Mental Health + Social Media.

I have put this topic off for a while for several reasons. The most obvious one would definitely be that it’s something so private that we choose when and who we open up about it. That’s totally fair, so today I wanted to share my experience. First thing’s first, what is mental health, well let’s Google it. According to Google, it is: a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. That can range any where from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.

I know I always say this, but if you have been around for a while then you know that I have now gone to therapy. If you haven’t then let me fill you in. I decided to go to therapy because I was going through a really hard time in my relationship. I was depressed without knowing I was depressed and after going I was diagnosed with daily anxiety. Trust me, I couldn’t believe it, and sometimes I feel like I still don’t but that’s just called denial. I don’t take any medication or feel crazy. I’m just a human being that happens to worry too much and I overthink everything which are actually contributors to daily anxiety.

But anyway, for today’s wellness Wednesday, I just wanted to share a recent event I attended that was put together by CABE partners (@cabepartners), a blogging community of wonderful women who happened to bring other bloggers together to talk about this very topic along with how it can inter-wind with social media.

I have been blogging for about a year now and I’m guilty of letting social media affect me in so many ways. I constantly play the comparison game, I always question my engagement, I wonder why I still haven’t gotten a sponsorship, and well… just stress. I know what you might be thinking… you might be asking yourself how is that possible if I always preach about positivity and encouragement, well simply because I’m human and I feel too. However I have taken it as a personal challenge to stop letting these things affect me and the way I engage in social media. Today, I wanted to extend a hand, and let you know that if you think or know you have a mental health condition, you’re not alone and I’m seriously a DM or email away.

Aside from that, I wanted to share some of the things I’m doing on social media that have helped me get out of a negative head space. Here they are:

How can I stop the comparison game? A lot of the times we follow accounts not because we’re inspired by this person but maybe because we want to be that person. You have to let that go. I did and it was a little hard at first but so freeing at the same time. You are smart, talented, and do a kick ass job with what you do and YOU are what sets you apart from the rest.
Is this account uplifting you, motivating you, or encouraging you in any way to be a better person of yourself? If the answer is no, then it might be time to hit the un-follow button. I love following influencer’s who as soon as I read their post I feel motivated, I feel inspired, I feel better! I can’t tell you how many times I tell other bloggers, THANK YOU for this post because it truly helped my mood, my day, anything. Those are the people who makes this worth it to me.
Embrace slow but steady growth but be proactive. I’m so guilty of looking at the numbers, looking at the engagement, and worrying about what I’m doing wrong. Fact is, I’m not doing anything wrong and neither of you. Show up for the ones that are showing up for you, engage with them! The numbers go up and go down, but those who are really interested in what you have to offer will stay and those are the ones that matter. As far as being proactive, I should really do this more but, if you want to work with someone just go for it, shoot them an email, the worst they can say is no or not respond but at least you tried and that’s all that matters. You got this!

I truly found that by asking myself these questions and embracing myself and who I really am has helped me so much. It’s not easy and it’s not meant to be, but I think with a little push and support, which I’m more than willing to give, it’s possible. It definitely has to do with who you surround yourself and the want to break a pattern. Mental health is not the end of the world, but we can help over come it together!

Till the next post!