Social media has completely taken the world by storm, providing a bridge of communication and connection between individuals, companies, even countries. While social media can be toxic, we love its positive qualities and interconnectivity — and can’t tell you to go cold turkey. We’ve made changes to these platforms along the way and platforms have rolled out new features, like Facebook’s Crisis Response, allowing users to mark themselves as ‘safe’ in case of a crisis.
While there are body-positive posts all over Instagram, and messages of being kind and paying it forward, social media can still be damaging to your mental health. Sometimes we forget to check in with ourselves, ignoring the small yet dire effects social media places upon us. As a college student interning for a social media management company, I’m exposed to A LOT of social media, thus inspiring this piece, as I try both old and new tips to focus on my mental health despite having the world at my fingertips.
General Tips
- Keep track of the time you spend on your phone. It’s way too easy to get sucked into your phone, hours going by without you realizing it. Spending hours upon hours on your phone can be mentally exhausting (and bad for your eyesight), which is why you should monitor yourself. Apps like Offtime, Moment, and Breakfree allow you to set a limit for yourself, and even remind you when you exceed the limit. Some apps even let you lock yourself out of your phone or specific apps for a period of time.
- If you *are* going to be constantly on your phone, download self-care apps. Not all apps are detrimental to your mental health; tons of apps exist that focus on mental health and self care. There’s an app for nearly anything; Headspace for meditation, Shine for motivational texts, even Colorfy for artistic expression.
- Take everything with a grain of salt. I don’t know about you, but apps like Twitter and Facebook can get pretty overwhelming for me when everyone is spewing their political opinions. Try to distance yourself from what other people are posting, take a deep breath, and keep scrolling. Remember, you feeling angry or upset isn’t going to change their mind.
- Take a break. Everyone needs a break sometimes. Whether for you this means putting your phone away for two hours or if it means deleting social media apps for two weeks, make sure to take a break from social media. There’s a whole world outside of the internet!
Sites to Calm You Down
What We Do to Relax
“Self-care is a PRIORITY when you’re on social media all day! I like to set up “unplug” hours, where my phone is set to do not disturb mode and I take the time to do activities that are entirely offline — read a book, paint, dance, do a face mask, etc. It’s nice to tune entirely into the real world every now and then.” — Sarah
“I’m a BIG fan of unplugging with a face mask (like Sarah mentioned) or (weather-permitting) a nice walk along the Charles!”— Sierra
“Taking time each day to do something active without my eyes fixed on a screen is a must. Once in a while I’ll also buy an actual book or magazine (gasp!) to give myself a break from reading only on a computer or laptop. I get eye strain pretty easily so if I don’t take breaks I’m sure to get a headache!”— Lyssa
“One of my new favorite unplugged things to do is a mini yoga/stretching session three times a day. I have a routine I put together that only takes ~5 minutes but that’s always the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do before bed. Doing it in the middle of the day when I can helps me feel physically and mentally more grounded!”— Heshi
“I love going to the movies (going to a movie alone is so underrated!). It’s nice to be forced to disconnect from your phone for two, three hours. I never used to be a movie person but I got really into it last year and saw every movie nominated for the Oscars before the show! It’s become my little tradition and gives me an excuse for many movie theater popcorns.” — Katie
Helpful Apps to Disengage
Chill Out Music
Whenever I need to chill out or unwind, I always listen to music. Make yourself a calming playlist or follow our Social Media Cooldown playlist (below).
Some of my favorite tracks to relax to:
- River by Leon Bridges
- Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens
- Sunnier Days by Diego Garcia
- Arsonist’s Lullabye by Hozier
- Sun King by The Beatles
Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.
