Showing posts with label Mental Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mental Health. Show all posts

Friday, March 23, 2018

9 Social Media Self-Care Tips?


Is social media stressing you out? Here are 9 self-care tips..



How many hours do you spend on social media per day?

Studies suggest that globally the average amount of time people spend online is two hours. This obviously increases in countries like the U.S. and across different age groups. So, if you're in your mid-twenties or mid-thirties living in an urban, metropolitan area, you can safely multiply that stat by two.

For some of us, that number may seem high. For others, it may feel low. But no matter how anyone spins it, we spend a whole lot of time communicating with our thumbs these days—and the sheer amount of information we come across is vast.

As humans, we're still figuring out how to compute all of this data. Yes, we are more informed than ever, but we're also more anxious, less trusting and addicted to the 24/7 news cycle. It's also difficult to disconnect, even when being online feels unhealthy, because there are so many benefits. It's an opportunity for us to communicate, a place to share ideas and a platform for creatives and business owners to talk about their work.



So, how can we successfully manage our social media, while staying creative and sane? Well, I've got a few tips..

1. Abandon the false narrative that consuming media = staying informed.

You are an artist, a business owner, a mom, a creative—whatever the case may be—before you are a media consumer. Constantly checking your phone, reading the paper and refreshing your feeds makes you a media addict.

Reading books, having conversations, checking in on local news regularly and having broad interests (among other things) makes you well-informed.

So, invest in your own education with intention and discipline. It will likely limit your anxiety and simultaneously benefit your work.



2. When you're overwhelmed by your timeline or frustrated with your own social media presence, take a breather. It all comes down to communication.

Social media can sometimes feel like a numbers game, but at the end of the day it's a tool we use to communicate. There will be times that your message fails, there will be times that you are misunderstood, and there will be times in which you don't understand others. This is a normal part of communication for our species.

Do not be discouraged when these things happen to you. Do not take social media validation as a sign of your value, worth or contribution to society. This quote from a piece by Cami Ostman, M.S. on Psychology Today puts it best: "How you respond to being misunderstood will be the difference between spending a good deal of time trying to correct other people's misperceptions or being free to carry on with your life no matter what others think of you."



3. You are not required to participate in the hip movement of the moment.

Everyone dishing their opinion on the latest installation at your local museum? Cool. Everyone upset about the latest political scandal? Cool. Everyone sharing the same viral video? Cool. That does not mean you have to. You reserve the right to sit certain trends out, especially when you're operating an account that conflates with your business, work and/or creative endeavors. Studies also show that posting too often can be a negative thing.

4. Unfollow accounts that don't bring you joy.

This should go without saying, but sometimes we just need permission: Whether it's a friend, a brand's account or a news outlet, it's OK to unfollow. Although you shouldn't tune out everything (studies show we need negativity), feel free to guiltlessly take breaks from things that only bring anxiety and worry.



5. No one will miss you if you go offline for a few days, and that's a good thing.

Taking a cold-turkey break from the online world can be refreshing. I'm pretty active online (even manage client accounts for business purposes), but I regularly turn my phone off and step away from my accounts for at least a few days every other month. Utilize scheduling tools so your feed stays fresh even if you're away or simply cease posting altogether during times of intensity or national disaster. Even PR experts say that "going dark" can be a good thing.

6. Recognize when you're addicted.

Addiction to anything can hold us back — and addiction to social media is no different. If you feel that you spend too much time online, you probably do. So, confront your bad media habits. Don't open your social media apps, just because you're bored. Utilize online apps that turn social media off during the work day. Set boundaries and time limits on your social media use. Breaking addictive cycles is difficult, but a little discipline goes a long way.



7. Repeat after me: You do not have to be everything to everyone everywhere.

In today's hyper-digital world, there are plenty of social media platforms to join and a million ways to communicate online.

You do not have to be present and active on every single one of them. In truth, trying to do everything at once is likely a waste of your time.

I touched on this in a previous post about burning out for Planoly: Social media should be part of your plan, not all of your plan. "Leverage your content and identify where you get the most traction.



