This week is all about social media & your mental health…
For most creative entrepreneurs social media is an important tool for promoting their business, so it isn't possible to just avoid using it altogether. It can however be beneficial to take some time to learn some tools and techniques to manage how you use social media for your business so it doesn’t negatively impact your mental health
tools & techniques for managing your use of social media
We all know how damaging social media can be to our mental health, it can make us feel overwhelmed, unable to switch off, feel like we are missing out or don’t measure up. But it can also be a wonderful way to make connections, build your network and promote your business.
Below are some of the strategies we have found work for us that might help you to use social media successfully for your business without letting it impact your mental health.
Turn off your notifications - a simple but really effective change you can make instantly to improve your ability to focus and help you manage your stress levels.
Be mindful about when you use social media - play around with what works for you, for example try avoiding using social media for an hour after you get up and an hour before you go to bed as it can in particular disrupt your sleep. See how you feel after using social media for different lengths of time and at different times of the day. You may find that several short bursts of usage a day works better for you then one longer period or vice versa, or perhaps there are specific times of the day its best for you to avoid. Check your mood before using social media, ask yourself: is social media going to make you feel better or worse? Remember also that using social media can interfere with in-person communications. So having certain parts of the day to connect with family, friends and work colleagues can really improve your relationships and mental well-being. Social media can also be the ultimate work distraction, perfect for procrastination, so set some time aside during your workday for focussed work with your phone switched off.
Be mindful about who you follow - take some time to go through your social media feed to work out what’s making you feel good, and what’s not and unfollow or mute accounts that annoy you, upset you, or take up too much of your time. Find people who are positive and whose accounts interest and excite you, see what hashtags they use and who they follow to find more similar content.
Be mindful of what channels you use - work out which channel or channels work best for your business and focus on those. Delete any apps you decide not to focus on from your phone.
Be mindful about what you post or comment on - are you doing something positive for yourself and the people who will see it? Getting involved in making the online world a more positive place can make you feel better too. What change would you like to see and how can you use your feed to help make them happen? Remember that what you put online stays online, even things you delete can be saved or screenshotted
Switch off the blue night your screen emits at night - so your screen usage doesn’t impact your ability to sleep
Turn your phone off, put it on silent or put it in another room - another simple tip that really works. For example overnight while you are sleeping or while you are work
Consider having ‘detox’ periods - consider scheduling regular multi-day breaks from social media, or if you absolutely have to use it daily for your business limit your daily usage a couple of days a week to just replying to urgent messages
USEFUL TOOLS & RESOURCES
Track your time - use the settings on apps like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to track your time
Set daily reminders - through your apps to tell you how long you’ve been using each platform
Use the Restrict function on instagram so any comments people leave will only be visible to them. They can’t see when you’re active on instagram and they won’t know whether you’ve read a direct message from them.
Use the Instagram comment filter: You can let Instagram know if there are specific words, phrases or emojis you don't want to see and they will not come up on your posts again. You can do this in your privacy settings.
Use the Mute function on Instagram - If you don’t want to see someone’s content but you don’t want them to know you have unfollowed them. They won’t know then have be
Use the Private functions on apps - if you don’t want your clients to see your personal life or anything you feel may be unprofessional and also use privacy settings to protect your information.
Use reward apps - there are many apps that reward you for putting down your phone such as:
- Hold - Hold rewards you for putting your phone down.
- Moment - helps you understand how you use your phone through simple, easy-to-understand screen time tracking.
- Stay Focused - Stay Focused - App Blocker & Website Blocker is a Self Control, Productivity and App Usage tracker app which helps you focus by restricting the usage of apps, websites and keywords.
- Offtime - helps you balance digital devices usage in your life.
This exercise will help you to monitor your social media use and reflect on and make positive changes in your social media habits.
week 17 book
Our book inspiration this week is ‘How to Break up with Your Phone’ by award winning journalist Catherine Price. It’s a book packed with strategies and practical tips to help you manage your relationship with your smartphone.
This book will help you spend less time on your phone and break unhealthy habits you have with your phone such as checking it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It also talks about how phones and apps are addictive and can damage our abilities to focus, think deeply and form new memories.
week 17 podcast
Our podcast inspiration this week is Feel Better Live More hosted by Dr Chatterjee which features stories from leading health experts and exciting personalities who offer easy health life-hacks, expert advice and debunk common health myths giving you the tools to revolutionise how you eat, sleep, move and relax.