Some people love marketing and social media. They love the pace, thrill of the hunt for attention and engagement, the creativity, the constant changes and the rewarding feeling that comes from a successful campaign.

But some of us (let’s face it, many of us), don’t.

Marketing can feel like a chore, like a constant chasing of the carrot only to realize that the work you’ve put in hasn’t reaped any rewards. And sometimes we avoid it altogether…

What if the solution was simply looking at it from a new lens?

What if this aversion to marketing is something that we can actually control, and take charge of?

What if we could use this emotion to our benefit?

We believe it is that simple. We aren’t called “marketing therapy” for nothing!

Tough love moment – marketing is a requirement. No matter the size or scope of your business, your audience, your product, or your goals, you know you have to have a pulse on marketing. Even no efforts in marketing is marketing as that communicates too.

You have to build relationships, tell your story, and engage with customers. And the cycle continues every single day, day after day.

If you have an aversion to marketing, read on to get some healthy tips to help you move beyond that feeling into a healthy marketing mindset.

Let’s imagine for now that we aren’t talking about work or a task you have to get done. Let’s imagine that we’re talking about how you’re not feeling well. Perhaps you just aren’t feeling your best, and maybe you are developing a cold. When we feel sick, what do we do? We take a look at symptoms, treat those symptoms, and step back to see how the therapies have worked. We make small changes to increase our well-being, step by step.

You can do the same with tasks in marketing.

What is the symptom? → Example – you honestly feel that you just don’t like it and that you aren’t any good at it. So each time a new marketing task arises (which happens often), the same feelings creep up. Your negative thoughts intrude and cycle over and over.

But what if these feelings aren’t some deep seeded emotional response you have to the work? What if the symptoms you are presenting are as simple as a diagnosis of “you’ve got a bad case of the ‘mental blocks’”?

Mental blocks are limiting mindsets that prevent you from completing tasks. They are invisible barriers that get in the way of your decision-making and productivity. They can literally stop you from moving forward. Different from exhaustion or procrastination or burnout, these mental blocks can stop you in your tracks.

Just as you would assess symptoms when feeling sick, we can assess your symptoms for why you aren’t productive. The more aware you are, the better you can make choices to help yourself, and the healthier your work environment will be.

Let’s talk about why many of us feel so unproductive with marketing in particular, and why mental marketing blocks might be the cause.

How do you know you’re having a mental block versus an aversion to the task? Here are some of the signs:

  • You’re not seeing projects through to the end
  • You are ruminating on the same problem, over and over
  • You are trapped in a thought process
  • You are overwhelmed and think “it will never get done”
  • You are avoiding marketing altogether

Decision fatigue is a real thing. When you have to make multiple decisions in a short period of time, it can be exhausting for your brain. A literal energy suck. Marketing requires an incredibly fast-paced timeline. All of your radars are on at the same time. You’re asking yourself things like, is this the right image, the right text, am I choosing the right audience, where should I place this ad, and for how long should I run it? Multiple decisions, over and over. Exhausting.

Imposter syndrome is also a real barrier to productivity. Many of us are thrown into the world of marketing unwillingly, but knowing it’s imperative for our business. So we’re constantly having thoughts of feeling inadequate about the task, fear of failure or exposure, or perfectionism that stops us from moving forward.

How do we overcome these mental blocks and move forward into a healthy marketing mindset?

One of the healthiest ways to overcome any problem is to take a moment, step back, assess how you are feeling, and take note of your behaviors. You can do the same in your workplace to help you diagnose why you’re not completing a task.

Take note of how you feel. Are you worried about a particular project? Are you unsure of any next steps you should take? Do you feel unmotivated or irritated when thinking about the task? Literally, think about your thoughts.

Take note of your environment. Studies show that a cluttered work desk and distractable surroundings are some of the biggest causes of mental blocks and procrastination. Clean up your desk and clean up your surroundings.

A few steps you can take:

  • Break down the project into smaller tasks (this stops the overwhelming feeling)
  • Start with your smallest or easiest task first (this helps with decision fatigue)
  • Get outside perspective (this helps you remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Use what others have done and what is shown to have worked!)
  • Declutter your desk (this helps you find your flow and stay focused)
  • Learn a new skill (small steps to learning new skills can help you overcome imposter syndrome)

In the end, use your feelings to your advantage. Take note when you feel “I don’t like this.” Step back, access what it is that is the true one problem, attack that one problem, and bust through your mental blocks.

They say “creatives” have the most mental blocks, and that marketing requires you to be creative. We believe anyone can be creative, especially because we know you care about your business. And we believe anyone can have a healthy marketing mindset. Use these tips to help you move beyond mental blocks and into marketing potential.

And remember that sometimes, admitting that you need help is the first step! We’re always here to talk! Shoot us a quick message here and we can set up a complimentary call!