Social Media and Mental Health
Social media can be exhausting.
Social media can allow your mind to travel places it should never go. I know of a mother who considered herself to be a great mom until she got social media. When she saw what other mothers posted, it affected her mentally. She saw the Facebook posts and how other mother’s children were doing different things, having achievements and then she saw the pictures of “perfect” homes.
Seeing all those images became a sizeable area of stress for her and she doubted her abilities as a mother. The fact was, her children were just like every other children, but she did not have time to post every moment on social moment. She was busy raising her kids.
However, those images affected her.
Here are 6 Ways to Secure Your Mental Health while using Social Media:
#1 – Remember, people can fake many things. So, the picture you see is not always true. Whenever I see a “picture perfect” image on social media, I consider the source. Also, I have asked the person what the behind scenes picture looked like. Many times, and I emphasize many times, things are not always as they seem.
#2 – If you see something stressful, just take a break. It is alright to step back from social media and spend your day being you. Life existed before social media and it will exist after social media. A great wellness, self-care practise is to step back form technology for a period and let your mind reset.
#3 – Set the time you will spend on social media each day. Stop engulfing your entire day into social media. Staring at a phone or computer all day is not a healthy choice; especially when most days are stressful already. Set a specific period during the day for social media.
#4 – Learn the positive things from social media and implement it in real life. Be specific on who you follow. Several years ago, I only began subscribing/following groups which would help me in my life. For you this might mean following things that fit with your life purpose of your hobby. Be specific on who and what groups you follow.
#5 – Try to connect with your friends. The term friend is misused because we can see our many “friends” on social media and think that each of them are true “friends” when many are simply acquaintances. Connect with your genuine friends and encourage each other daily. A simple message can create a better day for someone you know.
#6 – Take everything easy and relax. Just do it. Relax, take it easy and breathe.
Consider the 6 Ways to Secure Your Mental Health while using Social Media above and see how you can begin practicing wellness and self-care, even in social media.
To your success,