How To Have A Healthy Relationship With Instagram

Social media has allowed society to become more connected than ever. Some would argue that social media is inherently bad for our health, leading to sleep issues, increase in stress and mental health conditions. On the other hand, there are many benefits to social media. It's a place to share your voice, find a community and reconnect with others.

Regardless of what you believe, I’m sure we’ve all felt both sides of the online world. For me personally, it has been exacerbated during the pandemic and lockdown. The only medium to stay connected is the digital one and it has lead to excessive amounts of screen time. Absorbing so much information everyday isn’t always a good thing, especially with the news being what it is today.

Almost 2 years into lockdowns, I’ve been trying to focus on my digital wellbeing more than ever and wanted to share some things that have really helped.

Create more than you consume

…is one of my favourite ever mantras. How much time do you spend consuming others content? And how much value are you actually getting out of it? The problem with too much consumption is that it can leave us feeling utterly empty inside.

It leads to a life of escapism. Instead of learning how to sit with your emotions or exploring what’s inside of you and self-expressing yourself through art, you seek an escape that would make you forget.

Consumption gives you a false illusion that you’re doing something. Spending hours watching fitness videos will not help you become fit. You’ve got to get up and move to do so. Spending hours watching cooking shows won’t make you a better cook—cooking will.

Instagram can be a powerful tool for creativity, for education, and for connection if we use it mindfully. When I am consuming, I try to be cautious of what I’m watching, reading and scrolling through. Is it teaching me something? Inspiring? Making me a better person?

Curate who you follow

Just like you might curate your feed, curate who you are following and allowing into your life. Make sure it is educating, inspiring or entertaining you in some way. Mute stories that drain your time. Turn off push-notifications (I can’t stand the notifications that pull your attention away from real life). I’ve made more of an effort to follow a more diverse group of people who I can learn from. Work to follow people who might offer a different worldview or challenge your ideas about spirituality, race, sexuality, politics, feminism. We can all learn to value different perspectives.

Some of my accounts that add value to my life: @wetheurban, @shityoushouldcareabout, @moonomens, @positivelypresent, @werenotreallystrangers, @poetryofdhiman, @goodnews_movement, @upworthy

Limit your screen time

I used to jump straight onto Instagram and start watching peoples Stories or scrolling the feed in bed, first thing in the morning, until I thought… “why am I making my mornings about other people? It should be about me.” I want to start my day on the best note possible and focus on what my day holds. Same goes for the evenings.

Don’t get caught up in numbers

Focusing on your followers and likes, especially if you do it as a job, can take too much away from what’s important: your value. Basing your self-worth on numbers is no way to live. To my fellow creators, your number of followers does not reflect your value, your community or your influence. Numbers don’t equal happiness and they don’t equal more money either. You know what’s really powerful? The influence you have over those that already follow you. Now that’s valuable.

Change your lifestyle

There’s often a broader issue at play than just having access to an addicting app. Instagram is filling holes in our days that may otherwise be taken up by productivity, creative projects, or even just rest. We’ve turned mindlessly scrolling into the scapegoat when we don’t want to admit what’s really holding us back (fear of work, failure, no motivation, etc) and it only worsens the issue by draining our energy.

Maybe changing this habit calls for a lifestyle change. Implementing better routines into your day, learning a new skill and replacing the hobby. Create boundaries that set aside phone-free hours to have a healthy balance.

If you’re interested in becoming a full-time social media influencer and turning your Instagram into your business, follow this link to learn how I can help!

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