You know, being a food blogger is weird. I say this with perspective as someone who worked in the corporate world before starting my own online brand. In a corporate job you’ll have projects and deliverables, but outside of that your progress (especially day-to-day) is slightly objective. For example, when I worked in insurance, I would go in and do my job to the best of my ability, but it’s not like I got instantaneous feedback at the end of the day. I don’t know, maybe that was just a thing at my company. But I have heard similar stories from other friends working in other large corporations.
But when you have a food blog (or ANY type of online presence), you can measure your daily progress by the minute. You can see how many pageviews you get in real time, how many Instagram followers you have, how many “likes” you have on Facebook. And sometimes that’s awesome, but it can get hard too. Especially when it comes to measuring your self-worth outside of these metrics.
This isn’t just a blogging problem though – I know I’ve gotten caught in the cycle of measuring how many people like my personal Instagram and Facebook posts. Maybe you have too. And I could offer some sort of statement like, “Your worth is so much more than how many likes you get!!” (which is true), but I do worry about the prevalence of social media in our lives. (Who here has seen that Black Mirror episode where people get “likes” for every interaction they have??)
Without being so bold as to advise a break from social media, I’d like to invite us all to maybe take some time to think about how we can affect someone’s life in real life. Whether it’s writing a handwritten note, or sending your mom some flowers, or going outside for a walk with a friend – there are so many ways we can savor and treasure real life experiences. :)
P.S. Did you see Monday’s interview with Ashley of Blissful Basil? It’s part of a new series where I discuss the topic of mental health and wellness with other bloggers. We’ve got some amazing bloggers lined up – including Haley of Brewing Happiness, Dana of Minimalist Baker, and Sophie of The Green Life! You won’t want to miss this series!
Apple Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 2 Chai Tea Bags
- 1 Cup Apple Cider
- Maple Syrup to taste
- Almond Milk to taste
- Cinnamon to top
- Apple Slices to top
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil. Right before the water boils (i.e. once bubbles form), turn the heat to low and add the chai tea bags. Steep for 2 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
- While the saucepan is still on the heat, add in the cup of apple cider. Stir well.
- Add in the maple syrup – start with 1-2 tbsp, then taste. Add more if you like.
- Then, add in as much almond (or any plant) milk that you like.
- Serve the apple chai latte in one big mug, or two smaller mugs. Top with apple slices and cinnamon.
- Serve and enjoy!
I know this is a little funny coming after a post talking about the drawbacks of social media, but if you DO make this apple chai latte and happen to snap a photo, tag me on Instagram #wellandfull so I can see your creation :) I love seeing my readers’ takes on my recipes!
Cheers!
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