In the age of Instagram and influencers, it can be hard to find authenticity and transparency across social media platforms, especially when it comes to real and non-monetized self-care. We fill our feeds with models and celebrities, with travel destinations we aspire to go to and lives we’re desperate to have. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to follow the latest buzz, there should always be balance.
It is so easy to get caught up in that Instagram highlight reel and lose a sense of reality. I know I spend a lot of time going through my feed, and it can definitely get to me. But I’ve started to learn that my Instagram habits should be treated as gently as my headspace. I don’t need to follow people who leave me uninspired, and so I’ve begun to follow more accounts that talk about women’s wellness and mental health. It benefits both the content I’m digesting daily and my personal life.
Here are some of my favorite wellness accounts to follow that interrupt my scrolling in the best way.
- Becca Ferry, @betteringbecca
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As detailed in her bio, Becca is a writer, advocate, speaker, and mental health educator based in Colorado. She is such an important voice in the mental health community creating workbooks and text alerts to educate and benefit her audience. She is outspoken about her personal and daily struggles, and even created the #HowAreYouHonestly hashtag to create more real conversations online. Becca is very open to talking about tough subjects, right down to eating disorders and medication.
Aside from Becca’s advocacy, she is, in general, incredibly artistic and a beautiful soul to follow.
- Essie Dennis, @khal_essie
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In case it wasn’t already obvious enough, Essie is a Game of Thrones fan! When she’s not riding her dragons, she is a model and self-love advocate who specifically focuses on body acceptance, eating disorder recovery, and bi visibility. Essie is all about creating conversations and space for unconventional bodies that aren’t typically welcomed in the modeling world. She also speaks a lot on feminism, politics, and LGBTQ+ issues.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to follow? She provides body positive realness and helps her followers navigate the proper headspace to be in when loving yourself and your sexuality.
- Ethereal & Co., @etherealandco
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Ethereal & Co. is a Canadian based women’s wellness organization focused on community for women all over the globe. Their mantra is to help followers become the “The Real Her” by stepping into one’s power. Ethereal is an online shop, blog, and programming and events organization.
I actually have been a brand ambassador for Ethereal for two terms now! Working for this company has really helped me develop my own personal feminism, become a better mental health/wellness advocate through training, and to meet incredible and hard-working women from all over the world.
- Ashley J Carmenatty Bonilla, @ashleyjacklyn.c
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Ashley is best known for her #LatinaAnxietyWarrior hashtag and photography. When she isn’t dancing around her house or taking classes at @sassclassnyc, she’s professionally photographing or using her platform to be a mental health advocate. She discusses body positivity, PMS, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and general wellness.
Her account is the perfect balance between beautiful fashion and destination shots, while keeping the captions and stories real about mental health. Also, if you love Corgis…Ashley’s pup Aubree Dey is sure to brighten your mood.
- Colleen M. Werner, @colleenmwerner
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Colleen is best known for her work in the mental health community for starting the #BopoBallerina trend. She is a huge advocate in eating disorder recovery, and she’s currently a trauma therapist in training. I was lucky enough to meet her for a photoshoot in New York City, and left so inspired!
Colleen just released her new book Brave Girl Healing which is part memoir, part self-help, and part workbook where she discusses her wellness journey and gives takeaways to others who may be struggling.
- Charmaine Charmant, @charmaine.charmant
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Charmaine is a self-love champion and fashion blogger. While her feed is full of trendy looks, her captions keep it real. With content on dating advice, tips from her sister, and poses with her mama, Charmaine makes everything fun and personal. In one of her recent posts, she writes, “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if a man’s love for you changes because of weight loss or gain, that wasn’t your man to begin with sis…” and I can’t help but stan.
Charmaine also dropped her skincare routine and let me tell you, she GLOWS.
- Dana Suchow, @danasuchow
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Dana is such an incredible human being, and honestly, I’m inspired by her every day. She is a speaker and educator helping parents to raise their children with a body-positive mindset.
While Dana focuses specifically on young children, I believe her coaching and posts are completely relevant to me too, even as a college woman. We are so trained to think about food in terms of what is “good” and “bad,” and how many calories we should have a day. Dana helps retrain our minds away from that kind of thinking. Her page can help you get into a routine of functional, healthy habits.
- Courtney Quinn, @colormecourtney
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Courtney’s Instagram feed certainly lives up to its username! Aside from a feed that pops with color, Courtney celebrates curves, curls and confidence. Her hashtag #DressOutsideTheLines is her hot take on personal style. She keeps it fun with her fashion, and isn’t afraid to be loud, proud and bold. Her outlook and realness is certainly a way to brighten up your feed and keep you away from those highlight reels.
Hopefully all eight of these incredible women have inspired you to fill your feed with more authenticity, transparency and some #HighlightREAL. In a time where it is so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, these women bring me back to my sanity and help me remember life isn’t glitz and glamour all the time.
If you’re starting to get caught up in the ‘gram, take some time to be actively conscious while going through your feed, and filter out accounts that make you feel poorly or leave you uninspired. If you haven’t done this in a while, or ever, perhaps it’s time to clean out your social media for the sake of your mental health and overall wellness.