Saima Ikram
In the past 20 years, technology has become predominant over everyone’s life. Now everything is smart, you have smartphone, smart TV etc. With a cell phone in hand, it is impossible not to check your social media sites to see what your family, friends, and colleagues are up to. But staying in touch all the time can cause anxiety. Let’s be clear, that it is not the actual site that can cause the anxiety feeling. It is the addiction to checking the site because every time you check your phone, you want to see what’s new on the platform. It is very easy to say to yourself “just one more scroll” and then get sucked into the social media sinkhole while putting off the actual responsibilities like homework, walking, and even doing the daily chores.
Following are the few ways that can help you overcome social media anxiety:
Identify the problem:
Social media anxiety is the most difficult to treat because people don’t accept it as any problem. Therefore, the first step is to identify the problem, admit that it exists, and understand how to fix it. You need to be honest about your social media usage and control what you put out there. Be very careful not to post any self-sabotaging comments thinking you will get a positive response to build your self-esteem because this is not going to help anyway.
Stay away from comparison:
When you constantly keep on checking your social media accounts, you start comparing yourself with others. Instead of looking at the achievements of others and getting frustrated that you haven’t achieved much, look back at your own journey and then compare it with your current state. You will feel good to see how far you have come and how you are improving day by day.
Strengthen your real-life relationships:
Because of smartphones, people now like to share everything they experience. It gives them a feeling that everyone else is paying attention to them. But when they find their friends unresponsive, it feels lonely and become anxious. That is where social media anxiety sets in and creates frustration. Therefore, it is important to strengthen your real-life relationships and meet people in person to stay connected.
Take social media breaks:
When you are battling social anxiety, it is usually advised to take a break from it. By disengaging yourself from the social media platforms, you feel more comfortable. It may not be easy initially but you need to find something that keeps you occupied instead of thinking about your phone.
Enjoy some time alone:
To calm down your nerves, it is very important to embrace some time alone with yourself. Go out for a walk with no distraction from your mobile phone and just be with yourself. This will help you a lot to clear your mind, focus on your priorities, and to think more clearly.
Find something you are passionate about:
It gets very annoying to keep checking on Facebook or Instagram and still feel unsatisfied. Instead, if you develop some hobbies and find something you really feel passionate about, you feel much better. Your passion will give you a sense of direction and fulfillment without wasting your precious time on social media distraction.
