Stress & Social Media
Ever feel like you are overwhelmed? Is it stress? Is it your schooling, relationships, circumstances, family, or all of it? Stress is that emotional response to something that you shouldn’t be involved with or can’t get away from. Stress is universal and most of us find ourselves trying to ignore it, escape from it, or cope with it.
Stress has become an epidemic!
Stress comes from feelings and the cost of caring, the sameness of routines, trying to do the impossible, the thoughtfulness of “I need,” uncertainties, and the demands of the outside world. As adults we need to remember:
Everything is a symptom of something. Nothing comes from nowhere
Intensity does not equal productivity
You are built for a performance trap
Perfectionism is a cover for anxiety
Social media can cause us stress, too. More than the frustration of forgetting or having to change your passwords. Here are some things to think about regarding being engaged in social media:
There’s the backlash of the value of perceived transparency.
Compounding understanding the changes of Instagram, Snap-Chat, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs and email.
Distractibility and the fear of nothingness. Checking phone three dozen times a day.
The less time you spend on social media, the more time you’ll spend on your realities.
The more vulnerable we become, the more we have to remember, deal with, and answer to.
Reality of over-exposure to screen time, a full brain, and a mind filled with the meaningless.
There’s good and bad about spending time on social media. The average person spends 2-4 hours a day engaging with some type of social media and 74% of that is on Facebook). Here are some facts to know:
50% of the global population is on some version of daily social media.
Connections with people and keeping up with real news protects from some mental illnesses.
Less interactions with humans complicate our mental health.
There is an overall decline in mental health in America.
Social media causes us to be more isolated and can be a source of addiction/dependency.
Initially there a sense of fulfillment to a fear of missing out of what we are viewing or shopping for which eventually leads to an increase in depression and anxiety.
So, what can you do to decrease your stress and find balance with social media? Do something for somebody else every day and laugh more. In other words, keep a good sense of humor as you interact with people. Maintain a proper level of self-care and find a hobby. Look for ways to clean out something 30 minutes per day. Decreasing clutter gives you a sense of accomplishment and reduces your stress. Look for ways to decrease your intensity. Intensity does not equal productivity or value. Realizing perfectionism is nothing more than a cover for anxiety. Avoid isolation. Say to yourself often, “Am I willing to continue to be deceptive in order to keep people from knowing that I’m human?” Spend less time interacting with a device and find value in person with people.
