Why I Chose Blogging Over social media as an introvert
As a sensitive woman with an INFJ personality type, I’ve always felt a little at odds with the world - the fast paced nature of it, the pressure to keep up, the emphasis on social media.
So often, I’ve found myself craving something slower, more intentional and this has never been more true than through my experience of trying to build an online business…
A Childhood Dream
It had always been my dream to have my own business, even as a child. I would imagine myself as a grown up and in my mind, I had always built something of my own that I loved. When I discovered fashion bloggers as a young teen, I felt like I’d found something that really spoke to me - the creativity, the aesthetic photos, the writing, the individuality.
I absolutely loved a Sunday at home, spent battling with our slow, outdated broadband. I remember waiting ages for the WordPress or PopSugar pages of my favourite bloggers to load, just so I could get lost in their worlds. It ignited my own creative flame and I couldn’t wait to build something of my own, just like they had.
An Online Shift
What I loved most about blogging was the creative freedom yet, as time went on and the online landscape changed, I (like everyone else) turned more to social media and YouTube. Little by little, I watched the rise of social-media-based businesses: coaches, influencers and online memberships. Content became shorter, more strategic and trend based.
Despite this shift, my goal of building a business stayed the same. I knew that as soon as I had the right idea, I would make a go of it for myself.
Finding The Right Idea & Making A Go
As it happened, the “right” idea came from somewhere totally unexpected as I struggled with some really challenging hormonal health issues that led me down a total rabbit hole of learning everything I could about female hormones and becoming obsessive about healing my own. I had such a passion for hormone health and sharing what I’d learned with other women, that I threw myself into starting a coaching business.
I took a 6 month break from my day job and I spent my days creating content for LinkedIn and Instagram, booking guest speaking slots and networking with other women in business.
For the first few months, I made progress quickly and I enjoyed my work but it wasn’t long before I felt completely burnt out and misaligned. For months, I couldn’t understand why - I was building the thing I’d always wanted, I was making money and getting my name out there yet showing up everyday felt forced and I had a constant uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.
Over the next 3 years, I tried everything - new offers, new branding, new strategies, even new business names. I invested in courses, coaches, and countless attempts to ‘fix’ what wasn’t working. But the more I tried to force it, the further I felt from myself.
What I was struggling with most was that to me, social media didn’t feel creative or expressive, it felt forced and restrictive. I found myself worrying so much about caption limits, formatting, jumping on trends, getting enough views and making sure my videos were just the right length, that the message was getting lost.
Everything Changed
The turning point came in the summer of 2025, when 3 years into trying to make my business work I finally hit a wall and knew something had to give.
My partner and I went to London for a long weekend and for the first time in years, I didn’t take my laptop or check my socials once. I allowed myself space to relax without the constant background voice saying “you should be capturing this for content” or “you haven’t posted today, you need to think of something to say”.
The feeling of relief I experienced over those few days was so noticeable that I couldn’t just come home and pick it all back up again. I knew deep down that, no matter what came of the business, the pressure of social media was something I could no longer carry.
I deleted all of my Instagram content and changed my bio to say that the account was no longer active and to redirect enquiries to my email. For the first time in a long time, it felt like I was going in the right direction in my business (even though it didn’t make logical sense to remove social media).
Without the constant background noise of social media, I could finally hear what I truly enjoyed - the creative work that had always felt like home to me.
For me, that was writing blog posts. I have always loved writing and letting my thoughts flow freely and I could see that this was the complete opposite of what I had been giving my energy to, whilst focusing on social media.
I realised I wasn’t failing at business - I was trying to build one in a way that didn’t suit me.
A Return to Blogging
I launched my blog in the later half of 2025, posting once or twice per week and I found myself more excited to work on my business than I ever had been before. It felt effortless and creative without being forced or performative and every time I sat down to write, I had an abundance of ideas to choose from, rather than struggling to drag out something to say.
The more blog posts I wrote, the more I felt myself moving away from sharing educational content on hormone health and more towards sharing my lived experience of growing a business without social media, being an introvert online and embracing slow living in a fast-paced world.
I learned that I enjoy the freedom to create when I actually have something to say rather than posting on a schedule and that I value one meaty piece of content that will be seen for years to come over short-life, snappy pieces that get lost after 24 hours.
Once I felt confident in the freedom of blogging, I started exploring ways to share my ideas more widely, without returning to the pressure of social media. Within a few months of experimenting with pins, I’d found what really resonated with my audience - not the trendy, “it-girl” type content but the pins where I shared a thought or belief from my own perspective.
I started to have other INFJ creators comment on my posts, sharing that they finally felt validated and seen by discovering my content and I found myself engaged in more real life conversations with women in business who also struggle with the demand of social media.
Taking It A Step Further
As my Pinterest views continued to grow and brought more and more readers over to my blog, it felt natural to offer a quiet way for readers to stay connected - a gentle space that aligned with my pace and style of creating.
I’ve never been a fan of the complex sales funnels, content strategies or rules for success - they just don’t align with me and how my brain works so the simplicity of writing blog posts, linking in my email list and then sharing Pinterest content as and when I feel inspired, really works for me.
Now, over 6 months later this is the system I am still using and loving. I haven’t looked back for a single second since quitting social media and although my content continues to evolve as I get deeper into my journey of slow living, blogging and embracing my introverted nature, I feel more at home in myself and my business than ever.
My Version of Success
I absolutely love that I’m finally making my teenage dream a reality as I build my business around my love of writing and sharing intentionally and authentically, rather than to keep up with an ever-changing algorithm.
Creating space for myself to see what truly works for me and following that, at a pace that feels right for me is the best thing I could have done for my business, and for my overall wellbeing. I’ve been able to take away the stress and pressure, free up so much time to pour into what I love and enjoy more flexibility around what and when I create.
For me, success now looks like living more slowly, creating intentionally, and building something that feels like home.
Final Reflections
I hope that reading this post has inspired you to also think about going your own way in your business or creative projects. What works for you might look totally different to me but that’s the beauty of creativity - there’s no right or wrong, simply what ignites that spark in you.
If you’d like to receive more reflections on living slowly, creating intentionally, and embracing your introverted nature, you can join my mailing list down below. I’ll send semi-regular letters straight to your inbox - no pressure, just thoughts you can linger on.
Thank you for reading,
Caitlin.