Mental health is an increasingly important topic to be aware of when it comes to cyber space. The result of constant exposure to the internet, especially social media, has only made this a more pressing issue for today’s generation. With so many distractions available online, it’s not always easy to know where to draw the line when it comes to online safety and privacy. Let’s face it, being able to control when and where you post images of yourself can sometimes make or break a social media account. But how do you maintain your mental health when using social media? There are a few ways you can protect yourself that will hopefully keep you away from anxiety-provoking content.
Stay in control of your own media.
You’re going to spend the majority of your time on social media open to public view, and as such you’re going to be thinking and posting about things that are potentially very close to your heart. Be aware of your triggers and try to stay calm if you start to get nervous. You don’t have to respond to every single comment orLike that’s happening to you 24/7, and it’s hard to know when you’ve gone too far. If you start to feel anxiety building up, take a quick break, process your feelings and then come back to it with a clear head. You can’t control what other people do or don’t see, so if you don’t want to share something that may upset someone else, just say so. If you have to, you can also block and unblock users to keep them at bay. This is a personal choice that you have to make because it’s not right or proper to block someone just because you don’t feel like talking to them. You may also want to report comments and share your photos that contain triggers for you. This will help other people who may be experiencing the same thing to avoid being subjected to bad language or painful images. And don’t forget- you can always unblock users and share photos again at your convenience.
Don’t be a voyeur.
If you’re tempted to peek into someone’s living room or bedroom to get a better look at what they’re doing, you’re actually looking at them wrong. The key here is to understand when and why you’re seeing something. If you’re seeing it because you ‘have to’ then you’re probably looking in the wrong places. You don’t need to know what someone’s doing in order to understand that they’re having an issue and you should probably offer to help. If someone asks you to look in on them, find a different way to spend your time. This doesn’t mean that you can’t offer to watch their child if they have to work or offer to take out the groceries for you because you have a busy schedule. But don’t pry into other people’s business and don’t be a voyeur.
Don’t take anything life is giving you for granted.
We all know that social media is a great way to meet lots of people and make new friends- but it’s also important to remember that friends come with strings attached. If you start to take advantage of your new friends by drinking or doing drugs, or they start to take advantage of you, it’s not only putting yourself in a bad situation but also the people you chose to spend time with. Make sure that you’re aware of your limitations and that you’re willing to step back when you’re feeling overwhelmed or threatened. If you’re finding that you’re putting pressure on yourself or others because you feel like you have to ‘have’ something, or you want to ‘force’ yourself to do something, then you need to take a step back and take care of yourself. You can’t ‘buy’ your way into feeling good by monitoring and posting about your mental health on social media. You have to find a balance that works for you and for your life.
Find balance where you can and work towards it actively.
We all have different limitations and have to draw the line between what’s appropriate for social media and life in general and what’s not. You can’t post everything that you find interesting or that makes you happy on social media, and you have to draw the line where you allow yourself to relax and let others in on your life without holding you back. Try your best to find balance between your mental health and social media. You can’t have it both ways. One of the best ways to do this is to actively work on your mental health. Do things that are going to help you relax and feel content. If you’re having a hard time with work or relationships, find a hobby that you can do when you’re at your best and use it as an outlet for stress. Find something that you’re happy to do and make you feel good, not just when you’re feeling stressed. There are so many ways to protect your mental health, and once you’re aware of them you can start to address them head on.
