Tips to Avoid the Emotional Downfalls of Social Media Overload

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are putting more emphasis than ever on supporting their mental health as part of an overall wellness strategy. New research suggests the first step in that endeavor is to get off social media.

A study from the University of Bath in England has found that too much time spent on favorite platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok reinforces feelings of isolation, loneliness, envy and FOMO (fear of missing out). Those stirred up emotions lead to increased anxiety and depression which, suffice it to say, are detrimental to your long-term mental health. Fortunately, the research also identified simple steps you can take to avoid the social media blues.

Pick Your Spots: You will connect better with the people in your life if you select certain times each day when your social media notifications are off. Commit to not checking your phone during meals, social time with family and friends and when playing with children or grandchildren. Take precautions to ensure social media doesn’t detract from your performance at work.

Detox: It’s important to schedule regular, multi-day breaks from social media, as several studies have shown these hiatuses lead to lower levels of stress and increased life satisfaction. You don’t even need to go cold turkey – accessing social media just for a set 10 minutes each day rather than round the clock has been shown to reduce levels of loneliness and depression.

Mindfulness: People often get into habits without ever stopping to consider how they developed and what their merits might or might not be. That is certainly the case with social media. So if you are accustomed to looking at Twitter first thing in the morning, ask yourself why. Are you seeking information you will need for the day ahead or just wanting an escape? Each time you reach for your phone (or computer) to check social media, answer the hard question: Why am I doing this now? The answers might surprise you and, more to the point, empower you to make different, more positive choices.

Prune: Over time, you have likely accumulated many online friends and contacts, as well as people and organizations you follow. It’s a good idea to review that list periodically to determine and eliminate those that are no longer relevant to your life. Pruning some “friends” and replacing them with funny or motivational sites also has been shown to lessen the negative effects of social media.

Embrace Reality: At all costs, keep things real. Using Facebook to keep abreast of your cousin’s life as a new mother is fine, but don’t neglect to pay her a visit. Tweeting with a colleague can be engaging and fun, but it cannot take the place of talking face to face. When used thoughtfully and deliberately, social media can be a useful addition to your social life, but only a flesh-and-blood person sitting across from you can fulfill the basic human need for connection and belonging.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.