How To Ease Anxiety (Social Media Edition)

From the time social media was novice to now, I feel as though it has lost its true meaning.

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It first began as place where we can freely/openly express ourselves in an abstract way. Over the past few years, though, it has grown to be toxic to our minds promoting competition & causing way too much anxiety, stress, & pressure. From falling back into the traps of social media time & time again, I can confidently say that I understand how to utilize it properly so it doesn’t turn into a dark place full of angst ever again.

How To Ease Anxiety (Social Media Edition)

1. Unfollow everyone you don’t wish to see their photos, tweets, etc. I’m still in the process of doing this due to the fact that I’d only stayed a follower to [many] others so they’d stay my follower, but deep down, I really didn’t yearn to see their posts of anything. Clearing out my timeline has definitely helped clean out the chaos & annoyances that came with seeing someone's post I truly didn’t care to see.
2. Only follow pages you enjoy that motivate, inspire, make you laugh, or anything else that creates a positive impact. Comparisons & jealousy brew easily when we see someone possess something we long for. In lieu of following pages to create a green monster inside of you, follow pages that lift you up in various ways.
3. Only post for yourself (because you want to.) I get it, we all get the urge to post so that one person sees it, but it soon turns into a waiting game of angst. Fight this urge by turning your phone off/ deleting the Instagram app until this urge is gone.
4. Stop trying. Real life is messy, chaos, bed head, bad lighting…Instagram is only about 2–5% real & even then, we have editing apps nowadays. If you’re pictures don’t look akin to Mary’s, it’s because we are all living separate lives. Stop trying to be like everyone else & create something that represents your true self & life.
5. Be “awake” (conscious) when you’re on social media. We tend to end up scrolling mindlessly, which soon turns into influence to our subconscious. Be mentally aware of what information, photos, words, or anything really that you are taking in because it most definitely possesses a greater impact on your mind than you think.
6. Set a timer. There is only a certain amount of time that the mind is able to be mentally “awake” (conscious) throughout a day. Ensuring you can stay mentally awake while on social media without falling into an unconscious rabbit hole is by setting a timer (10–15 minutes) while you scroll. When the time is up, do something else…there’s a whole world right outside our doors, get into it!
7. Learn to live horizontally. Lose the sentiments of comparison, competition, & jealousy. “We are all equal, but not the same.”
8. Keep the app deleted from your phone. I only currently download social media when I have something to post. This helps fight the urge to rush to it when relaxing or when “curious to see who liked your picture” or “who retweeted your tweet.” The bottom line is this: likes, views, retweets, etc. do not matter. It doesn't make you less or more of a human…it’s just a number. & we give these numbers far too much power that dictate our lives, thinking, & sentiments.

Following these tips can be rather difficult, especially if you are one who loves social media. I used to think “I’m missing out” when I’d delete social media, which was true in a sense. The only aspect I was missing out on social media was angst on end. Learning how to utilize it correctly has helped coming back to social media graceful & far less stressful & toxic.