Video Transcription

Social media & mental health : 5 steps to healthier habits

Social media. It’s become part of everyday life for pretty much everyone. We use it to connect with our friends, share what we’re up to with family, follow trends, and draw inspiration from other accounts that interest us. While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the world of social media, it’s important to recognize when we need to take a step back.

So, here are five steps we can take to develop healthier social media habits for our mental health and wellbeing:

1. Turn off notifications
Push notifications play a big part in keeping us engaged with social media apps. By turning these off, we’re not as easily tempted to check our phone as often. This can help you feel more in control of when you pick up the phone.

2. Set boundaries and time limits
Sometimes, when we’re scrolling on social media, it can feel like we lose track of time. Hours can fly by before we know it. By setting some simple time limits or choosing specific times of the day for when we are on social media, it’ll be easier to make sure that we still have time to do the other things that are important to us.

A lot of social media platforms have settings that can help us track our screen time, set daily time limits, or remind us to take a break. Have a look around the app settings and see what works best for you.

3. Clean your social media feeds
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information on social media. The algorithm is constantly serving new things that might capture our attention. Sometimes, not all these things are what we’d like to see. Unfollowing accounts that are causing stress can help build a more enjoyable experience.

Instead, follow the accounts that bring joy and positivity. This can help keep our feeds full of the things that interest us and make us feel good.

4. Limit time on social media before bed
When we use or check our phones, our brains are stimulated by the movement and blue light emitted from the screen. Instead of winding down and getting ready for sleep, this can have the opposite effect, making it more difficult to drift off. Putting our phones down in the hour before bed can reduce this effect.

If it’s too tempting to have the phone nearby, try leaving it on the other side of the room or in another room entirely.

5. Focus on the things you’re grateful for
It’s normal for people to compare what they have to others. Social media has made it really easy to do this, and sometimes it doesn’t make us feel very good. To help with this, it can be useful to practice gratitude. It could be appreciating a delicious meal, an important friendship, or a cuddle with a pet. Paying attention to what we are grateful for can help improve our mood and make us more aware of the things that make us feel good.

While social media is a great tool for lots of reasons, some people can find it upsetting. If you’re finding that you’re feeling upset, anxious, or stressed because of social media, it could be helpful to reach out for support from loved ones and people you trust. Consider talking to a family member, friend, GP, counsellor, elder, or someone at eheadspace or your local headspace center.

There’s also no shame in taking a break from things that aren’t serving us. You can always return to it when you’re feeling recharged, well-rested, and ready to reconnect.

For more information about how you can build healthier social media habits or ways to find support, visit headspace.org.au