Stop "Shoulding" on Your Content
A Guide to Creating Stuff You Actually Like
Google 'content tips for businesses.'
Actually, don’t. It’s a trap. But if you were to google it, you’d likely be assaulted by a digital chorus of hyper-optimized, aggressively cheerful search results shouting conflicting instructions at you from page one.
“You MUST be posting three Reels a day!”
“If you aren’t on TikTok, your business is already dead!”
“Here is the exact trending audio you need to lip-sync to if you want to manifest six figures by Tuesday!”
It’s exhausting. It’s the digital equivalent of being at a party where everyone is screaming, and you’re just standing in the corner holding a warm drink, wondering if anyone would notice if you slipped out the back window.
For wellness entrepreneurs like therapists, healers, and coaches, this noise is particularly jarring. You got into this business to facilitate deep transformation, not to point at imaginary bubbles in the air while dancing to a Doja Cat remix. (Unless that’s your thing, in which case, point away. But for most of us, it feels like a weird performance art project we didn’t sign up for.)
This pressure creates what I like to call the "Shoulds." The endless list of marketing obligations that haunt your to-do list like a ghost with unfinished business.
I should write a blog.
I should have a newsletter.
I should be funny on Facebook/X/Threads.
Here is my professional, highly strategic advice: Stop it.
Effective content creation isn't about ticking boxes on a generic checklist. It’s about stripping away the performance and finding the intersection between what your audience actually needs and what you can tolerate creating without wanting to light your laptop on fire.
Let’s talk about how to find your voice, build a strategy that doesn't feel like a recurring nightmare, and finally stop "shoulding" all over your business.
The Content You're "Supposed" to Make vs. The Content That's Actually You
There is a pervasive myth in content marketing that there is One Right Way to do things. This is usually perpetuated by people selling courses on How To Do The One Right Way.
The truth is far more annoying: The best strategy is the one you actually stick to.
If you hate being on video, like if the mere thought of a ring light makes you break out in hives, then forcing yourself to become a vlogger is a terrible strategy. You will procrastinate. You will resent it. And when you finally do post, you will look like a hostage reading a ransom note. Your audience can smell that energy, and it's off-putting.
Lean Into Your "Weird"
Your business has a personality. You have a personality. (I assume. You seem interesting.) The most magnetic brands are the ones that lean into their idiosyncrasies rather than trying to file them down to fit a template.
Are you a therapist who loves metaphors about gardening? Use them. Are you a nutritionist who secretly hates kale? Say that.
When you try to mimic what the "successful" influencers are doing, you end up becoming a blurry photocopy of them. But when you create from your own zone of genius, you attract the people who resonate with you.
If you’re a talker: Start a podcast. Record voice notes and transcribe them into emails.
If you’re a writer: Focus on long-form blogs, thoughtful LinkedIn articles, or rich, story-driven newsletters.
If you’re visual: Make beautiful carousels or infographics that explain complex concepts simply.
Permission granted to never dance on the internet again. (Unless you want to).
Proofreading for Tone, Not Just Typos
Let’s talk about brand voice. This is a term marketing agencies love to throw around to charge you an extra $5,000, but it’s actually quite simple.
Brand voice is just you, on your best day, after one cup of coffee but before the caffeine jitters set in.
The problem is that when most people sit down to write "business content," they engage a weird filter. They stop sounding like a human and start sounding like a Corporate Bot 3000. They use words like "synergy," "utilize," and "paradigm shift."
Instead of doing that... let's just not.
Your audience doesn't want a brochure; they want a connection. Especially in the wellness space, trust is the currency. If your website reads like it was written by a committee of lawyers, you aren’t building trust. You’re building a wall.
The "Dinner Party" Test
Here is how to edit your content creation efforts for tone: Read it out loud.
I don’t mean mumble it. I mean speak it to the empty room.
Does it sound like something you would say to a friend over dinner? Or does it sound like something you’d read in a terms of service agreement?
Corporate Bot: "We utilize evidence-based modalities to facilitate transformative outcomes for clients seeking optimal wellness."
Human: "I use science-backed methods to help you feel better, because feeling like garbage is optional."
See the difference? One puts you to sleep; the other makes you nod your head.
The Components of a Voice
If you’re struggling to pin down your voice, try defining it by what it isn't. This is often easier than defining what it is.
Define your pillars. Maybe you are "Nurturing but No-Nonsense." Maybe you are "Scientific but Spiritual." Find the tension between two traits – that’s where the magic lives.
The Unsexy Magic of a Content Calendar
I know. "Content Calendar" sounds about as exciting as "Tax Audit."
But hear me out. A content calendar is not a cage. It is a safety net.
