Mental health is our psychological, emotional and social well-being. It is a topic that is more spoken about in recent years. However, technology and social media can be a factor in the anxiety it can induce. Social media has become very popular but it can be exhausting and may have negative effects on your mental health. This could make us feel trapped in our minds and the addition of technology and social media can make us more overwhelmed.
What is digital anxiety?
Digital anxiety is stress that can be caused by online interactions such as social media, emails, texts etc. Social media and the development in technology has brought many factors in which we are expected to keep up with such as media, friends, and work. The can cause an information overload which causes anxiety.
We live in a digital age where everyone is used to being on their phone all the time. We use it for mostly everything in our everyday lives. However, this can come with some negatives due to the anxiety this can induce. Here are some ways to try to cope with anxiety in this digital age:
Take a break
Taking a break from your phone or any devices will be good for your mental health as it will give you time to be present and be in the moment. Even if you take a break for a few hours in the day that gives you time to process the day and ease your anxiety. Also, you can take a break from going on social media which can ease your mind as we can sometimes compare ourselves to other people or influencers which is not good for us.
Spend time with friends and family
Spending time with friends and family can help with anxiety as they can give you support. Support from people you can connect with and talk to is a healthy way to take your mind off things. Also, you can do something fun such as go to the cinema, shopping, taking a walk or even just staying in and having a chill day with them can help.
Filter your social media feed
It is easy to get caught up in other people's lives through social media. However, there is an option for you to filter the things you see either through only following the people you want that bring positive energy into your life. This can partially help you with the anxiety that comes from social media. You can be mindful of the social media you spend your time on so if you only see what you want to see this will be a good step in the right direction to make positive changes.
Self-confidence
Self-confidence is important to work on as it could help you reduce stress and anxiety. This can help you to not focus on the negatives and increase your self-esteem. You can do this by setting yourself goals every day or each week on what you can work on to improve your self-confidence. This can make you more empowered and can help with the anxiety you feel on social media.
This is a Ted Talk to help and educate you about self-confidence.
Limit your usage
Using your mobile phone or other devices for long periods can be bad for your mental health so set yourself a time limit which will be good for you. This can be helpful to make a positive change to your mental health because you can live in the moment which can make you more present. Also, having time to yourself and doing things you like outside of technology and social media is very important, such as reading, going to the gym, and drawing can help to improve your mindset and mental health.
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