Should you take a break from social media to look after your mental well being?

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People by no means remorse taking social media breaks. Celebrities together with Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, who spent a couple of offline due to poor mental well being, British actress Millie Bobby Brown, and American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, have all spoken concerning the mental well being advantages that go hand-in-hand with leaving social media for a spell.

So what are the indicators that it’s time to log out for a whereas – and what are the advantages of doing so? Health specialists share the whole lot you want to know…

Should folks take a social media break?

Taking a break from social media is a good tactic to assist defend mental well being.

“Stepping away from devices is important for us all, but particularly for young people – as young brains are still developing, exposure to so much content on social media can be harmful and damage their future wellbeing,” mentioned Fiona Yassin, psychotherapist, and founder and medical director of The Wave Clinic.

“In addition to the mental health risks of social media, we are all (but again, young people especially) at risk from the negative aspects of the internet, such as cyberbullying, trolling and the dark web.”

What are the indicators that it’s time to log out for a whereas?

It’s vital to be self-reflective and trustworthy about how social media is making you really feel. There are many indicators that it could be time to take a break from social media.

“These include, finding you often get annoyed or frustrated with people’s content, comparing yourself to others to the detriment of your health, reaching for your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night, scrolling social media when you’re with other people, getting into arguments with people online, feeling deflated when you don’t receive the engagement you want on a post, and noticing social media is impacting your work,” Yassin mentioned.

Many younger adults and youngsters can really feel enormous quantities of tension due to social media. They might really feel pressured to frequently submit good pictures and write idealised posts to go alongside them.

“The unspoken rules of social media can be challenging to keep up with, and teenagers can experience high levels of anxiety as a result,” she added.

“Signs that your child or young person is struggling with social media include withdrawal and isolating from friends and family, being upset, disturbed sleep, major distress when you take social media away, significant mood changes, using self-insulting comments and comparing themselves to others.”

What is one of the best ways to do it to be certain that it’s efficient?

For Yassim, social media has an addictive high quality. People revert to it repeatedly as a result of it’s a fixed supply of on the spot gratification.

But Jas Schembri-Stothart, co-founder of the Luna wellbeing app, encourages folks to take the next steps.

“Unfollow or mute accounts (influencers, brands and even friends or family) that provoke negative feelings and contribute to poor mental health; this way the only way you are coming across their content is if you actively search for it,” mentioned Schembri-Stothart.

“Set personal boundaries, like time limits and guardrails around times of the day you want to use social media; reward yourself for sticking to them

“Remove comments and ‘like counts’ and mute notifications; silencing pop-ups and adjusting these settings will reduce the urge to keep refreshing your feed to check in on post updates

“Procure your feed (as much as possible); engage with accounts and content that adds value to your life and makes you feel good – social media can prove useful for finding hacks, creative ideas and learning new things.”

What are the advantages

Studies have proven that limiting social media use can enhance wellbeing by stopping sleep issues.

“Many people who use social media experience a fear of missing out, which can drive social media use at night and cause sleep disturbances,” mentioned Yassim.

“Social media can be very anxiety-inducing for some adults and young people. Stepping away from social media can help to reduce anxiety no matter what your age.”

It additionally prevents psychological misery. “Although social media has not yet been proven to cause depression, it is shown to intensify certain symptoms, such as social isolation and loneliness,” Yassim added.

“Breaking from social media and instead investing time connecting with friends, family and colleagues in real life, can help to reduce feelings of loneliness.

“Although it is yet to be established whether the relationship between social media use and health factors is a direct one, research has shown that reducing social media use, even by just 15 minutes a day, can significantly improve general health and immune function.”

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