
Social media is amazing.. We have access to so many things and we are connected as a human race more than ever. So how come it makes so many of us feel DISconnected?
As much as I love social media, it has so many flaws. It causes constant comparison, unrealistic views of how life should look, our bodies should look and how relationships should look. I’ve battled with my views on it so many times. I’ve been through periods of completely removing social media from my life, yet had periods where social media has got me through a bad day. My relationship varies with it. I’m aware that I’m not the only one who feels this way and therefore I thought id share some tips on how to have social media but in a HEALTHY WAY.
1). Only follow accounts that make you feel good– Fill your Instagram page with positive, feel good posts. Social media can be positive and good for you, but only if you make it that way. I fill my feed with body positive accounts, motivational speakers and lots of cute rabbits. Remember your brain lives off the food you feed it. Do you want to feed your brain, comparison and ‘perfection’, or realism, honesty and positivity?
Here’s some of my favorite, positive Instagram accounts-
- Chessieking
- Karinairby
- Busybee.carys
- Steven
- Thespeakmans
2). Unfollow people that are no longer in your life- It sounds stupid but you’d be surprised at how many people still ‘check up’ on their ex partners/ex friends. Without realizing this can be emotionally debilitating and lead to unhealthy comparison. Being emotionally attached to social media is where the problem lies. Cut those ties and concentrate on yourself, because that’s what truly matters. You won’t be able to move on from an ex boyfriend if they pop up on your Instagram feed every week.
3). Limit the amount of time you spend on social media- A couple of weeks ago I gave up social media and I couldn’t believe the difference it made to my life. I felt less anxious, more connected to myself and just better in general. It’s easy to get caught up in the habit of being on social media but we don’t realise the affect this actually has on us, so having regular breaks is a lot healthier and better for our overall wellbeing.
4). Remember not to believe everything you see on social media- Unfortunately Instagram and similar platforms are often just the ‘highlight’ reel of someone’s life. People will post their holidays, loved up couple photos, good angles and good days. What people don’t post is their 9-5 job, their disagreements in their relationship, their bad angles and their bad days. What you’re seeing is often the best of someone’s life. So don’t think that your life isn’t good enough. Try to think about the bigger picture when scrolling and remember that one tiny snapshot doesn’t tell us everything.
5). Be mindful of what makes you feel good and what doesn’t- It’s really good to be mindful and check in with yourself when consistently using social media. What made you feel rubbish and what lifted you? I tend to find that Tik Tok is a really cheerful platform for me and makes me feel uplifted, but Instagram can lead me to have negative thoughts and anxiety . Just be aware of this and remember if something makes you feel worse than you did before, it’s not worth having in your life. Also unfollow any accounts along the way that make you feel rubbish.
6). Step away from caring about followers/likes- The issue with social media is that it has created a dopamine fix for people (yes Instagram affects chemicals in our brain). Likes and positive comments create a quick fix of dopamine, a good feeling that we hope to replicate. This leads to obsession and a shear disappointment when this fix is no longer met. The less we care about it the better. The amount of followers you have or likes you receive does not define you and does not say anything about your worth. So have Instagram for reasons other than the likes and followers you receive, these things really don’t matter.

I hope these tips can help you to have a healthier relationship with social media. Remember it’s better to leave a positive mark on social media than using it as a tool to impress people. Thanks so much for reading, look after yourselves and remember you are more than enough.