Social media has become such a big part of our lives; we sometimes don’t even realize how much time we spend scrolling through our feeds. It’s the last thing many of us look at before we go to bed and the first thing we check when we wake up – but does interacting with social media hurt our mental health?

A recent finding published in the Journal of Mental Health found that 70 studies conducted over the last ten years to examine how social media affects mental health came back with differing conclusions. Some studies found social media to have a positive impact on people’s lives, while others warned against the possible connection between social media and depression or anxiety.

Ultimately, the study found that social media does affect mental health. Whether it’s a positive or negative impact is determined by how the individual uses the platforms. Finding a balance and developing healthy habits for using social media is essential for making sure it has a positive presence in your life.

1. Schedule time to use social media and times to step away. As with most things, balance is the key to having healthy habits on social media. You can set aside time when you can surf the web, and times when you log off and ignore notifications. It is particularly important when you’re spending time with friends or family and before you go to sleep. It may be helpful to use an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake up in the morning, so you can leave your phone in the other room when it’s time to go to bed.

2. Be clear about what your purpose is when logging onto a social media site and stick to it. We’ve all gone online to check the time of a birthday party next week and found ourselves, an hour later, watching video after video. Be thoughtful about why you’re logging into a site and then make sure you sign off when you’re finished. This will also make sure you’re using social media the way you want – to connect with friends or get updates on your favorite band – without letting what other people are posting take over.

3. Use other people’s posts as inspiration rather than comparison. Seeing other people broadcast their successes and post magazine-perfect moments of their lives might make your daily life pale in comparison. But remember that these moments aren’t representative of someone’s whole life, and the person posting them is probably struggling with a lot of the same things you are. Looking at these posts as inspiration for you to work toward your own goals, rather than directly comparing your daily life to their Instagram, is a healthier way to view posts on social media. It’s also good to be selective about who you follow. If someone’s posts consistently make you feel bad about yourself or get you frustrated, then consider unfriending or unfollowing that person.

4. Think before posting. Likewise, think about what you’re sending out to the world. Before you hit send on a post, consider whether it’s spreading positivity. You can help make your feed an encouraging place to be by avoiding trolls or online arguments and fostering a community of support and positivity among your friends or followers – at least on your page.

5. Put your mental health first. Check in with yourself and if you’re feeling down, maybe go outside for a walk or grab coffee with a friend rather than spending time online. If getting notifications throughout the day makes you feel stressed or anxious then it would be a good idea to delete the social media apps from your phone or disable push notifications, so you only see alerts when you sign in manually.

Being on social media can help enhance your life, but it can also easily become an additional stressor, and potentially exacerbate symptoms of anxiety or depression. Using some of these tips can help you create healthy social media habits that create balance in your life, protect your mental health, and make your social media use a positive force rather than a negative one.

Self Care 101

10 ways to take better care of you

As a clinician, I often refer to self care as a huge part of what’s missing in the life of someone who’s busy and stressed. So what is self care? Self care in essence is the mindful taking of time to pay attention to you, not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that ensures that you are being cared for by you.

And I’m often asked, what does that look like, and how do you take care of yourself in order to avoid burnout or compassion fatigue? Quitting your job or taking six months off to decompress is seldom an option for most people. What concerns me is that all too often, I see strong, successful professionals succumb to illness and get really, really sick and only then do they manage to get the much needed break to catch their breath or slow down and change direction. I think there's a better way, and incorporating self care every day helps to serve as an armor to protect the energy that we need in order to survive and thrive. Self care goes a long way in managing stress and living your best life.

Here are 10 ways to exercise self care and take better care of you.

1. Self care means knowing who you are and your limits. Self care means recognizing when you are doing more than you are used to handling and trying to figure out what can be done to slow down.

2. Self care means getting the sleep you need and knowing how to rest. Are you getting enough sleep for you? Do you know how much sleep you require everyday and are you sleeping at least that much? Making a serious effort to make that happen as well as knowing how to rest your body and your mind are essential.

3. Self care means making sure that you're well fed. Does what you eat provide the energy you need to function? Do you take time to eat meals at work and do you take time to have snacks when your body requires intermittent food during the work day? Self care means integrating favorite healthy foods into your everyday eating routines and planning ahead to make sure you have adequate nutrition throughout your day.

4. Self care means finding a way to decompress throughout your day, not just when you leave work. What is it you do to rest your mind during and after a work day? What helps you tune out the noise? Most people tell me they don’t have the luxury of taking breaks during their work day, but trying to integrate mini breaks throughout the day helps refresh your mind and body. For example, try stretching or taking a brief walk even if it's only a few feet away, getting yourself a drink of water, talking to a friend, getting in touch with a loved one even if it's just a text, or purposely looking at photos that have special meaning. The brain needs those pauses.

5. Self care means giving some thought to changing a difficult work situation. We know best what we need and what we can deal with. Is there anything that can be done to make your work somewhat less stressful? Think about whether changes can be made to your work environment. Are you okay with where you sit and do your work? Are you working unsustainable hours and is there some end in sight? It might be a matter of approaching a supervisor with things that you think may make your work more pleasant, such as changing where you sit or changing whether you take an earlier lunch or later start time.

Sometimes supervisors are not even aware of the reality of what the worker experiences in a work day. A frank conversation delineating the things that are most stressful might precipitate the process of improving your working conditions. People see the world through their own lenses and supervisors have their own problems and a sometimes a simple conversation can provide the insight they needed to rethink how things are done.

6. Self care means taking time to get to know you better. Self care means learning to recognize your own temperament and trying to prepare for your personal limits. For example, do you have the trait of "high sensitivity? (Aron 1996) "Highly Sensitives" or "HSP's" are particularly bothered and affected by over-stimulation. Identifying your temperament and your triggers and planning accordingly might help lessen inevitable stress. That might be as simple as grabbing some almonds before a meeting that usually cuts into your lunch hour so you're not ridiculously hungry or rethinking fabulous but uncomfortable shoes.

7. Self care means identifying what you enjoy doing and what's fun for you and make a serious effort to integrate it into your day or, at the very least, your week. Make it a habit to plan something to look forward to everyday and that doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as planning to read a good book at night or planning to have dinner with someone whose company you enjoy.

8. Self care means knowing how to decompress after a day's work. That might mean walking home from work to clear your head, driving in silence or listening to music to help transition from work to home.

9. Self care means feeding your spiritual self. That might take the form of meditating, praying, communing with nature by a walk in a park, observing a sunset or sunrise, attending a religious service, practicing gratitude, reading or listening to something inspirational.

10. And finally, self care means taking time to love yourself and appreciating that there's only one you and you're the expert on that.

80+ Self-Care Activities for Teens

1. Listen to music

2. Take a shower

3. Talk to a friend

4. Watch a movie

5. Read a book

6. Go for a walk

7. Ride your bike

8. Exercise

9. Play with your pet

10. Stretch your muscles

11. Do yoga

12. Meditate or pray

13. Talk to a friend on the phone

14. Go the park with a friend*

15. Go to the mall*

16. Get a hair cut*

17. Take a nap

18. Plan an outing with friends*

19. Go for a jog

20. Write in a journal

21. Invite a friend to your house*

22. Go for a swim*

23. Go for a hike*

24. Try a new activity

25. Play board games

26. Play card games

27. Play a video game

28. Cook with your parent

29. Go to the spa with a parent

30. Go outside and watch the birds and other animals

31. Make a list of things you like about yourself

32. Go to the library

33. Write a poem/short story

34. Learn a new language

35. Sing your favorite songs

36. Write a song

37. Learn to play an instrument

38. Make a funny video

39. Draw or paint a picture

40. Make a list of your accomplishments

41. Make a bucket list

42. Write a letter to your future self

43. Make a list of things you’re good at

44. Work outside in nature

45. Plant a garden*

46. Make a scrapbook

47. Trim your nails

48. Visit a museum*

49. Eat your favorite dessert

50. Take photos of nature

51. Make a playlist of your favorite songs

52. Do a puzzle

53. Play with a sibling

54. Go to the bookstore *

55. Google information about a different culture

56. Watch funny cat videos

57. Read a comic

58. Go outside and watch the clouds

59. Make a playlist of funny movies

60. Turn up the music and dance

61. Make a list of people you look up to and why

62. Practice deep breathing exercises

63. Walk barefoot in grass

64. Read an inspirational book

65. Write in a gratitude journal

66. Do an arts and craft activity

67. Start an art journal

68. Have a good laugh

69. Practice progressive muscle relaxation

70. Volunteer in your community*

71. Draw or color

72. Draw or color Mandalas

73. Unplug and spend time in nature

74. Go stargazing

75. Make a fairy garden

76. Look at family photo albums

77. Read inspiring quotes

78. Listen to running water

79. Snuggle under a cozy blanket

80. Fly a kite

81. Write a love letter to yourself

82. Make jewelry

83. Blow bubbles and be silly

84. Give yourself a self-massage

85. Daydream

https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Worry-Workbook-Cognitive-Behavioral/dp/160623918X/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=anxiety+workbook&qid=1584372262&sr=8-4 (Anxiety)

https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Behavioral-Workbook-Depression-Step/dp/1608823806/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=depression+workbook&qid=1584372331&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzMFJXMTgzTkwyVzNWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjk1ODkxMUJXT0hFQTFXVDRZSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTk0MTQ3MjVMTTk1VlZEM0pYSSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= (Depression)

https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Help-Nerves-Claire-Weekes/dp/0451167228/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3RR26FLMROJAE&dchild=1&keywords=claire+weekes+hope+and+help+for+your+nerves&qid=1584372401&sprefix=claire+weekes%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-2 (Anxiety)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1731268610/ref=sspa_dk_detail_9?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFYWTJUMVIySTZPOTImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA3NzE1MTkyRFVKU1IyOFBNU1dTJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4OTIzNDIySFNPSllBWkszRzJBJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== (Anxiety)

https://www.amazon.com/Freeing-Anxiety-Revised-Updated-Life/dp/0804139806/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/131-3343679-8570200?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0804139806&pd_rd_r=3126b2c9-cad2-45cc-ad68-87161f7cff27&pd_rd_w=HxfIB&pd_rd_wg=6qSfy&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=9ZKT59Y9HS35H3JFNQ5D&psc=1&refRID=9ZKT59Y9HS35H3JFNQ5D (Anxiety)

https://www.amazon.com/Helping-Anxious-Child-Step-Step/dp/1572245751/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/131-3343679-8570200?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1572245751&pd_rd_r=ed756300-8188-4eb4-aa49-45cab55886aa&pd_rd_w=MtwYf&pd_rd_wg=6EK1k&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=M8B9HB62AANJQ54PRYE0&psc=1&refRID=M8B9HB62AANJQ54PRYE0 (Anxiety)