Behind the perfect li(f)e: Here’s why social media might be negatively affecting your mental health.

Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles From the desk of Miles Everson: Happy Friday! Welcome to today’s edition of “Mindfulness by Miles!” Every Friday, I write about health, wellness, mindfulness, and the future of work with the hopes of helping you make great strides in your personal and professional life. In this digital age, it is important to create a good balance between our online and offline lives. So, for today, I’ll share with you a few tips that can help you change the way social media affects your mental health and overall well-being. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Behind the perfect li(f)e: Here’s why social media might be negatively affecting your mental health. In today’s day and age, social media has become an important aspect of human life. Each day, individuals spend several hours scrolling through their social media feeds from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. While using social media for hours may seem harmless, excessive use can negatively impact your mental health. For instance, constant exposure to various social media posts designed to be visually appealing can create unrealistic expectations. These expectations can lead to social comparison and our fear of missing out (FOMO), which can cause anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. According to a 2023 study conducted by researchers from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there is a correlation between heavy social media use and mental health problems such as depression. The study also found that excessive social media use can worsen existing mental health problems among users. Since social media use is almost unavoidable these days, lots of people feel constant pressure to stay connected, which can negatively affect their overall health. While the pressure to remain active on social media can be overwhelming, you have the power to change how this affects your life and mental well-being. So here are a few tips that can help you change the way social media affects your life and mental health: Curate your social media feed - To cultivate a positive online experience, consider unfollowing social media accounts that trigger stress or anxiety. Once you’ve done this, follow social media accounts that provide inspiring and motivating content for viewers. By taking this step, you can effectively filter the type of content you come across online. Invest time and effort to build and nurture genuine connections - While social media offers a wealth of digital connections, it can often leave you emotionally distant from the real world. That’s why investing time in nurturing genuine, offline connections is important. This type of connection provides a sense of belongingness and acceptance, which can positively impact on your mood and self-esteem. Mute your app notifications - Another factor that glues users to their devices is the noise made by app notifications. So, if you want to lessen your device usage, muting notifications for non-essential apps is a step you can take. This way, you won’t have to look at your device unless you absolutely have to. Unplug before going to bed - The blue light devices such as smartphones emit suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that affects your day and night cycle. Lower levels of melatonin in the body can cause sleeping disorders such as insomnia. Additionally, melatonin deficiency can weaken your immune system, making you susceptible to viral infections and other illnesses. Keep these tips in mind as these will allow you to limit your social media usage and help you manage your mental health better! Limiting social media use is hard to achieve these days because the latter has become an important part of our lives. By limiting the time you spend social media, you’ll be able to set your mind at ease, improve your mental health, and create a healthier version of you! I hope you found today’s topic helpful! EXCITING NEWS AHEAD The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool. With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent. With that, I’m happy to share with you that my book, co-authored with Walter Scott Lamb, is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work & The Independent Mind This is an essential read for both independent professionals and corporate executives. Here, we provide educational and practical guides to unpack the ever-growing workforce and offer you crucial ways to become a client of choice. Click on the link above to pre-order your copy. Let this book help you future-proof your career and organization in the new world of work.