Is Social Media Giving you Anxiety?
Social media has with no doubt transformed the world by allowing you to communicate with friends and family, share your interests, ambitions and even raise awareness for worthwhile causes. Although it has a lot of positive attributes, unfortunately, the world of social media has also caused a lot of harm. In 2020, Gen Z grew 15% more likely to say that social media gives them anxiety.
Here are some things to think about if social media is making you feel fatigued.
1. Social media is a highlight reel.
Social media is merely a highlight reel of people’s lives with users only posting about the best parts of their day-to-day lives. No one is going to post about them crying over not being able to pay their rent that month or show a picture of a bad hair day. We have to stop comparing ourselves to others as we scroll through our feeds and judge ourselves on how we measure up to them. Comparing our lives with others is mentally unhealthy.
This does not only include everyday people scrolling through social media, it also includes the content creators themselves. As a content creator, you are surrendered by what you think the ‘perfect influencer’ is or should be. There is no ‘perfect influencer’ and you are never going to measure up to that. The influencers that are flourishing in the industry are showing their raw, authentic selves online. This is a new era of influencer marketing, and people want transparency. Flaunt your flaws and insecurities because you can’t be yourself without them.
2. Live in the moment
In 2021 everyone is consistently staring at their phones and trying to capture every moment. As a content creator, it’s especially hard to separate work life from real life. It is important for your mental health to take a break from capturing your every move and be in the present moment.
Try reducing time on social media by turning off your phone at certain times of the day or disabling social media notifications when spending time with family and friends.
3. Know your boundaries
Burnout is a real thing and it does not just happen in a corporate environment. Being a content creator means there is no distinct line between work and your private life. It is important to set boundaries for yourself and to put your mental and physical health first. This can be done by giving yourself daily work hours. Don’t take on too many projects at once if you know you don’t have the capacity for it by setting boundaries with brands.
Remember it is also important to take time to recharge so that you can get your creative juices flowing!