social media

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others Online

Posted on 14 March 2022 - 12:00 pm by admin

When you’re constantly seeing the lives of others online, it’s all too easy to start comparing yourself to them. We are bombarded with everyone else’s achievements and successes, and it can make us feel bad about ourselves.

It can be easy to compare yourself to others online.

But the reality is, all of us are in the same boat. The people you compare yourself to are doing the same thing to someone else. Social media is hard to avoid, so it’s best to focus on ways to make it a positive experience. There are lots of things you can do to limit the negativity that can come from social media, which can help you to stop comparing yourself to others.

Read Now: The Impact of Screen Addiction on Health and Wellbeing

Remember Reality

It’s important to remember that what you see on social media is a curated version of reality. People don’t want to post the boring or sad parts of their life, only the good stuff. This can make it seem like everyone else is living on cloud nine, and it’s easy to be jealous of that.

People only want to share the good parts of their lives!

When you are only seeing the good aspects of people’s lives, you can’t get a full understanding of them. You can’t accurately compare yourself to people’s lives, you can’t fully understand someone when you’re only getting half the story!

Take a step back and think about the things you share on social media. Likely, you aren’t posting about the boring stuff, and that’s the same for everyone. People only want to show the best versions of themselves, so it’s important to remember that when you are online.

Curate Your Feed

It’s easy to forget that you are in complete control of what you see on social media. You can actively stop following people whose posts make you feel bad about yourself, and instead, follow things that make you happy. It’s normal to compare yourself to others when you are always seeing them. In the case of social media, out of sight can really mean out of mind!

Once you stop seeing things that make you upset, you can have a more positive experience online. Accounts that focus on creating a positive atmosphere can help you feel better about yourself whilst cutting out feelings of jealousy. You are in control of what you see on a day-to-day basis, so pick things that make you happy!

Read Now: Doomscrolling: Navigating Mental Health and Social Media

Reduce Your Time Online

The more time you spend online, the higher your chances of seeing something upsetting. A digital detox is a great way to remove yourself from negative feelings that can come from social media. It gives you a chance to unplug from the internet and focus on what brings you joy in the outside world.

Try to limit your time online so you don’t get sucked in!

Even if you don’t think you can go a full day without social media, limiting your usage can make a big difference. Try setting aside an hour or two where you put your phone down and focus on reality. You will be surprised by how much difference it can make. Disconnecting from online even for a small while can often make those insecurities feel insignificant.

Have a Purpose

If you don’t have a specific reason for using social media, you can end up filling your feeds with people you are comparing yourself to. You can get sucked into everyone else’s lives and find yourself comparing every move.

Create a reason for using social media, and focus on that instead of on others. Whether you want to get ideas for craft projects, or keep up to date with pop culture. Choose something that makes you feel good, and channel your energy into it. The more focus you put on things you enjoy, the less energy you will have for comparing yourself to others.

Confront Your Feelings

If you really struggle to stop comparing yourself to others online, confront your feelings to try and find the source. Think about why seeing particular people or posts makes you upset, and try to challenge those feelings.

By acknowledging it instead of pushing it away, you can begin to understand your triggers and know what to avoid. This can help you make positive changes online and in real life, as it’s likely your insecurities carry across from your personal life to online.

Check in on how different things online make you feel.

Read Now: Toxic Positivity and Social Media: Why It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

To Sum Up…

It can be hard to challenge your feelings towards social media, but it can result in a more positive experience online. Try to remember that you aren’t alone, and everyone struggles with comparing themselves to others. Take control of your social media, and don’t let it control you any longer!

If you want to learn more about how to have a positive relationship with social media, contact our life coaches at Ceed today!

Doomscrolling: Navigating Mental Health and Social Media

Posted on 23 August 2021 - 11:30 am by admin

It is no secret that the way we consume news has changed. Over the last twenty years, digital media has developed rapidly. 3.96 billion people use social media worldwide in order to connect to the wider world.

With this advent of social media, we now get the majority of our news from there. Statistics show that half of adults in the UK now use social media to keep up with the latest news.

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Description automatically generated — Social media is a key way to keep up with the latest news.

However, alongside the change in media consumption, the way in which we process news has also changed. Doomscrolling is a new, widespread way people are reading news online, and it is not healthy.

What is Doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is the act of spending extended screen time scrolling through negative and often dystopian news. Doomscrolling has become particularly popular during the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because it is often attributed to the compulsive need to try and get answers when we’re afraid.

We live with a world of instant information at our fingertips thanks to the internet. Everything we need is readily accessible at the click of a button.

This encourages people to do their own research on controversial and heavy topics, often leading them down a rabbit hole of negativity. It can often make the world seem a lot more dangerous than it is. This is due to not only the negative news topics, but often to the negative comments people leave on these topics.

This constant need to find answers to things that scare us is an evolutionary habit. A psychiatry resident at Dalhousie University, Dr. Patricia Celan, explains that this is because we like to familiarize ourselves with dangers in order to gain a sense of preparedness and control.

Why is Doomscrolling Bad for your Mental Health?

While it may seem like innocent browsing at first, doomscrolling can actually have a very negative impact on your mental health. Increased consumption of negative news alone can have a negative effect on you.

It can be addictive, and difficult to look away from. This can impact your mental health negatively because you can physically see the lack of positive news. It generates the feeling that there is no good in the world, which can cause feelings of anxiety and fear.

We are naturally more attracted to negative news stories and headlines. This is due to a phenomenon called the negativity bias. Bad news gets more reactions at a quicker pace and sells better because people have a stronger psychological reaction to bad news.

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Description automatically generated — Social media can affect your mental health.

Consuming so much negative content can often make people feel stressed, depressed, or isolated. Experts argues that these feelings doomscrolling cause can also disrupt your sleep and make your attentiveness and overall performance suffer the following day.

So, How Can I Avoid Doomscrolling?

There are a few methods you can use to try and stop yourself from doomscrolling. You can:

Check in with yourself first. Don’t immediately jump on your phone when you wake up. Instead, go through your morning routine first. Give yourself time to face the world before you scroll through social media and check in with the news.

Reduce your screen time. By actively and mindfully reducing the amount of time spent on your phone, you reduce the probability of coming into contact with overly negative news. Try setting a ‘screen-free’ time – for example, not using your phone after 8pm.

Replace the activity with something else. Instead of giving in to the urge to scroll, try and do something else. You might read a book, do some exercise, or write in a journal. Filling your time with activities you find meaningful and worthwhile is a better use of your time than making yourself feel bad.

Set times to go on social media. Hold yourself accountable. Give yourself fifteen minutes or so to scroll, and then stop when the time is up. This prevents you from spiralling into hours of screen time and negative news. The limited time also means you’re more likely to look at things that interest you, not just the ongoing news cycle.

Conclusion

Doomscrolling is a cycle that needs to be broken. People want to know more about bad news, so they seek it out.

It is okay and understandable to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world. However, despite what you see online, the world isn’t all bad. The good is there, it’s just often hidden by the algorithm of popular news topics.

It is important to actively check the way we interact with news and media online. Noticing our habits and behaviours is the best way to curb them, and not heap more stress onto ourselves. Remember – things are hard enough as it is without you doing this to yourselves!

It can be difficult to learn good habits alone. Here at Ceed, we are committed to helping you improve your mental health. Take a look at how we can help here.