When you don’t have a plan, every day is a fresh emergency. You wake up, realize you haven’t posted in three days, panic, stare at a blinking cursor for forty-five minutes, write something mediocre about "drinking more water," post it, and then feel bad about yourself (both because of the content and because you yourself haven't been drinking enough water...).
This is not a content strategy. This is a stress disorder.
A calendar allows "Past You" to take care of "Future You." It separates the thinking from the doing.
Quality Over Quantity (The 5-8 Rule)
Here is a radical idea: You do not need to post every day.
In fact, if you are posting garbage every day just to "feed the algorithm," you are actively hurting your brand. You are training your audience to scroll past you because you aren’t saying anything interesting.
Aim for 5 to 8 high-impact pieces of content per month. That’s it. One or two great things a week.
A "high-impact" piece is something that:
Solves a real problem.
Tells a specific story.
Demonstrates your expertise without shouting "HIRE ME."
When you reduce the volume, you increase the quality. You have time to actually think about what you want to say. You have time to craft a hook that grabs attention. You have time to be deliberate.
Choreography vs. Flailing
Think of your content calendar as choreography. You aren’t just moving your limbs randomly; you are moving with purpose toward a destination.
If you are launching a course on "Overcoming Anxiety" in November, your October content shouldn't be about "Healthy Smoothie Recipes." It should be about the nervous system, stress triggers, and why we feel anxious.
You are laying breadcrumbs. By the time you announce your offer, your audience is already nodding along, thinking, "Wow, this is exactly what I’ve been thinking about lately."
(They think it’s serendipity. We know it’s strategy. But let’s just keep that between us.)
Consistency is a Promise, Not a Prison
"Consistency" is another one of those words that has been weaponized by the hustle culture bros. They make it sound like if you miss a Tuesday, your business will spontaneously combust.
It won’t.
Consistency in content marketing isn't about frequency; it's about reliability. It’s about being a steady presence in your audience’s life.
Think about your favorite TV show. It doesn't come on every day. It comes on once a week. But you know when to expect it, and you know it’s going to be good. That is consistency.
Building Quiet Confidence
When you show up consistently, whether that’s weekly, bi-weekly, or whatever cadence you can actually sustain, you build "Quiet Confidence."
You aren’t frantic. You aren’t desperate for attention. You're simply there, sharing your wisdom, week after week.
This builds trust. And according to recent data, trust is everything: consumers need to trust a brand before they buy. And inconsistent, chaotic messaging is the fastest way to break that trust.
When you show up with quiet confidence, you signal to your potential clients: I am steady. I am capable. I can handle your chaos because I can handle my own.
Storytelling: The Antidote to "Salesy"
The biggest "Should" that blocks wellness pros is this: "I should be selling, but I hate selling."
Good news: You don’t have to "sell." You just have to tell stories.
Humans are wired for narrative. We don't remember facts; we remember how stories made us feel. When you share a story about a client who went from burnt out to thriving, you aren’t bragging. You're showing what is possible.
The "I've Seen This Before" Energy
Use your content to demonstrate that you have seen the movie your client is currently living in, and you know how it ends.
Instead of: "Buy my sleep course."
Try: "I had a client last month who was waking up at 3 AM every single night, convinced she had ruined her career. We changed two small things about her evening routine, and last week she slept through the night for the first time in a decade. Here is what we did..."
This isn't sales. It’s education. It’s empathy. It’s saying, "I see you, I understand your problem, and I know how to fix it."
The sale happens naturally as a byproduct of the story.
Finding Your Groove (And Outsourcing the Rest)
Here is the reality check: You're a business owner. You're the CEO, the practitioner, the accountant, and the janitor. You do not also have to be the CMO, the copywriter, and the video editor.
The ultimate way to stop "shoulding" on your content is to realize that just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
If you enjoy writing, write the blogs. If you hate the tech setup, outsource the uploading. If you love the strategy but hate the execution, find a partner who can take your brilliant but messy notes and turn them into finished assets.
There is no glory in doing it all yourself and burning out before you even launch.
The Permission Slip
Consider this your official permission slip.
You are allowed to unsubscribe from the hustle.
You are allowed to ignore the trends that make you cringe.
You are allowed to build a content strategy that fits your life, your energy, and your values.
The most effective marketing isn't the one that follows all the rules. It’s the one that feels like you.
So, take a deep breath. Close the 17 tabs you have open about "How to Go Viral." Go make yourself a cup of tea.
And then, write the thing you actually want to write.
Ready to ditch the overwhelm and build a content strategy that works for you? Take the first step today: start small, stay authentic, and focus on what truly matters to your audience. Need help? Let’s connect!
P.S. If you’re still Googling "how to go viral," this is your sign to close the tabs, pour a cup of tea, and write something that actually feels good. The algorithm can wait. 🩵
