the perfect platform for gardeners. There are tons of inspirational photos, tips on growing plants and discussions about the latest garden trends. There are sponsored posts about exclusive floral workshops, cool garden tools and posts about climate change.

I’ve spent tons of time scrolling through photographs of perfect people walking through perfect gardens, hosting perfect floral workshops, posing inside perfectly styled greenhouses. At first, it was awesome.

But lately, I’ve found myself mindlessly scrolling and double-clicking through my feed, feeling more bummed than motivated. Every time I scrolled through those color-coordinated grids, I felt more insecure about my garden and less inclined to share my work. I started feeling like my garden wasn’t good enough. That’s when I realized I was developing an unhealthy relationship with Instagram.

Gardening isn’t a competitive sport. It’s not about followers or likes or color-coordinated grids. It’s about being connected to the land. We each garden for different reasons, but in the end, we garden because we love it and it makes us happy. Something is amazing about being outside, digging in the soil, listening to the birds and feeling the warmth of the sun. It makes me happy. Truly happy.

Gardening isn’t a competitive sport. It’s not about followers or likes or color-coordinated grids. It’s about being connected to the land. 

I decided to change my behavior.  It’s time to focus on my love of gardening, not likes or follower counts or keeping a perfect color-coordinated grid. I don’t care if I post at the best time for engagement or whether I’m using the best hashtags.  I don’t care if people unfollow me every time I post a photo. All that stuff is sucking the life out of me. And it needs to stop.

Here are the 5 Warning Signs of a bad relationship with Instagram. 

1. You spend more time scrolling through garden feeds than gardening.
2. You feel like your garden isn’t good enough to post after scrolling through your feed.
3. You think you need to post a photo of yourself holding armfuls of flowers (please don’t).
4. You spend more time taking IG-worthy photos on garden visits than actually enjoying the garden.
5. You feel more depressed than inspired after scrolling through your feed.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Do you have a healthy relationship with Instagram? Please leave your comments below.