Between aggravating political posts from extended family members on Facebook and companies on Instagram posting exclusively thin models, logging onto any of my social media accounts left me feeling entirely drained. Don’t get me wrong, social media does offer a number of effective and positive aspects. However, my timeline was polluted with content that I didn’t find encouraging, inspiring or pleasing. It became a source of unproductive negativity and I wanted to change that. For me personally, following accounts that promote “healthy” eating or heavily edited photos of models or mockery of other people made me question myself a bit. I was constantly comparing myself to other women or overthinking the breadstick I wanted to have with my dinner. This isn’t to say any of those things are inherently bad or hurtful in general though, I’m just not in the mind space to absorb that content right now. After doing some research, I’ve come across a vast amount of accounts that offer the inspiration and positivity I’m looking for. That being said, I’ve had to do some unfollowing as well. If any of this resonated with you, here are three tips for spring cleaning your social media.
1. Ask Yourself, “Does it spark joy?”
Incorporating mindfulness into your life will help you to evaluate which accounts or people are creating unfavorable thoughts or feelings. Once you’ve sorted out the accounts you could be without, don’t overthink it. Hitting the unfollow button can be daunting in circumstances that involve people you know in real life, and I get that. Instead of directly unfollowing, some forums like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook give the option of ‘muting’ an account. This halts said account’s posts from popping up on your timeline without the awkward “Why did you unfollow me?” confrontation.
2. Find What Makes You Feel Good
Taking the time to explore different interests and passions is imperative for cultivating a joyful life. Pay attention to where you find yourself drawing inspiration from, what brings a smile to your face and what encourages you. Be intentional about it too, actively search out accounts that represent your values and passions. Seeing different perspectives, messages and visuals about topics you’re already interested in is a simple way to add value and purpose to social media.
3. Use Your New Found Inspiration
After taking the time to thoroughly sweep through your socials and plant those new seeds into your timeline, utilize social media for the better. It may sound trivial, but putting out positivity is just as important as taking it in. Avoid interacting with the contentious comments, save your energy for what you feel it’s worth. Publicly posting hurtful things about others may seem funny in the moment; however, those you’re poking fun at are human beings too. Promote what fuels you. If there’s movement or cause you to feel the need to shout from the rooftops, do it.
Don’t let the trap of social comparison and tiring, pointless arguments get to you. Taking a small amount of time to rearrange your perspective on life is an encouraging refreshment. Above all else, you deserve a clutter-free, content life and evaluating what may be causing unnecessary negativity in your life is worth it.