Depressed? 5 Ways To Combat Negative Self-Image on Facebook
Depressed? No way. With all the funny cat videos and laugh out loud crazy memes, how could you be blue?
If you find yourself scrolling through your timeline and see your friends, colleagues, and family constantly post about how they’re so psyched to go on their vacations, dine at fancy restaurants, and have delightful holidays with their family, you might feel a little bad.
While all of those things are great, what if you don’t have your family close? Or if you can’t afford a fancy dinner or can’t take the vacation time?
Is Social Media Making You Miserable?
If you’re secretly jealous of others who appear to have it better than you, resent people who were dealt a better lot in life, or depressed because you’re not where you thought you would be at this point in your life, I hear you. Loud and clear.
If you feel that way, it’s totally understandable. Now, more than ever, people are sharing every moment of every day of every experience they have on social media. Some people do it to keep in touch with friends and family, others do it out of habit, and others do it just to prop themselves up.
If you’re feeling sad and depressed because other people seem to be in a state of perpetual happiness on social media, keep reading.
Here are 5 suggestions to combat your social media depression and preserve your self-image.
#1 – Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
That’s like comparing a potato to a pineapple. It’s just unfair.
You are unique. There’s no one else like you in the world. If you constantly compare yourself to others, you’ll always be fighting a losing battle. And that’s just depressing. Why? Because there’s always going to be someone who does something you want to do. Talk about jealousy and insecurities galore! You probably won’t admit it, but it’s eating at you. I know because it was eating at me until I stopped comparing myself to my Facebook friends.
Don’t Forget: Stop comparing. If you feel compelled to compare, employ a better method of comparison. Only compare yourself to yourself. Look back on last year or to 5 years ago. Now, how are you doing?
#2 – Don’t Seek Validation Externally
Don’t look for approval from others.
I know you have insecurities. I have lots of them myself too. In the past, my insecurities made me feel helpless, embarrassed, and just generally afraid.
Over the years, I’ve honed my ability to take those insecurities, own them, and use them to make myself better. For example, writing was always a challenge for me. The words didn’t come easy. Today I make sure to write a little bit everyday and the words flow a lot faster.
Don’t Forget: Don’t let other peoples’ opinions dictate how you view yourself. Acknowledge your insecurities and either accept them or try to improve on them. If you believe in yourself, others will too!
#3 – You Don’t Have to Prove Anything to Anyone
Everyday is a test. You get up and face the world. You go to school. Go to work. It’s not easy. So why should you feel compelled to prove yourself to anyone?
The people who need impressing, aren’t worth it. And the people who are worth it, don’t need impressing. Take off your mask and just be yourself.
Don’t Forget: You can’t please everyone all the time. I’ve tried and it’s exhausting. You don’t need to impress anyone. If you still want to impress someone, impress yourself.
#4 – Put Your Phone Down
Get off your computer. Put down your mobile device. Step away from the tablet. Get some exercise. Walk around outside. Say hello to your neighbor. Breathe the fresh air.
While you might have 1,000 friends on Facebook, that DOES NOT replace face-to-face contact.
Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in our safe, virtual world of liking things that other people like, but nothing will replace getting together with a friend in the real world.
Don’t Forget: Call up a friend and ask them to get together for coffee. When you meet up, put your phone away and focus on enjoying the ambiance and the conversation.
#5 – Celebrate Yourself
What are YOUR hopes and dreams? Do you want to find your soul mate? Trying for a promotion at work? Want to start a side business?
If you want to keep up with social media, start posting some of YOUR great moments and contribute to the conversation. Or, if social media is still getting you depressed, there’s nothing wrong with taking a break from the posts, tweets, and updates.
Don’t Forget: Wasting your time and energy on all the noise is pointless. Focus on what you want and go after it 110%!
All the tips mentioned in this post are easier said than done, especially if you’re struggling with balancing your peace-of-mind and your social media profile.
Happiness isn’t dependent on the number of Facebook posts you push out. And those people who seem the happiest in all those pictures and videos probably are struggling just like you.
Want more? Join the Freedom from Toxic People Facebook Group and let us help you work it out.
Need to talk it out? Why not book a private 1-on-1 session with me? It might help having an unbiased person give you the inspiration you need to block out the noise and make 2017 your best year!