How to Create a Nervous-System Friendly Content Plan

Being able to show up intentionally opens up more time for what is important.

(Step 1: shifting your psychology )

Here’s what nobody tells you about building your brand online:

You can’t create content consistently if you’re constantly in survival mode.

I’ve worked with Grammy winners, global founders, and hundreds of artists over the past decade, and the truth is, what breaks most people isn’t a lack of talent or drive. It’s the way they approach content: as a frantic, soulless sprint that leaves them burnt out.

If you’ve ever found yourself posting through gritted teeth, disappearing for weeks, or doubting everything you say online… this series is for you.

This is Step 1 in building a content plan that doesn’t just work — it feels good to work on.

Let’s begin where I always do: your brand.
Not your fonts. Not a mood board. Not a recycled Canva template that says nothing about you.

I mean who you are.
The stories that shaped you.
The lived experience that gives your work depth.
And, most importantly, the part of that history that’s relevant to the people you want to serve...

This ALL starts with story and you can get my help writing your Brand Backstory (for free) HERE.

That last bit is key, because I hear this all the time:

“But Harriet, I don’t want to air my dirty laundry in public.”

Good. You shouldn’t.

That’s not what real brand-building asks of you.
Brand work is deep work — and it’s sacred. You get to choose what you share. The goal isn’t to expose yourself for engagement. It’s to express yourself with intention.

This is why I start all my private clients with a 2-hour in-depth interview. Before we talk platforms, posts or strategies, I want to know what you stand for, where you’ve been, and what your audience actually needs to feel from you. Because content strategy without identity is just noise.

Step 2: Understand the Algorithm (but not in the way you think)

I’m not here to teach you hacks.
I’m here to teach you humans.

Because when someone tells me their 10-second Reel got more views than their 3-minute interview clip, I don’t ask: how do we beat the algorithm?

I ask: why would a stranger who’s never met you agree to go on a 3-day holiday with you… before agreeing to a coffee?

That’s what long-form content asks of people. And most of us are out here trying to sell the seven-course meal before we’ve even offered the free sample.

Once you understand that attention is earned, not owed, your content strategy shifts.

You stop asking “why didn’t this go viral?”

And start asking “how can I give people a reason to care, one micro-moment at a time?”

Forget what you’ve been told about the algorithm. Throw out the rulebook.
Start learning about human behaviour instead.

Step 3: Make Friends with the Platforms

Every week another talented creative tells me.

“I hate social media.”

Look, I get it.
It’s addictive, overwhelming, and algorithmically designed to turn our nervous systems into notifications.

But here’s the thing:

If you hate the place where your audience is spending time, this will never work.
You can’t build trust in a place you resent showing up.

So instead of seeing platforms as the enemy, see them as the medium. Not the message.

Instagram isn’t just reels and reach.
It’s a way to tell your story, share your values, and find the people who resonate.
Same with LinkedIn. Same with email. Same with wherever your audience gathers.

And when you stop posting and ghosting — when you actually spend time growing community, using DMs, commenting, and showing up, you’ll find that the algorithm isn’t against you at all.

It’s just asking you to commit.

🔒 For paying subscribers, below i’ve included my full 25 Brand Questions for you to sit with before you start any social media plan. This along with my Brand Backstory training will get you crystal clear on how you should show up on social media.

This series will eventually dive into the tactics — the schedules, the pillars, the formats.
But none of that matters if the foundation is cracked.

So if you’re someone who’s ready to build a content system that feels human, sustainable, and effective — start here.

With your story.
With your psychology.
With the version of you that knows this has to work with your nervous system, not against it.

Harriet

Brand Questions Exercise 👇