Navigating Social Media
Day 3: Navigating Social Media
Blending information with epidemic is the word infodemic. Accurate or inaccurate information (also known as misinformation or commonly referred to as bullshit) being spread.
Pro-active mental health is about managing our own social media filter.
Here are my 6 ways I navigate my social media:
Notifications ALL turned off. I decide when I am checking my social media feeds. This gives me the space to reply to messages and comments in my time. I block out time in my day for social media responses.
The emoji OD. I use emoji's to communicate tone in my written word. I think this is the hardest challenge for all of us, to effectively communicate tone. Emojis bridge the gap between my written and spoken word.
Stop lifting. You actually don't need to 'lift the heavy weight'. What others thinking of me is none of my business. When we engage in social media for validation by others (blue ticks) you will also be sensitised to the absence of blue ticks. A cancelling culture is the practice of withdrawing support (canceling) and can rapidly shapeshift into group shaming. Post for you. For your facebook memory feed. Or any other reason important to you. There are many different social media platforms, remember most people only share their best moments. Or fake ones. I have been known to even rename Facebook, replacing face with fake. Always be you. Authenticity and vulnerability are a strength. Never a weakness. Copying others must just be so hard. No one else can do you better than you can. Comparing your chapter in life to anyone else's is fast track to your mental health deteriorating. Everyone has shit. 99% of people say nothing. Because we are all on our own private journeys. But we all do. Stop listening/believing the online BS. Get up close to others; go for a coffee, a walk or pick up the phone to get a BS free 'update' of your friends mental well-being.
Ask have I contributed more than I have criticised? Every day. I learnt this off Dr Brene Brown. It is Brene's mantra and in a pandemic of fear and anxiety it brings awareness to how I am processing all the infodemics.
During lockdown I filtered my daily news intake. Immediately my mood improved. Focussing on long spoons (helping my coaches in my coaching challenge and free Equitation science challenge gave me the resilience I needed to then process my one intake of news a day.
Social media is not good or bad. It's how we all choose to use different online platforms. My son watches Youtube videos to learn, I use Facebook to lead my horse friendly community Coffee With Horse Lovers and Equitation Science community Espresso with Equicoach. Social media is just a microphone. If you can sing then, like a microphone, social media amplifies your 'singingness'. If like me, you sing to your own unique tune, singing my heart out at home, cooking etc..is my best fit. Does social media fit you? If not, there are many others ways to connect with friends.
These are my 6 tips for navigating social media and our mental health.
For sure social media is staying, and the best bit is you get to choose how much or little social media interacts in your life.
You choose your social media journey
Always placing your mental health over everything.
Lisa
xxx