How do we mitigate social media induced anxiety today?. Social media has now become so ingrained in our everyday lives in the age of superficial constant connectedness. Does it really provide a way to communicate with those we love and imagine we can catch up with what’s going on in the world? Most think that we share our thoughts and experiences but it is so much more impersonal. Social media has many positive effects on our lives, but it also has the worst negative impact on our mental health. It worsen anxiety by multiplying and creating a multitude of false expectations. The usual feelings of inadequacy will eventually blow up in the end causing a more severe form, maybe even suicide.
Anxiety?, Is it a prevalent mental health challenge, does it manifest in myriad forms? Usually it is suspected to range from generalized anxiety to social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and more. If one leaves unchecked anxiety and allow it to fester, it can and will severely degrade one’s quality of life, eroding both personal relationships and overall physical and mental health. Some research have reported it and according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the repercussions of undiagnosed or untreated anxiety disorders are profound. A lot has been written about it impacting both individuals and society at large. Therefore we need to comprehend the influence of unhealthy social media affecting our mood and twisting our learning strategies and to properly manage its cause and effects is paramount.
Here, we are suggesting several methods to perhaps help one to navigate the technological landscape and mitigate the impact of social media on everyone’s mental health:
- Research has prioritized this : Identify Your Triggers
How else can one emphasize that anxiety triggers come from a relentless source of social media?!. The constant exposure of distressing news, keeping up the latest trends for a false perfect life and the fear of missing out are some of the biggest and most constant contributors to identify these triggers. It is simple to understand these triggers but recognizing and accepting how they affect you is crucial. Once these factors are acknowledge and embraced, you can start to manage your social media use and time more effectively, establishing realistic boundaries that better suit your moods and needs.
- Establish Boundaries
To continue using and being involved in social media, one must entail a strict boundary to manage social media-induced anxiety, setting clear boundaries is essential. One must limit the amount of time spent on social media each day and be selective about the platforms you use. Control, control.. not quite easy but essential to recover from mental anxiety. Consider turning off notifications or muting/blocking accounts that exacerbate your anxiety. Reduce the amount of accounts and sites which can agitate or stimulate the mind. The goal is to exert control over your social media usage rather than being controlled by it.
- Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is self-love! Nothing compares to loving oneself to properly manage anxiety which is definitely a tentacle related to overuse of social media. Here are some tips that involves nurturing your physical, emotional, and mental well-being for a start. Key self-care you can practice may include the following:
- Adequate Sleep: Don’t we all have the same 24hours in a day? We should rightly aim for at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night to rejuvenate your body and mind. Medical research states that even a minimum 6 hours of sleep at night for a week greatly rejuvenates the body. By reducing social media use before bedtime greatly enhances sleep quality and generate a healthier body.
- Balanced Diet: Medical science advocates a healthy diet as follows: a simple diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Drinking plenty of liquids especially water together with the diet will also detoxify and prevent diseases in future.
- Regular Exercise: A lot has been written about a sedentary lifestyle which is the surest way to an early breakdown of one’s physical body. Exercising and physical activities on the other hand releases endorphins, alleviating stress and anxiety. A minimum amount of moderate exercises even light ones on most days will very quickly rejuvenate a worn out body. Aim for at least 15 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days for a start.
- Relaxation Techniques: Engage in activities such as walking, swimming, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation for the body and deep breathing, guided imagery, or yoga to calm your mind and body.
- Practice Mindfulness
How many of us can only focus on one thing at one time. Most of us are practicing multi-tasking. Our environment has molded our minds to be such. For a start, mindfulness involves being present in the moment and observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. A concerted effort of this practice can greatly help reduce social media-related anxiety. Just by shifting focus to the present, it will draw one away from worries or distractions. Ways to practice mindfulness include:
- Taking Breaks: First step is to regularly step away from social media, particularly if it induces stress or anxiety.
- Positive Content: Only Follow accounts or join groups that uplift and inspire you, rather than those that provoke negative emotions to invoke hate and slander.
- Positive Interactions: Use social media to foster positive connections, happy places, travel stories and support others meaningfully and together foster a better vibe.
- Seek Support
Everything is in cyber space. Using it well to navigate social media-induced anxiety can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. There’s a lot of support from many platforms to seek support from friends, family, or mental health professionals. Reach out to trusted individuals/groups or communities when feeling overwhelmed. Services also include counseling, therapy, diet, health and medication management to support those dealing with anxiety linked to social media use.
- Engage in Alternative Activities
To manage anxiety, it’s easy to find alternative activities that help you relax and unwind on the web. Use social media skills wisely to locate communities on reading, walking, engaging in hobbies, or spending quality time with loved ones. These can and will provide a refreshing break from negative media and help you focus on what brings you joy and fulfillment.
- Practice Digital Detox
It’s strange but only in this century is this word “Digital detox” all over the media. It involves taking a deliberate break from technology and social media. The simple solution is to designate specific periods—such as a day, weekend, or week—to disconnect from digital devices and engage in other activities. This practice can easily reset your mind and reduce social media-induced anxiety.
It is certain that technology and social media profoundly impact our mental health, particularly concerning anxiety. The straightforward need is to understand the bad effects to us and managing the effects of social media on anxiety is crucial. By recognizing triggers, we must start to set boundaries, prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness, seeking support, engaging in alternative activities. As soon as we start to implement digital detoxes, we can better navigate the digital landscape and enhance our overall well-being for the future and prevent a collapse of our health.