How Do You Foster A Healthy Relationship with Social Media?

Researchers report that people feel lonely, down on themselves or unhappy after spending time on social media. They may even feel isolated and lonelier. This was due to social comparison – or the act of comparing yourself to others.

When you compare yourself with others, your mental health is negatively affected: it leads to self-judgement and low self-esteem.

For a healthy relationship with social media, here are ways to stop comparing yourself to others:

• Engage actively
  • Passive scrolling removes the positive mood-boosting benefits from interaction. Instead, comment and reply to others with positive messages. Be social and you’ll feel more connected.
• Set a time limit
  • Cut back to one hour a day to get a healthier frame of mind. Give yourself time away from social media to de-stress, focus on yourself, and feel better.
• Use the unfollow button
  • Stop following people, organizations, and causes that make you feel bad. Your mental health is more important than following someone or something on social media. Follow organizations or people who are doing good in the world and that inspire you and make you feel good.
• Turn off push notifications
  • Alerts can be stressful and upsetting reminder of how everyone else is doing. Take control of your account and only check it when you feel like it. Shutting off notifications is another way to set boundaries.
• Make bedtime a social media free zone
  • Avoid social media prior to bed. A quick scroll before bed can leave you with anxious thoughts and negative feelings that can keep you up at night. These worried thoughts can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. This can further affect your mood and happiness. Consider charging it out of arm’s reach or do a pre-bedtime meditation.
• Connect in-person
  • Spend time with people in real life. Nothing is better than an actual conversation with a friend in-person.