I want to be honest for a second - self-promotion is killing my mental health.

I've thrown myself into self-promotion for my marketing business. It's something I've never done before, my client's are challenged by it a lot, and my leads have slowed, so I thought what a great opportunity for an experiment. I'm giving it a good go.

Up until now, I've met my clients simply by sending them a short email, sharing my experience and asking if they are free to speak to discuss the opportunity of working together.

I listened to GaryVee, who said the biggest opportunity for growth for business owners today is social media. He encourages documenting, not creating.

I've formulated a social strategy for my agency, similar to what I do for my clients, and included documenting myself.

When I buy, I always want to know who created the brand, their story and get a window into their life. My marketing business is me, so it doesn't really make sense to hide in the shadows anymore.

Since picking up my phone to capture my life, a few things have happened:

? My mood is terrible. I'm frustrated, tired and short tempered

? My mind is racing - I'm constantly thinking of the next photo opportunity, do I look okay, what will people think, did I proof my caption, has anyone liked my post

? The more I post, the more I want to post

? I'm all in my head. I'm less present for my kids or my partner. I feel guilty, anxious and start overcompensating

? I'm busier - I'm running between tasks, and acting rushed

? I'm constantly checking my phone. I keep picking it up for no reason, looking at the screen, refreshing my emails, clicking my apps

? I'm sleeping less. I usually get eight hours, I'm down to six

? I really want to change my appearance

I'm aware enough to know that over time the above will have an affect on my mental health. So why, as marketers, when we sell a social media or content strategy to our clients, do we not include tactics or tools on how to manage this?

Is anyone talking about this? I've see a lot on the importance of mental health, but I also see a lot on the importance of a strong social media strategy, and never a connection between the two.

It's written into our employee job descriptions now - brands want their teams to take selfie videos to help sell the product and share the culture of the company, yet no tools are included if this has an affect on their mood. You are just supposed to suck it up I guess as a marketer. After all, isn't it the path we chose?

My sister doesn't do social media. She says it makes her feel shit. She also makes a lot less money than me. I always agree with her, but how do I stop when it's my and my clients' revenue?

I detoxed from my phone a few years ago. The first time I put it down, I immediately felt anxious and within five seconds went to pick it up again. It felt uncomfortable not having the weight of it in my hand. After detoxing, I got to a point where I never had it on me. When I met my partner he said 'Do you even know where your phone is?'.

I bought an apple watch but never used it and gave it to an employee. I watched her deter from tasks as the notifications popped up on her screen.

I'm going to continue on my path of documenting my life, to see if it does indeed lead to business growth and sales. GaryVee recommends four - five hours of content creation a day (When? How? Is he the new Anthony Robbins suggesting 'massive action' and no sleep?). On TikTok, the recommendation is three videos a day. Sorry kids, you may not see Mum for a while. My partner - see you in five years.

While I do believe being brave (growth) and putting myself on camera will be beneficial to my marketing business (services that I personally offer), I can list a countless number of successful brands (some that I have worked with) that have a Founder who is not in the spotlight.

I hope this gives hope to my prospective clients that selfies, similar to instagram likes, do not necessarily equal revenue.