Most people know that the world of Social Media has brought a lot of positive people and changes into my life as I’ve openly shared friendships I’ve made and experiences we’ve gotten to live through because of it.
I’ve been reading a lot in my newest Bible study called #Struggles focuses on the remaining centered on your faith in a world full of social media. From newsfeeds to vacation photos, two quizzes to a plethora of exposure to everything going on to stay connected in this world it can be overwhelming. But with the right focus, we can make sure that we stay centered on what holds true in our personal lives so that we don’t allow social media to impact us in a negative light.
Many times, I know a lot of people in my life tell me they don’t even have a Facebook account or go on to social media because of all the negative things that they see. I totally understand! It’s a lot of info! But, since being on my own personal journey with weight loss and fitness I’ve learned that I’ve had to take some extra steps to remain focused on my personal goals and my personal ethics so that I don’t get distracted. We have the right to use social media for what we feel is good in our personal life and not have to be pulled in a direction that we don’t feel as good for us.
Sometimes I call this a purge of information or cleaning up our newsfeed, but sometimes it’s needed. Here are some ways that I feel we can remain centered in a world full of social media exposure from personal experience:
– There is an ‘unfollow’ option on Facebook – USE IT: It’s not saying that we have to unfriend someone all together but if someone’s posts can ignite any negativity within us why look at it over and over again?
– You also have the right to adjust your privacy settings so that certain groups of people only see certain things you choose to share on your page-remember it is YOUR Facebook story to share.
– When it comes to adding friends to you, you have the ability to stop and think about who you add as a friend and who you don’t.
– Take a moment on all social media channels to see who you’re following and why. Are there celebrities or other news outlets that you feel ignite negativity and you and if so think about your reason to keep following them.
– When you see photos of others going on vacation, or buying new things, it’s helpful to take a moment and congratulate those people on their blessings because each of our blessings can be different. The first chapter of #Struggles talked about how we can get sucked into comparing ourselves to others when you really are blessings are personalized.
– It’s mostly a mindset. When we go into the social media aspect of our lives we have to remember that it has allowed us to keep a connection with those we may not live near or be able to keep in touch with as often. It shouldn’t be meant to be a place that makes us feel less then we truly are, and also it shouldn’t be a place that causes us more stress than positivity!
How have you worked to create a healthy relationship with Social Media to stay centered?
In what ways has it impacted your life?
