Navigating Self-Care in a Digitized World

As of 2022, over four billion people actively use social media - this number is only expected to rise over time (Datareportal). Today, social media has become a crucial part of our lives, and saying that most of us eat, breathe and sleep social media would not be an overstatement. Yet, simultaneously, we often find ourselves questioning the role of social media in our lives, and whether it is truly a boon or a bane. We could say that it presents itself as a double-edged sword, catalyzing feelings of both comfort and loneliness. 

On one hand, social media can often be a basis for comparison: despite knowing that a majority of content that we see is curated reality, it can still give rise to feelings of envy and disdain, disconnecting us from actual reality. These negative emotions may even heighten as we spend more and more time on  social media. Yet, on the flipside, social media also comes with its set of advantages. For one, thanks to social media, there is an increasing awareness regarding mental health issues that can encourage many to seek help when needed. We cannot also underestimate its importance as a portal to provide pertinent information and instantaneous connections. Talking to other people, even strangers, is an easy process on social media; we’re also more likely to keep in touch with our friends and networks when we frequently know about their whereabouts through their Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or Facebook stories. Likewise, nowadays, individuals and especially the younger generation, tend to stay updated with current news, affairs and events via social media; and traditional media is slowly being replaced with platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. 

As we all know, our relationship with social media is as complicated as the ideas, content and narratives that we consume through it. The multifaceted nature of social media means that as we use it, we are bound to come across both its good and bad consequences. To put it in a nutshell: social media makes forging connections and gaining knowledge more convenient but the convenience with which we can interact with multiple people and learn so much at a time can be overwhelming and toxic at times. Subsequently, in order to maintain a healthy relationship with social media, it is vital that we practice mindfulness and enforce self-care practices in our daily lives. 

Self-care is the process of taking care of one’s own mental and physical health and happiness. In a world where we constantly prioritize others before ourselves, self-care can, at times, feel like the most selfish and difficult practice to implement. Yet, at times like these, it is important to remember that nothing is more important than caring for your own health and wellbeing, and putting yourself first and foremost. 

We’ve compiled some measures that personally help us find balance while we navigate ourselves in the digital world. We hope they are of help to you too: 

Quality me time   
Social media allows us to interact with hundreds and thousands of people. Yet, at the same time, the fast paced nature at which we constantly learn about the lives of these hundreds of thousands of people can get exhausting. Even as we immerse ourselves in taking pictures or stories and commenting on posts, we forget to truly be present in the moment. For instance, instead of enjoying the food we order at restaurants, we first prioritize taking the prettiest pictures of it in order to share on Snapchat. We become caught up in a web of staying updated with everyone else’s lives as well as keeping them updated on our lives. Now and again, social media can be an amalgamation of content that we do not want to see and people that we do not wish to interact with. At such times, spending quality time with ourselves or with the ones we love and care for serves as an important reminder of the handful of people and moments that truly matter to us.  

Curating our feeds 
FOMO (fear of missing out) is real guys! Social media has the ability to bombard us with an overwhelming amount of content, and the urge to stay updated on everyone’s lives can  be intimidating and toxic at times. However, thanks to AI, social media algorithms can advantageously choose and curate the kind of content based on individual users. So, instead of following unhealthy diet accounts that prize being skinny, we can choose to follow fitness instructors who value balance and health. Or, if we find ourselves comparing our lives with the glamorous lives of influencers or even our acquaintances on TikTok, we could opt to look for cute dog videos (which are a lot more fun anyways). Unlike in real life, on social media, we can easily mute, block, unfollow and cut off ties with people with whom we don’t want to interact with. Merely curating the list of accounts we follow and the content we choose to engage with can drastically alter the individual consequences of social media as well as lead to everyone leading more saner and calmer selves. 

Meditation 
Through social media, we become a part of countless vicarious moments. From immersing ourselves in a sunrise in Greece whilst lounging on our couches to feeling like we’re in a Coachella concert while mindlessly scrolling through our phones, we live in moments other than our own. Meditation improves our focus and grounds us to the present moment. Whether you prefer to follow guided meditations every morning at home, listen to soothing music whilst you're on the bus or sit in complete silence, your form of meditation may be different to that of others. Even just taking deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed and stressed can be a  meditative experience. At the end of the day, there isn’t a one size fits all rule to meditation so it's best to explore your options, find what works for you and implement it into your life.

Journaling 
Like with meditation, journaling helps us to be more present, mindful and self-aware. These days, we are continuously  bombarded with status updates and posts and as a result, we are constantly made aware of others whereabouts, thoughts and feelings - so much so, that at times we tend to lose sense of ourselves. To avoid this, journaling can be a great self-care tool. Documenting our days and reflecting over our feelings and thoughts will not only make us more self-aware, but it will also help us in becoming more grateful and grounded. Journaling is a great way to process emotions, solve problems and figure out the next step. Whether we decide to simply jot down four lines on a scrap of paper or type up a detailed account on a personal blog,  journaling can prove to be the mode of troubleshooting that we all need in order to practice better self-care. 

It’s okay to not be okay 
While this sounds like a cliché, it holds an immense amount of truth. While social media can be mentally draining and exhausting; ironically, it can also put an immense amount of pressure on practicing self-care and being mentally healthy. Our emotions are constantly fluctuating, like ocean tides. At times, there may be high tides and occasionally, there may be low tides, but it’s best to take comfort in the fact that the low tides are never there to last and they’ll simply wash away sooner or later. In fact, once in awhile, it may be worthwhile to give ourselves a break from social media and take a digital detox as we acknowledge and understand our own emotions. While it is not realistic to believe that we will always be happy, healthy or fulfilled in life, it is important to remember that we will always be able to overcome these obstacles. In Taylor Swift’s own words as per her NYU commencement speech: “As long as we are fortunate enough to be breathing, we will breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.”

In a nutshell, when it comes to self-care, it's best to keep in mind the motto - to each, their own. The aforementioned practices are a few basic ways to indulge in self-care while prioritizing self-reflection, self-love and mindfulness. Your form of practicing self-love can be completely different - whether this be listening to the latest numbers on full blast and dancing in your room, switching from Instagram to reading a book, or taking a long walk in nature…as long as it works for you, as long as you do you! 

When it comes to self-care, what is your go-to  practice to maintain balance and mindfulness in your life? Join us at Tav The Community and share some love with our fellow readers.