Is your organization or art centered on throwing events / performances? Focus your energy on Facebook.

Are you trying to connect with brands and businesses? Focus your energy on Instagram. Are you trying to gain clients in design? Head to Behance. (Again, you do not have to be everything to everyone everywhere.)"

8. Prioritize your creative output.

Generating new and creative ideas often requires psychological distance, i.e. the ability to think abstractly and about the bigger picture. If you're constantly consuming information, without taking time to process or analyze, you'll likely spiral into confusion and disorientation. By giving yourself the space to create, you may need to limit the amount of input you receive. Remind yourself that this is normal and feel comfortable turning sources of inspiration off.



9. Remember that social media is a tool— it's supposed to work for you, not against you.

We create technology to make things easier. It's supposed to help us reach our goals and accomplish our objectives. If you consistently fail to derive personal and/or professional benefit from social media, pick up a new set of tools.

Guest Authored By Jane Claire Hervey. Jane is a creative producer, activist, entrepreneur, writer and performance artist. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, she moved to Austin to study at the University of Texas. After earning her Bachelor's of Science in Journalism and pursuing a career in freelance writing and startup management, she began searching for creative resources and a space to ask professional questions. she hosted her first #bossbabesATX meet in 2015, hoping to foster community and connection between self-identified women in Austin, Texas. Jane now runs the nonprofit and its festival, BABES FEST, while managing her own production studio, Group Work. As an intersectional feminist, her personal and professional life are dedicated to improving community infrastructure, retooling systems of collaboration and changing cultural economies to create equal opportunity for women and girls. Follow Jane on Twitter.





"As humans, we're still figuring out how to compute all of this data.


It's also difficult to disconnect, even when being online feels unhealthy, because there are so many benefits.." -JaneClaireHervey


    • Post Crafted by:
      Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
    Published by at No comments:
    Labels: , , ,
    Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA

    Tuesday, February 6, 2018

    Making YOUR Social Media Life Less Stressful?


    There was a time in the not-so-distant past when "social media" was adding glitter GIFs to your MySpace profile or making your AIM away message the perfect passage of song lyrics..

    Now, it’s full-blown universe, the ecosystem for all news, comedy, hot takes, memes, and, not to mention, an abundance of anxiety.



    In their "Stress in America" report, the American Psychological Association found that those who constantly check their texts, email, and social media -- about 86% of Americans -- are more stressed than those who aren't as tech-dependent. This kind of unease stems from our neurological wiring; without visual, emotional and social cues, we’re more likely to misconstrue certain emails, Facebook posts, or tweets and alert the fight or flight part of our brain in the process.

    "Our brains are not built at all for dealing well with text-based communication, which is hilarious because that is what our lives are now," says Deanna Zandt, a media technologist and the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World With Social Networking. "Without [body language and tone], incoming communications go straight to our amygdala, which is our fight or flight center. When you see something that upsets you on the internet, it’s going to give you the feeling that a cheetah is chasing you across the plains. It actually feels like you are personally under attack."

    But because of the other neurological side-effect -- the dopamine boost that comes with an online interaction -- it makes it hard to just up and quit the internet. So instead of throwing up your hands and weathering the kill-or-be-killed conditions of your feeds or going on the offensive, take some concrete steps to de-stress your socials.



    Start With Your Device

    Think about where you’re accessing social media, then make it harder for yourself to get there. Zandt suggests turning off notifications on social apps, or one step further, deleting them altogether.

    "Make it difficult for yourself to log in and check in," she says. "Give yourself some stumbling blocks rather than have this default setting be available to you."

    Customize Your Feeds

    On Twitter, create lists comprised of "essential" accounts, like family and friends, and make that your go-to feed. That way, you’re not stuck in a waterfall of tweets and treading water to keep up. Taking advantage of Twitter’s mute option prevents you from seeing certain words, phrases, hashtags, and accounts. If you’re looking to take more extensive measures, there’s Block Together, an app that allows you to subscribe to another Twitter user’s list of blocked accounts. You can also share your block list for other users to follow.

