EP 52: How to Come Back When Coming Back Feels Weird

Nobody talks about how awkward it is to return. In this solo episode, Jamie gets real about something that's been sitting with her — coming back to Instagram after months away, and why it felt so much harder than it had any logical reason to. She knows how to make content. She helps other people with their content for a living. And yet there she was, staring at her phone for more days than she'd like to admit, completely stuck. If you've ever taken a break from something (social media, the gym, a creative project, a community) and found that the longer you stayed away, the more impossible it felt to return, this episode is going to make you feel a lot less alone. In this episode, we talk about: ✨ Why coming back always feels harder than it should, and what your brain is actually doing when a behaviour you used to do easily suddenly starts to feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable ✨ The spotlight effect — why we massively overestimate how much other people notice what we're doing, and how freeing it is when you finally realise nobody is keeping attendance ✨ Why the longer you stay away, the more pressure you accidentally put on whatever you post first, and how that pressure becomes its own form of avoidance ✨ The very specific reason recording Instagram stories with teenagers on the other side of the wall is an entirely different experience to recording a podcast behind a closed door ✨ The difference between a needed break and a comfortable hiding place, and how to be honest with yourself about which one you're actually in ✨ Why confidence is almost always built during the comeback, not before it, and why waiting to feel ready before you return means you might be waiting for a very long time ✨ What messy action actually means, and why it's a non-negotiable part of getting to where you want to go You don't need a grand comeback announcement. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Sometimes a rewrite just requires picking up your phone and pressing record. Connect with me on Instagram: @vandercreativeco and @itsjamievander