How to Make Instagram Feel Less Like a Chore
How to Make Instagram Feel Less Like a Chore
Something we all know to be true. For many business owners, Instagram feels like a chore.
You know it matters. You know people check your account. You know people are judging the quality of your work from the content they see. You know it’s part of running a modern business. And yet… opening the app can instantly bring a sense of pressure, guilt, or resistance.
But I have some good news? Instagram marketing doesn’t have to feel this way.
Yes, I know that the easiest way to make Instagram feel lighter is to outsource it. Hand it over to someone with the strategy, ideas, processes, and creativity to take it off your plate completely. That option exists, and it works brilliantly (hey, I can help here).
But it’s also not realistic for everyone to take this route.
So if you’re DIY’ing your own Instagram right now, then this blog post will walk you through my practical ways to make it feel easier and far less draining… without needing a bigger budget or more hours in your week.
I’m breaking this down into clear stages, because Instagram gets heavy when everything feels jumbled together.
Stage 1: Time-Block
One of the simplest ways to reduce friction with Instagram is time blocking… but with intention.
Instead of trying to ‘fit a post or reel in’ between client work, emails, and admin, block dedicated time purely for content creation. When your brain knows this is the moment for content, it stops resisting quite so much.
And I add an extra layer of brilliance to this. Accountability.
Twice a week, I block out two hours with a marketing accountability group. We’re not all working on the same business marketing… someone might be focused on LinkedIn, another on email marketing, another on Instagram or lead gen.
What matters is this…
the time is protected
the task is content creation
distractions are off the table
No client work. No emails. Almost no WhatsApps (can’t deny that a couple may sneak in). But that focused time alone makes content feel far less overwhelming.
Stage 2: Batch the Stages, Not the Content
We talk about batching social media content a lot… but batching everything at once is often what makes content feel exhausting.
Instead, batch each stage of the process separately.
Trying to come up with ideas, write captions, film content, and edit all at the same time is incredibly time-sapping. Your brain is constantly switching modes. It’s too difficult!
Here’s a much faster, calmer, and realistic approach:
Batch ideas
Sit down and write 10 clear content ideas. These might cover the next two weeks, a month… whatever feels realistic for you. No writing yet. Just ideas.
Batch writing
In a separate session, write the content. Start with strong hooks. Write the copy that will sit on the reel or carousel. Then write captions that support it, including relevant keywords to help with discoverability.
Batch filming
If you don’t already have assets, grab your phone and film in one go. You might:
sit at your laptop
talk to camera
film yourself out and about
capture simple day-in-the-life moments
None of this needs to be complicated, this stage just needs to be done together.
Batch creation
Now you bring it all together. This is when Canva comes out. Edits, CapCut, or whatever you use to create reels, gets opened. This is the ‘creating’ stage. Add the copy to your reels or carousels and choose audio.
Batch scheduling
Finally, schedule everything in one sitting. This approach turns Instagram from a constant drip of decisions into a clear, repeatable workflow… and that alone removes a huge amount of mental load. This is uploading, copying and pasting, adding location, tagging, hashtags, and putting in a posting date and time. It’s fiddly. Do all of them together.
Stage 3: Manage Your Expectations
This is the part that really changes how Instagram feels. So read on!
Instagram is just one part of your marketing ecosystem. It’s not the whole thing.
If you’re serious about marketing your business, Instagram shouldn’t be working alone. You should also be:
building an email list (because, remember, you don’t own your Instagram audience)
networking and getting yourself out there
warming leads through conversation and engagement
potentially doing PR or partnerships
When you understand this, something important shifts. Instagram stops feeling like the thing that will ‘make or break’ your business. Instead, it becomes what it actually is… a touchpoint.
A place where people can:
get a sense of who you are
understand how you help
see proof of your work
experience your consistency
When you stop relying on likes, views, or follower growth for validation or sales, the pressure lifts.
Of course, results still matter… but they don’t belong in the creation stage. Over-analysing performance while you’re trying to create content only blocks creativity and momentum.
Create first. Review results later.
Final Thoughts: Make It Lighter, Not Louder
Instagram doesn’t need to take over your life to be effective.
When you time-block your content, batch each stage properly ,and release unrealistic expectations then Instagram starts to feel manageable. Even okay. Sometimes, even enjoyable?!?
And if you ever decide you want it fully off your plate? That option is there too.
For now, these shifts alone can make Instagram feel significantly less like a chore and a lot more like something you can actually live with and consistently show the world how brilliant your business actually is!