    For Facebook, where feed customization is algorithm-based (and whose said algorithm is soon changing), there’s the News Feed Eradicator plugin that transforms your newsfeed into an inspiring quote.



    Stay Off Socials During A Breaking News Situation

    While you think social media taps you into the most up-to-date info, you’re only stressing yourself out by closely following the breaking-news deluge. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine found that during a crisis (in this case, an active shooter lockdown on a university campus) people who received unofficial or conflicting information from social media reported higher levels of stress.

    "When official information is not readily available, people are going to look at information wherever they can," says Nickolas Jones, a doctoral student at UC Irvine and the senior author of the study. "And there are consequences to being exposed to that information, especially if it’s false."

    Jones also recommends taking social media messages with a grain of salt. Unless it’s coming from an official source, it’s OK to feel skeptical, and that being too trusting can compound your stress levels. "We found that people who use five or more social media platforms and who trusted the information that they saw, those were the people who reported the most distress about this event in the aftermath of it," Jones says.



    Curb Your Curiosity

    Humans are naturally curious, and social media feeds the habit. But having a wealth of easily searchable material available on platforms -- some of which can be disturbing, like live amateur coverage of mass shootings or terror attacks -- makes our access to upsetting details a little too simple. Jones studies the psychological consequences that come from seeing some of these images and video, and the results aren’t peachy.

    "Study after study that we do shows that there’s a negative association with seeing graphic content and experiencing distress symptoms," he says. "I think it’s really important for people in those situations to really ask themselves if they want to see something they can’t unsee."

    Or pages that post videos of baby animals or cooking videos. Whatever gets you laughing or feeds your Zen. Tiny Care Bot dispatches multiple reminders to help you chill while the uber-popular We Rate Dogs combines absurdist humor and pups. Smash that follow button and flood your feeds with joy instead of doom.



    Set A Time Limit

    Jones sets parameters for how long he spends on social media: about an hour a day. If you find yourself frequently upset at rapid-fire opinions and political volleying, determine the max amount of time you’d need to catch up on the happenings without feeling stressed. To curb any concerns about missing too much, Zandt suggests all-encompassing news podcasts like NPR’s Up First and The New York Times’ The Daily.

    Realize That if the World is Going to End, Someone Will Tell You

    Sure, people will be tweeting through the end of the world, but what will that accomplish? You’ll likely find out about it the old-fashioned way.

    "Someone’s going to call you," Zandt says. "Someone close to you is going to text you and say ‘Did you hear the world is ending?’"

    Guest Authored By Allie Volpe. Allie is a writer based in Philadelphia. She has contributed to Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Glamour, and more. Follow Allie on Twitter.





    "The power of advertising for your business cannot be underestimated. But remember, you don’t need to break the bank to get there.

    Stick to these simple tips to be resourceful with your message and spread the word about your unique value.." -Anuja Khemka

      • Authored by:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBr@nd.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO  where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
      Published by at No comments:
      Labels: , , , , , ,
      Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA

      Sunday, November 19, 2017

      YOUR Social Media Hope And Inspiration?


      Remember when social media was fun, uplifting & even inspiring?

      These days, the constant stream of bad news on our feeds, not to mention the added threat of fake news, can make going on social media downright depressing at times.

      But the "good" is still out there. It's just that using social media now, more than ever, requires having a game plan of sorts. These tips are by no means rocket science, but -- as someone who lives and breathes social media -- they've helped me derive more value, and hope, from my feeds.



      In All Things, Moderation

      There's something undeniably pleasurable, even addictive, about Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and other networks -- from the little hit of dopamine you get from liking a post to the thrill of connecting with a friend halfway around the world.

      But too much simply isn't a good thing. In fact, some studies suggest that this constant atmosphere of distraction is actually lowering IQ's and contributing to "continuous partial attention."

      That's why the first step to getting more out of social media is using it less. One fix is to schedule dedicated "social media times" in your daily agenda, just as you would for meetings. Or turn push notifications off so you're not constantly interrupted. Apps like Forest, Freedom and Self Control even let you block your own access to certain sites for pre-determined periods of time. The goal is to treat social media less as a snack-food binge --all empty calories -- and more as a deliberate gateway to richer, more nourishing content.



