Interventions to Heal Social Media Effects on Mental Health.

Here’s an idea, take a pause for a moment and imagine a world without social media! The impact these platforms have made is immense and to picture a world without social media is completely ludacris. Interestingly enough however, since the rise of social media, various researchers have reported an association between excessive social media use in relation to  symptoms and signs of depression. Something like that saying “TOO MUCH IS TOO BAD”. Do you find yourself scrolling nonstop for hours through instagram or facebook posts?  If so, Social Media Use Interventions are something of a must!

How can social media affect your mental health: 

The excessive use of social media affects the human mind in different ways. Constant scrolling and uncontrolled use behaviour not only messes up your daily schedule which limits productivity, but also causes mental issues even. Prolonged use proved to cause anxiety, sleep disorders and leads to depression and low self esteem. You ever wonder where all that procrastination comes from? Well now you get an idea.

On a neurological level, social media intervenes with the reward system and the dopamine release inside your brain. What was once associated with good feelings, coming off things like tasty food, sex, social activities and so on, is now associated with posts and content about those same stimulators. This ultimately leads to an addiction and a form of dependency that causes depression and anxiety when absent. 

Another common effect is the comparison syndrome! When constantly exposed to other people's lives including their celebrations of success, their perfect jobs, the places they visit and the enjoyment they project with each post, it builds a tendency of comparison within you. This  leads you to feel low about yourself, and it reinforces the idea of failure. 

While social media platforms can be a very helpful tool, they also proved to be a very destructive one as well. Roaming social media with no boundaries causes our minds to be easily distracted in the long term. It reduces your effectiveness and productivity whether at work or during your free time. You may have noticed these effects and probably been wondering how to limit your screen time? How to restrict wasted time and channel it on doing other inspirational activities? 

Social media use interventions:

The research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that the effects social media causes must be monitored and controlled through a series of interventions. These interventions as claimed become necessary for individuals who are unable to limit social media use and to whom these platforms interfere with their responsibilities and daily routines. When a person becomes too attached to content on social media, it hinders their ability to concentrate on their primary task, opposing a threat to their mental state. This is especially the case for the youth regarding school performance and life choices. 

In order to address this, interventions and various techniques have been developed to aid people recover. Abstaining from and limiting use of social media, in addition to therapy based methods like Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) proved to be helpful. Research found that these techniques  benefit with regaining activity and vitality, lift up the mood and rebuild a person's self esteem. You can start applying these methods now as a treatment for social media inflictions. 

Here’s how to start:

Like any other goal in life, you need a plan! A detailed one to help you tackle the issue quickly and be on your way towards recovery and a happier self.  Be mindful about your plan in regard to your daily duties and responsibilities. These tips will help you limit social media effects on mental health.

• Don’t check your apps when you wake up: In order to not  lose focus on what's more important as you wake up, stay away from social media platforms during the first period of the day. That includes not checking your DMs, how many likes you got on your last post, who viewed your story or whoever might have sent you a friend request! 

•  Don’t give in to the FOMO–fear of missing out: One thing that holds people from staying focused is the possibility of something happening without them knowing. Concentrate on the important things, free your mind of what could distract you.

• Design a strict schedule: This has to do with your relationship with social media. The period you need to set for this depends on what social media benefits you as an individual.  If you have an online business for example, set a reasonable amount of time in order to respond to clients. If it is solely for entertainment purposes then it is recommended to keep it short. You can play with this however you see fit.

• Sleep on time: in order to feel happier and motivated, you must prioritise your sleeping schedule and not let anything ruin it, especially social media! Work on improving your sleeping habits in order to improve your mental health.

• Book for a therapy session: you don’t have to go through this alone. Sometimes a person to listen and guide you through is all you need.

Me to you !

Social media platforms are a dagger with two edges. Not everything posted is healthy and some content touches your soul in a bad way. Therefore, taking control is a must to protect your mental health and stay positive within your own surroundings. 

It is okay to take a moment sometimes to check on friends, post a cool selfie once in a while, see what people say about the new restaurant in town, but all in moderation. Focus on yourself and your goals. Remember, nobody ever posts about his failures so don’t give in to the pressure of feeling left behind. 

Since the dawn of social media people have lost touch with the real world, real activities and real feelings! The feeling of being surrounded by loved ones and the rush of laughter among 

friends. 

If you have found yourself in a situation where you don’t feel like leaving your room, take a step back and focus on healing. Stay committed and design your plan towards the better. The realm of social media remains a virtual one, so take care of the real one; yourself and your life. 

All you need to start is a will to choose better, to choose healing. Think about your content consumption and what you can do to limit it. This is your intervention, this is your new beginning.