On The Mic With Jb.Banda

Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life. On the flip side, lacking strong social connections can pose a serious risk to your mental and emotional health.

In today’s world, many of us rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram to find and connect with each other. While each has its benefits, it’s important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It requires in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and make you feel happier, healthier, and more positive. Ironically for a technology that’s designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel more lonely and isolated—and exacerbate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

If you’re spending an excessive amount of time on social media and feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, frustration, or loneliness are impacting your life, it may be time to re-examine your online habits and find a healthier balance.  

While virtual interaction on social media doesn’t have the same psychological benefits as face-to-face contact, there are still many positive ways in which it can help you stay connected and support your wellbeing.

Social media enables you to:

• Communicate and stay up to date with family and friends around the world.

Since it’s a relatively new technology, there’s little research to establish the long-term consequences, good or bad, of social media use. However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.

Social media may promote negative experiences such as:

Inadequacy about your life or appearance. Even if you know that images you’re viewing on social media are manipulated, they can still make you feel insecure about how you look or what’s going on in your own life. Similarly, we’re all aware that other people tend to share just the highlights of their lives, rarely the low points that everyone experiences. But that doesn’t lessen those feelings of envy and dissatisfaction when you’re scrolling through a friend’s airbrushed photos of their tropical beach holiday or reading about their exciting new promotion at work.

Fear of missing out (FOMO). While FOMO has been around far longer than social media, sites such as Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate feelings that others are having more fun or living better lives than you are. The idea that you’re missing out on certain things can impact your self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social media use. FOMO can compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and every alert—even if that means taking risks while you’re driving, missing out on sleep at night, or prioritizing social media interaction over real world relationships. 

Isolation. A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram increases rather decreases feelings of loneliness. Conversely, the study found that reducing social media usage can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.

Depression and anxiety. Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you. The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Cyberbullying. About 10 percent of teens report being bullied on social media and many other users are subjected to offensive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading hurtful rumors, lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.

Self-absorption. Sharing endless selfies and all your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy self-centeredness and distance you from real-life connections.

These days, most of us access social media via our smartphones or tablets. While this makes it very convenient to keep in touch, it also means that social media is always accessible. This round-the-clock, hyper connectivity can trigger impulse control problems, the constant alerts and notifications affecting your concentration and focus, disturbing your sleep, and making you a slave to your phone.

Social media platforms are designed to snare your attention, keep you online, and have you repeatedly checking your screen for updates. It’s how the companies make money. But, much like a gambling compulsion or an addiction to nicotine, alcohol, or drugs, social media use can create psychological cravings. When you receive a like, a share, or a favorable reaction to a post, it can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, the same “reward” chemical that follows winning on a slot machine, taking a bite of chocolate, or lighting up a cigarette, for example. The more you’re rewarded, the more time you want to spend on social media, even if it becomes detrimental to other aspects of your life.

A fear of missing out (FOMO) can keep you returning to social media over and over again. Even though there are very few things that can’t wait or need an immediate response, FOMO will have you believing otherwise. Perhaps you’re worried that you’ll be left out of the conversation at school or work if you miss the latest news or gossip on social media? Or maybe you feel that your relationships will suffer if you don’t immediately like, share, or respond to other people’s posts? Or you could be worried you’ll miss out on an invitation or that other people are having a better time than you.    

Many of us use social media as a “security blanket”. Whenever we’re in a social situation and feel anxious, awkward, or lonely, we turn to our phones and log on to social media. Of course, interacting with social media only denies you the face-to-face interaction that can help to ease anxiety.

Your heavy social media use could be masking other underlying problems, such as stress, depression, or boredom. If you spend more time on social media when you’re feeling down, lonely, or bored, you may be using it as a way to distract yourself from unpleasant feelings or self-soothe your moods. While it can be difficult at first, allowing yourself to feel can open you up to finding healthier ways to manage your moods.  

I know this is a lot to take in at once but this information could possibly save your Life. Below I have put some of the books that can help your Mental Health.

1) The Bible Both New and Old Testament

2) The Power Of Now By Eckhart Tolle

3) The Power Of Positive Thinking By Norman Vincent Peale

4) The Art Of Happiness By Dalai Lama

5) The Book Of Joy By Desmond Tutu

Here are some Documentaries to watch below.

