Mental health check muna, Breaker.

Healthy pa ba or toxic na for you ang paggamit ng social media?

Naiintindihan naman namin that social media usage is your way to somehow cope with stress especially this COVID-19 pandemic, but sabi nga nila, lahat ng sobrang ay….

Masama! Korek. Alam mo naman pala, Breaker. Bakit hindi ka pa rin nagtira para sa sarili mo?

Opx!

The truth of the matter is social media affects your mental health.

“If you’re spending an excessive amount of time on social media and feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness are impacting your life, it may be time to re-examine your online habits and find a healthier balance,” sabi ng HelpGuide in their article Social Media and Mental Health.

Nabasa mo ‘yon?

Re-examine daw and find a healthier balance. Puwede ba, Breaker, ‘yung sariling kapakanan mo naman muna ang isipin mo?

Qiqil mo kami, eh.

Okay, so, bago pa tayo maligaw sa topic.

Here are 3 tips to protect your mental health when using social media.

1. Maging totoo sa feelings mo.

Hindi ‘to hugot. Chill ka lang.

Ask yourself, how does using social media make you feel during and after using it?

Try mo ‘tong experiment na ni-recommend ni Jelena Kecmanovic PhD in her article 6 ways to protect your mental health from social media’s dangers on The Conversation, “Experiment with using your favorite online platforms at different times of day and for varying lengths of time, to see how you feel during and after each session.”

Tapos balikan mo ‘tong questions na ‘to…

‘Yung totoo, did you feel better or worse using social media?

Did it boost your mood or mas na-depress or nalungkot ka lang?

Did you feel more relaxed or mas naging pressured ka because naco-compare mo ang sarili mo sa iba?

More often than not, “you may find that a few short spurts help you feel better than spending 45 minutes exhaustively scrolling through a site’s feed,” Jelena explained.

Lalo na when midnight strikes, hindi mo ba napapansin na ito ang marupok hours mo?

May tendency ka to be too self-critical just by scrolling through your Facebook feed kapag hating gabi kaya it is better to eliminate it after 10pm.

Magandang i-note mo rin ‘tong sinabi niya na, “people who use social media passively, just browsing and consuming others’ posts, feel worse than people who participate actively, posting their own material and engaging with others online.”

Beke nemen gusto mo na simulan ‘yung passion project mo and share it to your online friends.

Here are tips to kickstart your passion project.

2. Clean up your feed.

Hindi lang photos ng ex mo ang kini-clean up sa social media, pati ang feed, okay?

Maniwala ka that “to flip your feed from being stress central to a motivational haven, you may have to do some spring cleaning. Delete or unfollow anyone whose posts don’t contribute to your life or business,” John Corrigan said in his article Protect Your Mental Health While on Social Media by ASICentral.

Ang harsh pero true, ‘di ba?

Kung nag-aalala na baka may ma-offend ka sa gagawin mo, Facebook lets you unfollow a friend. Bale ang mangyayari diyan, friends pa rin kayo pero hindi na maga-appear sa feed mo ‘yung mga posts niya.

And yes, hindi sila mano-notify when you unfollow them.

So, sino-sino sila?

Who are those people or pages na kelangan mo nang i-let go so you can prepare yourself sa mas magandang darating?

Gustomoyon?

Sabi nga ni John, “you don’t want to just trim your feed, you want to add to it. Follow people and brands that promote positivity and post content you can learn from.”

Speaking of, visit our social media pages iCanBreakThrough Facebook page, Instagram account, and YouTube channel.

Yes! Naisingit pa ‘yun, ah.

Pero seriously, we’re more than just a brand that promotes positivity. Check out our socials and see for yourself!

3. Mag-social media detox kung kinakailangan.

Narinig mo na ba ‘yung term na social media detox?

When you say detox kasi kadalasan ito ina-associate to cleansing your physical body pero may tinatawag din na social media detox.

Social media detox is “a conscious elimination of social media use and consumption for a set period of time,” sabi ni Amber Murphy in her article How to Take a Social Media Detox and Improve Your Mental Health by Declutter the mind.

Oh! Bago ka umatras and mag-react that it is impossible to do, basahin mo muna ‘tong article that we wrote for you.

May tips kami how to help you start your detox from social media.

So, bakit?

Bakit recommended ang social media detox for you?

Well, it will help you break your social comparison cycle and conquer your FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out, Holly Chavez said in her article 9 Reasons Why a Social Media Detox Is Good for You by Lifehack.

Another is it will improve your overall mood and you’ll have more free time to do what you’re really passionate about!

Thank you, Breaker!

Hanggang dulo kumapit ka at hindi bumitaw. Naks naman!

Sabi sa ‘yo kawalan niya, eh.

Chour!

Pero seriously, Breaker, if you are one of those suffering from social media depression and you need prayers, please text us at 0999-227-1927 or call 8-737-0-777.

Kung naka-help naman ang article na ‘to sa ‘yo, feel free to drop your comments.

Gusto namin malaman kung ano ang say mo!