How IG Star Helen Owen Has Pivoted During The Pandemic For Her 1.6 Million Followers

When the global pandemic first escalated and those first few weeks of fear and uncertainty swallowed the world as so many people’s health and livelihood were on the line, it didn’t feel meaningful or appropriate for me to push out any content at all, no matter how positive or uplifting. I certainly didn’t feel inspired to post as my usual, positive self and posting anything at all while so many people were in compromised circumstances felt highly insensitive, so I took a few weeks to retract from social media entirely. 

From there I felt compelled to take a much more conscious approach, wanting to use my platforms in a more responsible, respectful, and useful way, even if that sometimes meant not posting at all. As so many of us look to others for advice or inspiration on how to make the most of our situations at home, I am coming out of this pandemic wanting to lean into sharing content that is purpose driven, valuable and candid rather than my typical perfectly curated and flawless feed, which feels more catered to 2019 than 2020. 

I found another way to spread positivity during lockdown. As I was sitting comfortably at home with Zack, healthy and safe, I had a lot of time to reflect on how fortunate I was, knowing how many incredible people in the medical field were doing the opposite - out of their homes, risking their health and distancing themselves from their families. At the beginning of lockdown I had undertaken the project of clearing out my bathroom, and in doing so realized just how much unused product I had accumulated as an influencer. I immediately thought of a small way to send a ‘thank you’ to some of the health care workers on the frontlines. So I put out an Instagram story asking my followers to send me names and addresses of people who could use a little pick-me-up gift, and I got a tidal wave of responses; messages of people nominating their loved ones and sharing moving stories with me about how they were putting their lives on the line to make an impact, or stories of loved ones who had lost family and work due to COVID19 and could use a gift to brighten their day. So I chose about 15 of the initial messages that stood out to me (it was so hard to decide, so I just chose the first ones I saw!), and I went about packing up gift boxes and little notes that were as personalized as I could make them for each individual. It was a small way to spread some joy, but the messages I got in return were so heartwarming