How to Navigate through social media without being triggered

It’s ok to get triggered on social media. I know, It can really upset us sometimes. It may not be the intention of the publisher but it can make a really good day go to pot can’t it. Whether it is a designer necklace that you see someone wearing to a happy couple to a car you really want to buy or a physique you aspire to have, it is ok to feel angry, upset or jealous. As Samantha Jones says to Smith in Sex and City “ If you’re not wearing something the kids can’t afford, how will they know to look up to you?”. We may feel we are way behind at life and everyone else appears to be so ahead.  It could also be that a lack of support for what you post may also trigger misery.

So where does your mindset lie – are you triggered negatively or are you positively inspired? Recently, my feed has triggered me off massively, full of fitness people. It is my own fault for searching “ post partum fitness “ ; as if there is some special way to revert back to a pre-pregnancy body (there isn’t- just the same as any old fitness regime but on very little sleep and with milk stained Nike t-shirts). My lack of progress has often made me feel low in self esteem.

If you post regularly, do you keep your followers in mind ? It’s a hard one isn’t it. We see posts, to live and love and post everything but can ‘t it be exhausting ? We ALL hurt someone unintentionally by what we post. And how would we cope if social media stopped tomorrow. The horror.

I get it, the accounts we follow is someone’s business and brand and that’s how some people make a living. All of us have the right to post what we want. We also have the right to remove things that trigger us.

For me personally, social media has stopped me in my tracks recently. Aside from everything having to be written safely as a doctor, I excel at details and quality rather than quick and empty posts. This results in delayed posting and major fomo. As I once heard, “if you don’t post, people think you’ve died or worst, unfollow you ”. It is a constant never ending treadmill.

I am also aware that what I post may be triggering as well, whether this is a fitness, pregnancy related or even an educational post which may cause others to feel anxious.

So here are my tips to help you navigate through your social platforms:

1)      Can you do any of the following: mute posts or stories or unfollow people?  We wish those we unfollow well (they have worked extremely hard in what they have built) but for now our mental health takes priority. Always. Repeat after me: I do not owe anybody an explanation.

2)      Please remind yourself that actually the people that trigger you may be going through something themselves and feeling insecure too. The world of social media is curated. Only the best is on display.

3)      Are you entertained, educated or inspired by the accounts you follow?

4)      Focus on your how far you have come and where you want your life to end up. Create vision boards, journal, meditate on what you want for your life. Do you want endless designer items and endless debt trying to impress on social media. No no  - that wasn’t a question.

5)      Take a break regularly away from social media. Yes uninstall the apps.

6)      Follow positive accounts that help you pay forwards and do good in the little time we have left in this world.

So please be brave and live a life that makes you feel happy at the end of each day and one that makes you leap out of bed each morning -whether you post about it or not.