If news and social media, have you feeling anxious, worried, and drained we have some helpful suggestions for you. Psychologists recommend that we choose our news stories carefully by selecting what to read online, rather than allowing ourselves to be inundated by the overwhelming negative messages on television and social media. One simple, realistic way we can support mental health is to minimize media overwhelm.

Here are some strategies we recommend when it comes to curating a healthier news and social media experience:

1. News: If you are interested in certain news sources, get on their email newsletter lists, or on Telegram and read them only when you have the time and mental energy, being mindful to only click on only the news articles that are relevant for you.

2. Edit Your Social Media Friends: Facebook has some great features for staying in touch and quieting down posts. The “unfollow” feature is a great tool. You can remain friends and reach out to each other via messenger, but will no longer see the person's posts on your feed when you select their profile and set it to unfollow. The friend will never be notified that you did this. Also “snooze” is a similar but less permanent feature, if a dear friend is fired up on a topic that you just aren’t ready or willing to engage on, you can click snooze for 30 days to take a break from their posts.

Unfortunately, Instagram, Twitter and some others don’t have comparable features, so some options are to become more mindful about opening these apps, and to disconnect completely from people who particularly trigger or overwhelm you with their posts on those platforms. We all know some people approach topics more openly and some are there to argue needlessly. Letting go of certain accounts and followers on those platforms does not mean you don’t love or like them. You are simply making a decision not to have conversations that are unhealthy for you.

3. Make Rules: Create boundaries for your media engagement and follow them. Some great rules are: Don’t open the comments section of an extremely inflammatory post to read all the trolling responses. Another good possible rule is not to engage in an inflammatory conversation with a stranger. You don’t know them, their issues, or their background and it’s not likely to be a constructive interaction. A little self-discipline can go a long way.

4. Set Your Intentions: Make an overall purpose for your social media use, and notice if you have gone outside of that. Social media is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family who are far away and old friends you may not have otherwise had a chance to visit with. If your goal is to keep in touch with people, or let people know about yourself, or your business, then try to post and interact solely with that purpose in mind. If you find yourself reading something that is making you feel powerless, stressed and overwhelmed, close the app and take some deep breaths re-engaging with your physical environment and/or the people you live with, returning only when you are clear again on your purpose, with specific tasks in mind.

5. Take A Break: Dedicate yourself to taking a certain number of days, maybe 1 week, maybe 30 days, completely away from all social media and/or news. Pay attention to how you feel: Is it difficult? Are you more present? The feedback we have heard from people taking social media breaks is that they find they immediately gravitate back to things they consider healthier including reading books, calling friends, increased self-care, and getting out of the house more.

6. Add Healthy Content: Searching and following certain hashtags such as #Nature, #Comedy #Inspired can help you find the content that will brighten up your feed. Also search and follow your favorite healthy hobbies: cooking, organizing, music etc. We love to follow authors, artists, great thinkers, and musicians, as well as spiritual teachers to add uplifting messages to our social media and to our lives.

And of course, we highly recommend following BB&R on Facebook and Instagram and listening to our Health Gig Podcast for a healthy and inspiring boost to your day as well.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbandrwellness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBRWellnessConsulting/

Any we would love for you to access Doro’s amazing guided meditations anytime you are feeling the need for some serenity:

How To Do A "Media Detox"