      Be A Savvy Media Consumer

      Back in the newspaper days, the old mantra was, "If it bleeds, it leads" -- editors knew that violence attracted eyeballs and played it up accordingly. These days, social media sites are laden with "triggers" -- provocative cues that beg for a response --from posts that deliberately incite negative emotions to the gratuitous use of the color red, which humans are programmed to treat as an alarm signal.

      Awareness here is half the battle. Scan your news stream with your own internal radar up. Am I being baited into clicking on something here? Is this update preying on my need for distraction or a quick, thoughtless pick me up? We know not to take all those tabloids at the supermarket checkout line at face value. It's time to apply this same healthy skepticism to social media. If it looks too good (or too bad) to be true, it probably is. Don't fall for it. Don't click.



      Reboot Your Follower List

      What shows up on your social media feed isn't random, of course. It's dictated, in large part, by what the people you follow are posting, clicking and commenting on. So ... drumroll, please ... if you want to see more positive, helpful and insightful news on social media, follow more people who are positive, helpful and insightful.

      The problem is we're not always so judicious when it comes to making connections. It's easy to end up with a feed dominated by a few loudmouths you barely know with a knack for stirring up controversy.

      That's why I recently embarked on an experiment on Twitter. I unfollowed everyone and am slowly rebuilding my follower list from scratch, with the goal of populating my home stream with updates that are actually valuable.



      Skew Local

      Something to ponder: if we lived in the age of Jack the Ripper, we might not have known --or, more to the point, worried about -- Jack the Ripper. Much of North America was blissfully ignorant at the time. Of course, we now live in an era when news -- and calamity -- from every corner of the globe is updated on our social feeds in real time.

      It's important to be a global citizen, but there's something to be said about sometimes focusing on problems we can solve, events we can attend and people we can actually impact, rather than always worrying about what's going on a world away. Find and follow local groups -- charities, bands, sports clubs -- on Facebook. Seek out local politicians, journalists and businesses on Twitter.

      I've found that the more local your social media connections are, the more rewarding the experience is.



      Demand Algorithm Ethics

      Most social media algorithms are optimized with one metric in mind: engagement.

      You're dished up whatever content is deemed most clickable and most comment-able, with little regard for its veracity, news value or other factors. For the networks themselves, I can understand the appeal and economics of that approach.

      But we've already glimpsed where this path of least resistance leads, from offensive ads to political manipulation in the U.S. presidential election. The algorithms that serve up our content need to, at the least, take credibility into account.

      Better still, they need an ethical coefficient -- a weighting for civic value, basic decency and social good.



      Would this be contentious? Maybe. Easy to implement? Maybe not.

      But considering the reach and power of the medium, I think we deserve better. In the meantime, one easy step to change the look of your Facebook stream is simply to switch the News Feed settings from "Top Stories" to "Most Recent" -- this ignores the popularity factor and serves you up content in strictly chronological order.

      Guest Authored By Ryan Holmes. Ryan is the founder and CEO of Hootsuite, the world’s most widely used social relationship platform, with 15 million-plus users, including more than 800 of the Fortune 1000 companies. A serial entrepreneur, he started my first business in high school, ultimately opening a string of ventures—from a pizza restaurant to a digital media agency—before starting Hootsuite. Today, he loves building vibrant companies with strong cultures, as well as sharing what he's learned on the frontlines with other entrepreneurs and business leaders. Ryan's the author of the Amazon-best-selling guide to social media for leaders, The $4 Billion Tweet, and he's also a global influencer on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks. Follow Ryan on Twitter.




      “I don't mean to get preachy here. I love social media.

      It's powered revolutions around the globe, brought people closer together and made it possible for all kinds of entrepreneurs (like me) to find success.

      So take these tips with a grain of salt -- I hope there's an idea or two that resonates with you. And if you're still looking for the "good" on social media, there's always Tank's Good News." -Ryan Holmes


        • Authored by:
          Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
        Published by at No comments:
        Labels: , , , , , ,
        Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA
        Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)