7 years ago, I shut down my social media accounts for an entire year and prioritized my spiritual journey and mental health. Social media and the internet has a light and a shadow side of it's own. For me, it serves as a vehicle for human connection, business growth and self-expression. However, it took trial and error to eventually get to a place where I could use it more responsibly.

Today I reflect on that time and how it was one of the best decisions I ever made. We talk about the reality of social media addiction and I share 6 practical tools that helped me and my students to use social media to support their life, business and relationships ~ not the other way around.

In this episode, we talk about:

-what I love about social media and how it can be life changing

-the pattern of social media addiction and how I broke it

-reality vs. virtual reality

-the danger of likes, comments and blue check marks

-how I shut down social media for an entire year and found new beginnings

-the change that led to my spiritual awakening

-is there a link between social media and depression?

-using social media with more responsibility

-how to create more boundaries around technology

-finding a balance within social media so it does not consume your life

-6 simple practices to prioritize mental health + technology

 

Quote from the Show:

"I can detach myself from what my mind is saying (about likes and goals) and I can listen to my heart, I can listen to my truth, I can listen to my own inner wisdom. I can allow that to be my guidance and my compass."

If you are currently navigating through mental health dis-ease, please don't be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to a holistic practitioner or medical practitioner you trust to seek support.

 

Did this episode spark a thought or question for you?

Text Sandy 1-518-217-4546

 

References:

Alone Together by Sherry Turkle - https://www.amazon.com/Alone-Together-Expect-Technology-Other/dp/0465031463

Sources:

1. NCBI – Association between Social Media Use and Depression among U.S. Young Adults 

2. Pew Research Center – About a quarter of U.S. adults say they are ‘almost constantly’ online

3. Digital Trends – Americans spend an alarming amount of time checking social media on their phones

4. NCBI – Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice

5. U.S. Department of Education – Student Reports of Bullying and Cyber-Bullying: Results From the 2011 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey