Social Media is all encompassing at the best of times. In fact, it's hard to remember a time when our phones weren't a permanent fixture in our day-to-day lives. For many of us, our whole adult lives have been consumed by the 'gram'. However, with several studies linking heavy social media use with an increased risk of depression, it's important to be mindful of how social media impacts our mental health.
If you are experiencing any of the following it might be time to log off in the name of self-care.
Sleep Deprivation. Are you compromising your sleep due to excessive social media use before bed? If so this could be impacting your sleep regime, leaving you tired and low in energy. It can be easier to fall down the rabbit hole of Instagram posts than it can be to fall asleep. If this is you, switch your phone off and leave it in another room till the morning. Everyone deserves a good night's sleep.
You are Agitated. Gone are the days of happy snaps with puppies and friends. Social Media is becoming more like the trenches of a polarising world than a place to connect with the people and places we love. It's no secret that scrolling through a saturated news feed can leave you feeling infuriated by humanity. If you find yourself dwelling on the opinions of total strangers it's time to log off, remind yourself that opinions aren't facts, nor should they rob you of your happiness.
Comparison is the Theif of Joy. Filters exist both on and offline. However, if filtered social media posts by others have you doubting your own reality then you should probably kick that online habit to the curb and remind yourself of how incredible you are. Life gets messy, that's undeniable, but in no way should it be inauthentic. Close that app and embrace your authenticity.
Time Wasting. Be a pro, not a procrastinator. We are all guilty of distracting ourselves from the task at hand with excessive Twitter scrolling. However, if you find the majority of your day is being chewed up by social media, you are wasting some serious time. Life is fleeting - do you really want to spend the majority of your days in an Instagram vortex? I know I don't. Make good use of your time. It's the one thing you can never get back.
Online Bullying. Bullying is never ok. It can be a very divisive unkind world but that doesn't mean you have to succumb to the negativity. If someone is harassing you for any reason or you find yourself hating on someone online, it's seriously time to thoroughly detox from the toxic online world you are living in. Step away from the negativity and rewrite your narrative in a positive light.
A social media detox is a chance to spend your time reaching out to loved ones or even seeking professional help to lift you out of depression and into happiness.
The number one rule of social media should always be to not let it rule your life.
Be happy and embrace the offline world by switching off.
Alix
xxx