11 Social Media Positivity Ideas For Wholesome Media Habits

Last updated Jun 11, 2022

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If you would like somebody to persuade you to cease utilizing social media, I’m not your woman. I gained’t let you know to delete Instagram, to restrict your TikTok use with a timer, or to sentence society for making it such an enormous a part of our lives. Whereas there’s nothing unsuitable with these approaches and every include their very own advantages, immediately, I’m sharing a distinct method. Social media is already an enormous a part of our lives, and I’m not one to waste my vitality attempting to swim upstream. The one option to transfer ahead is to work with it by maximizing the rewards and minimizing the dangers.

How will we make that occur? Social media positivity. I’m sharing the best way to enhance the feel-good results of social media (they do exist!) and supplying you with ideas that can assist you really feel extra connected, empowered, and impressed when utilizing it.

Featured picture by Michelle Nash.

Camille Styles team_social media positivity — *Picture by Belathée Photography*

What is social media positivity?

If you step away from this article having learned one thing, I want it to be this: Using social media in a passive way is a key contributor to the feelings of depression and loneliness we often associate with our feeds. It makes sense logically, but it’s also backed up by science. When we lurk, when we scroll for hours on end without having a single conversation or interaction, we end up feeling emptier than when we started.

Social media is meant to be social.

Humans are wired for connection—we’re social animals, in spite of everything. Once we use social media to attach on a deeper degree, we really feel much less alone and it really helps our psychological well being. Keep in mind: How we use social media influences the feelings we expertise when scrolling.

Brian and Jessie De Lowe talking with friends_healthy social media use — *Picture by Michelle Nash*

Don’t Be a Voyeur

A couple of years ago, I listened to an interview between the psychologist and author, Guy Winch, and Esther Perel, a leading psychotherapist. Their conversation forever changed my social media habits. This was one of my key takeaways:

Guy: There’s a lot of research about what it is about social media that creates loneliness, and it comes down to how we use it. In other words, it’s the passivity with which many people use social media. Passivity, meaning they just scan other people’s feeds. They’re not commenting, they’re not posting, and they’re not interacting with social media. They’re just using it in a voyeuristic kind of way.

Esther: And why does that produce loneliness?

Guy: Because you’re actually not interacting, because you’re not getting feedback on you.

dinner party with flowers, flatbread, friends_healthy social media habits — *Image by* *Michelle Nash*

Engage, Engage, Engage.

If I follow you on social media, trust that you will hear from me eventually. It doesn’t matter if we only met once, if you have hundreds of thousands of followers, or if we haven’t spoken in years. I can’t consume without engaging, especially after hearing the words above. It’s one of the reasons Diane Cari and I’ve an inside joke and the way I obtained my very personal private e book suggestion from Ryan Holiday. Take it from somebody who is aware of: By constantly speaking and interesting with others’ content material (in a form method that respects boundaries), your scrolling classes can be remodeled for the higher.

Present The Actual You

There’s a quote I like from Arlan Hamilton, writer of It’s About Rattling Time, that at all times jogs my memory how vital it’s to indicate up each on-line and in actual life as my true, genuine self: “Be who you’re in order that the people who find themselves searching for you will discover you.”

We are going to by no means have the ability to seize our “actual lives” on social media, however I don’t know if that may be wholesome both. There are issues which might be too personal, too private to share. And in any case, most of us attain for social media to be uplifted or impressed, not introduced down by different individuals’s issues. However there are easy methods we are able to peel again the curtain and present just a little little bit of #realreality.

Posting an image of your messy kitchen proper after you publish an image of a beautiful meal hits totally different. These little bits of actuality look like nothing, however they convey that there’s MUCH extra happening behind the scenes that you simply don’t see.

Nihel Ayari and Camille Styles talking_social media positivity — *Picture by Michelle Nash*

Limit Social Media Around Loved Ones

I am SO guilty of this. I’m dripping in shame as I admit that I often catch myself scrolling socials right next to my husband in a zombie-like state without noticing. Time passes by in a flash, and I’m left feeling so empty, lonely, and even a bit depressed. Sound familiar? Mental health researchers call this phubbing and have shared that after we use social media round family and friends, it promotes emotions of loneliness and depression.

Unfold Social Media Positivity

A real praise that’s particular and out of your coronary heart could make somebody’s day, week, and even change the way in which they consider themselves. Keep in mind: Your phrases are highly effective.

One thing I promised myself a very long time in the past is that if I see one thing lovely, I won’t maintain my tongue.

No matter you name the other of a social media troll (a social media fairy?) is what I intention to be. An accessible method to do that in your personal life (and considered one of my favourite methods of spreading social media positivity) is to go away aggressively sort (it’s a factor!) critiques on Google if there’s a restaurant, retailer, or espresso store the place I’ve had a very fantastic expertise.

woman talking on phone_positive social media habits — *Picture by Riley Reed*

Use Social Media To Know Yourself Better

Ever save posts, videos, or Reels without ever referring back to them? There’s a treasure trove of inspiration to be tapped into! I like to go through my saved folders and make sure things are organized in a way that inspires me. I constantly import my favorite images to Pinterest or remove things that no longer excite me. It’s so important for us to have clarity about the things that excite us.

Get Educated

There are countless amazing accounts to learn from on social media. You can get inspired by fun new recipes or dive deep into NASA’s latest discoveries. Some of my favorite follows are Maria Popova, creator of The Marginalian, Wired UK, and All You Can Face.

Use Social Media to Categorical Your self

We every have a deep have to be seen and understood—it’s a human fact. Amanda Palmer defines this superbly: “There’s a distinction between eager to be checked out and eager to be seen.” Expressing ourselves and sharing our lives is a phenomenal factor and there’s no disgrace in that.