22.7.17

Sunset ride

I've had a gorgeous few days off from social media and I have bloody loved it. I have been spending far too much time on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and twitter for the couple of months that I felt like I was getting some form of brain fog/burnout last weekend. It took me an entire day to just answer questions for an exciting 'thing' coming out in early September and after that I couldn't even think of anything to write. I tried opening blogger but I just stared at my laptop, I have 5 different posts in my drafts folder and an entire page worth of notes in my notebook full of ideas and plans, but I couldn't actually write a simple tweet or share a photo on Instagram - I was experiencing my first bout of social media burnout. Something that I LOVE had become totally emotionally exhausting so I took a few days to just ride and enjoy my horses, have family days out and lunch with friends and help my mum with going through my grandpa's war time medals. 

I know this isn't the best picture but what I love about this one is that Vallu's neck is soft and round and his mouth isn't open, my reins are short and my lower leg looks normal!

But now I feel like myself again and in just these few days I have really upped my training with both boys and I can't actually remember the last time I have managed to make myself work so hard without having trainers there to help me. So worth having a few days away from the social media world to help ground you back to normal life ✌🏻 I've wanted to work on not only my seat but also my hands, which is why in these photos I am riding without gloves. I've always ridden with gloves, so riding without them hurts like hell if I don't move my hands in total sync with the horse. Nothing like a bit of pain to teach yourself to actually move with the horse, not against the horse. I remember this being taught to me when I was a teen and just started riding Basse a few days a week and it's something I do every now and then to remind myself that the horse won't move properly if you don't move with them.
I've also done a lot of sitting trot without stirrups to get my seat better - jesus my legs are hurting after 3 days of this. I can't think of anything that is better at teaching yourself a more effective seat that having to do sitting trot without stirrups on a horse that has a big trot and spooks easily! Yesterday I managed to ride through a medium (British dressage) test totally without stirrups which I am SO proud of. Also big points to Basse and Vallu especially for putting up with me as I try to improve myself as a rider!

(And here are 3 different styles of how NOT to do flying changes!😂)


Anyone else experienced a social media burnout before?

4 comments:

  1. I don't think I have experienced social media burnout, as far as I know! Photography block, yes, social media burnout, no.

    I'm glad you took a break and enjoyed getting some work done. :)

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    1. I think a photography block is probably pretty close to it tbh! It sucked! Luckily I feel 100% back to normal now

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  2. I absolutely have. I tried to take a break at the beginning of the month, but I need to do it again and recharge. Social media is great, but it can emotionally drain you and pull you away from more important things.

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    1. I think emotionally drained is exactly what I felt! It was actually quite terrible, but I'm so glad it only took a few days to recover.

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