A Familiar Beast: Social Media
Social media is a familiar beast to many of us. But how do we know whether it is a friend or foe?
Social media has the power to inspire us, bring us closer to distant friends and act as a platform to share what we love with others. However it can also be the source of jelousy, lack of gratitude and a general dissociation with what is the here and now.
Recently I reflected on the way I was using social media and I realised spent too much time flicking through content that wan't impacting me positively. In many ways used social media to avoid myself, and the present moment. Here are the things that really helped me have a happier, more mindful use of social media.
1. Remain aware
Naturally we feel more motivated to share the interesting parts of our life - a promotion, a holiday, a particularly delicious brunch. Not many of us consider posting about the dull mediocre days just to balance out our social media profiles. As a result social media becomes similar to a movie - a very well edited version of life.
If you don't remain aware of this aspect of social media it can be very easy to become jealous and wrapped up in the notion that everyone is having a better time than you are. The truth is - everyone goes through bad days, even if their social media does not reflect this.
2. Set an intention
Before you go online, think about why you are going online. Your intention can be as specific as researching a particular restaurant on Instagram or as general as keeping up with your friends. The intention itself is not so important, it simply serves to focus you so you can avoid getting wrapped up in something else.
3. Follow those whom you want to be lead by
Look through all the people you follow on social media and ask yourself what you gain from their content. When you see or read their content do they leave you with a positive mindset? Do they teach you something? If not - its time to hit the unfollow button. No matter how gorgeous the travel photos are if they leave you feeling resentful then the content does not serve you.
'Inspiring' is different for everybody but please do check out my following list on Instagram if you're looking for more people to follow. Special mention to @ellagracedenton, @theadventuresofjade and @plantifulsoul for bringing so much light to my phone screen!
4. Practice being present
When you have a little space in your day instead of checking Twitter, why don't you take the opportunity to be more mindful. Be aware of your environment, observe yourself - the rise and fall of thoughts; physical sensations. This may sound a little dull, but in truth getting comfortable with ourselves and being able to recognise thoughts and feeling as they rise in us is one of the most useful life skills around. We have this tendency to use social media to avoid ourselves, our thoughts.
I would highly recommend downloading an app like Moment to track how much you are using your phone. Knowing just how much time your phone is taking out of your day can be an eye-opener and a real motivator to try and remain more present in your life.
5. Let go of needing likes
Why do we post photos on Instagram or share a quote or two on Facebook? For many people part of the motivation is to receive likes - a little sign of approval from our social circle. However because our posts are essentially extensions of ourselves it is easy to associate online 'likes' with our own self worth.
But the truth is that online likes cannot provide a sustainable feeling of self-worth and self-acceptance. That can only come from yourself.
6. Don’t start and end your day with social media
In my opinion the beginning and end of the day are particularly great times to focus on something positive. The morning and evening is when we should try to be fully present - wether it is making a delicious breakfast, self-care (e.g. showering) or meditating. I find that going on my phone shatters the peace. Staring at a bright screen before bed makes it that much harder to drift off. Despite knowing how using my phone at these times makes me feel it is something I personally struggle with. It's just so easy to use your phone as a crutch to wake you up. I say - be gentle with yourself, keep trying.
Big Love xx