1) Netflix - The Social Dilemma 

2) BBC 3 - Roman Kemp Our Silent Emergency

3) W - Jesy Nelson Odd One Out 

If you have found this information helpful please let me know down below in the review section or email me [email protected]

If you have a story to tell about your mental health and want to be on this podcast please email me [email protected] thank you so much for all your support. 

On this episode I am joined by Dr. Gail Crowder a wife of 32 years, mother of 2, relationship expert, Sexologist, marriage and life coach. Dr. Gail knows that amazing marriages emerge from within each enlightened person. 

As a Certified Master Sexpert, Marriage and Life coach, Dr. Gail Crowder helps couples and individuals manage their time, resources, and improve the quality of their marriage.

With Dr. Gail’s help, couples and wives rejuvenate their marriages and increase intimacy, love and sex between them. 

The outcome is a more meaningful, loving connection. Dr. Gail teaches you can have sensual and satisfying marriage without losing yourself or what makes you happy.

Whether you are searching Relationship Coaching for a particular difficulty in your marriage or to improve your life in general, Dr. Gail is highly skilled and professional to help you reach your goals.

By increasing your self-awareness and self-acceptance, coaching helps you work on a specific difficulty as well as reach your full potential. 

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, failure or that there is something wrong with you; self-development and confronting your difficulties requires courage and is the biggest gift you can give yourself and your marriage or relationship. 

Listen in as we go deep into the foundation of a healthy relationship and marriage. 

You can follow Dr. Gail Crowder on the link blow to see more of her work and books. 

https://www.gailcrowder.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsiujBWzWK5RQ4j-81eRtFg

https://www.facebook.com/gail.crowder.1

https://www.instagram.com/gailcrowdersexpert/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gailcrowderyoutube?lang=en

This Episode I talk to my Cousin Nalufu on how her past relationships have caused her to have Anxiety and Depression.  Feeling suicidal to a point where she had to seek professional medical help.

She opens up about all the Controlling men she has been with and how they lead her to breaking point.

She also talks about how important it is to seek Medical help and why its important to talk to your family and friends.

Follow her on Instagram @nalufu_a

Follow her MakeUp page @bynalufu

New episode this week, join me as I welcome you guys to the podcast and talk about why I started this podcast. Also give you guys an insight into who I am, what I have done so far in my life. 

Moving from Africa to England at a young age. Going into a mental institution suffering from Schizophrenia.

Starting my new business and teaming up with BoohooMan as a brand ambassador.

you can follow me on Instagram @jb.banda 

Zayyan Amani property entrepreneur joins me on this episodes to talk about how he got in to the Property and Letting business with out having any property to his name. 

How a Mid-Life Crisis changed his life at the age of 24, going through Depression and Mental Health Issues. 

He talks about feeling like he was begin caged in his own mind, and no matter where he went or who he was with, he could not stop the negative self talk and anxiety that came along with it.

Zayyan says he had lost some of his closest friends, didn't secure a graduate job after university, he was broke, in negative equity in his bank account and owing family members money. 

Getting up with panic attacks every morning, battling throughout the entire day to feel a little bit better in the evening, all knowing that the cycle would start all over again the next morning.

He goes on to say he had experienced what he believes to be the three biggest lesson in life, all in one go, which was why it was so tough to deal with. 

The lessons being..

1. A Broken Heart 

2. Life Failures

3. Empty Pockets

All this by the age of 24- Listen in as he tells us how he got out of the Rat Race. 

You can find Zayyan on Instagram @zayyanamani

Website Zayyanamani.com 

Join me on this episode as I talk to Darren Mangan about his boxing journey. Boxing in Ireland and moving to New York at a young age to become a pro boxer with no one there to guide him through it all. 

we dive deep and talk about how challenging and tough it was for him moving to New York in his early 20s. 

Join me as I talk to Amber Mccall on how she went from being a single homeless mother to making upwards of 10K a month. Learn how she did it and how you can do the same. 

This episode will help those who are struggling financially or looking for a second income. 

You can find Amber Mccall on Instagram @ambermccallxx 

Join me as I talk to Qais Ashfaq about his boxing journey from Rio Olympics to becoming WBA Continental Super Bantamweight Champion. We also talk about mental health, racism and being on the same management team as AJ. 

Join me as I talk to John Garrity on how he got into music, travelling America and touring around the UK. He tells us what he thinks the future looks like for the music industry after lockdown and the challenges of 2020 for him as a musician.