Social media and mental health: Tips to help you take control

Communicating with others regularly is essential for our mental health. And today, social media platforms have made it possible to engage with more than 57 million people in the UK, as well as billions of others worldwide.

 

Yet, despite giving us the ability to socialise with almost anyone at the swipe of a finger, there is a growing body of research highlighting the negative effects that social media has on our mental wellbeing…

• 89% of social media users believe it negatively affects their mental health
• 41% of 18-24-year-olds said social media platforms made them feel anxious, sad or depressed 
• Over 50% of students said social media made them feel less confident about their appearance or lifestyle

Below, we explore the impact of social media on mental health, share warning signs that these platforms are harming your wellbeing, and provide tips to help you establish healthier social media habits.

 

How can social media impact mental health?

 

Whether it’s a bad day at work or an argument with a family member – we all have experiences that cause our mental health to suffer from time to time. 

 

To escape these feelings of depression, stress or anxiety, many of us turn to platforms like Facebook and Instagram to take our minds off of how we feel. But sometimes, these social networks can sometimes have a negative effect on us, even if you don’t realise it at the time…

 

Cyberbullying or harassment

 

Social networks make it easy for people to connect with others. While this can be a good thing, it has also made it much simpler to bully or harass internet users.

 

Hurtful messages, comments and lies can be hugely damaging to a person’s overall mood, self-esteem and mental health, and this trauma can have a lasting impact on our emotional wellbeing.

 

Fear of missing out (FOMO)

 

If someone sees friends and family members posting about what they’re getting up to on social networking sites, they may start to compare what they see online with their own life.

 

This can cause us to experience FOMO, or fear of missing out – where we believe our life isn’t as exciting or interesting as others. When we feel like this, our feelings of anxiety and depression can heighten, or cause us to develop an inferiority complex due to what we perceive from others.

 

Poor self-esteem

 

Be it relationship statuses on Facebook, holiday photos on Instagram, or stories on Snapchat, social media often encourages people to showcase their very best traits.

 

These false impressions of life can be hard for people not to compare against their own. And if they feel like they don’t measure up, it can leave us less confident about our body image, appearance, or achievements – leading to feelings of inadequacy, depression or eating disorders.

 

Sleep deprivation

 

Whether someone spends too much time on social media before they go to sleep, or wakes in the night to check their phone, a strong dependence on these platforms may make it hard to get high-quality rest.

 

The resulting lack of sleep may lead to unhelpful thoughts and feelings bubbling to the surface – problems that can develop into depression and anxiety disorders, and impact our relationships and performance at work.

 

Fewer face-to-face interactions

 

Finally, if someone becomes too attached to their social media accounts, it can prevent them from going out and making personal, face-to-face connections with others.

 

Over time, choosing to substitute real-world connections with digital ones can contribute to heightened feelings of depression, loneliness and isolation.

 

Is social media all bad?

 

While there is plenty of evidence that highlights the risks of social media and the negative impact it can have on your mood and wellbeing, it’s important to stress that these platforms aren’t all bad.

 

They can be a great way to socially interact with friends and family you can’t see in person, or a means of connecting with other like-minded people.

 

However, if your life is ruled by social media and the unhelpful feelings it leaves you with, it might be time to reassess the role these apps play in your life.

 

How can I tell if social media is affecting my mental health?

 

Despite the profound effect social networks can have on your emotional wellbeing, it isn’t always obvious these platforms are the root cause of your problems – especially if they’re core to your routine.

 

To determine whether your time on social networking sites could be causing your mental health to deteriorate, consider these common signs:

1. Your mind is fixated on social media, even at work, school, or while doing other tasks
2. You find yourself constantly comparing yourself to other people online
3. You feel sad if your posts receive less attention than other people
4. You behave in a certain way to increase the amount of interaction you get online
5. You neglect other activities and interests in favour of time on social media  

How to protect your mental health on social media

 

If you recognise a link between social media and depression in your life, it can still be hard to break free. This is because social media addiction is common, and believed to affect as many as 1.5 billion people worldwide.

 

To help you feel better online and establish healthier social media habits, here are several simple tips you can try.

 

1. Cleanse your social media feed

 

Sometimes, it can be what we’re exposed to online that makes us feel low, anxious or stressed, even if we may not realise it in the moment.

 

To improve your experience on social media, set aside 5 minutes and scroll through your feed, assessing every post you come across and how it makes you feel.

 

As you notice content that makes you feel noticeably lower, make a conscious effort to mute, unfollow or block the accounts that you dislike. This might include pages that post opinions that make you angry or upset, or shared news that heightens your anxiety and depression.

 

2. Set screen time limits on social media

 

We know how easy it can be to get sucked into our feeds. You might log on to occupy a few moments, and before you know it, 30 minutes have passed.

 

To avoid the anxiety, stress, low self-esteem and depression associated with prolonged exposure to social media, it is important to take regular breaks. This could mean setting a hard screen time limit within the websites themselves, or restricting what apps you can access on your phone during work hours or school hours.

 

Alternatively, deleting social media apps entirely can be another great way of taking a break, even if it’s just for a few days or weeks.

 

3. Find other like-minded accounts

 

The content you look at online doesn’t have to leave you feeling depressed or deflated. If you share a particular passion or interest, joining groups and following accounts that focus on them can be a great way to cultivate a feed of positivity.

 

Swap out the trendiest influencers with accounts that focus on astronomy, art, history or anything else you enjoy. Start by searching the hashtags they use, and seeing the accounts these people interact with. Then, follow the pages that take your interest.

 

4. Prioritise other activities

 

Lastly, if you find that social media occupies your thoughts throughout the day, try scheduling activities that take your mind off of it.

 

This could mean meeting friends after work every week, going for a walk during lunchtime, or fitting in other enjoyable pursuits during your downtime.

 

To better organise your day-to-day around your mental health, complete an Activity Schedule:

• First, record your weekly routine and rate each task for Enjoyment or Achievement on a scale of 0 to 5
• Then, assess your schedule, and see where you can incorporate more enjoyable activities in place of poorly rated tasks
• Finally, create a written diary for the following week, making sure to include any new, rewarding activities, minimising the time you spend think about social media

Reach out for help coping with your thoughts and emotions

 

Between the likes, shares, comments and content, social media sites can become a source of anxiety, stress, depression and low self-esteem for almost anyone. And, with more platforms introduced every year, they can be an even more difficult thing to escape.

 

Thankfully, you don’t have to let social media and its unhelpful emotions rule your life. If you’re struggling with your wellbeing and need supported guidance to overcome these feelings, we can help.

 

As the local NHS provider of mental health talking therapies in North East and South East Essex, our team at Therapy For You can get you on the path to feeling better.

 

Through our free, first-of-their-kind online CBT courses for anxiety or depression, as well as our numerous other treatment pathways, we can help you develop practical techniques to overcome your mental health problems – all in a way that suits your preferences. 

• Access our full range of online CBT courses
• Start traditional one-to-one counselling sessions
• Register for ieso typed therapy
• Find group therapy sessions
• Enjoy the convenience of video therapy
• Arrange telephone therapy sessions

For more about Therapy For You and the support we can provide, get in touch with one of our qualified therapists today.