The Self-Love Survival Guide: Social Media

Not only has social media been linked to envy and unhappiness in women, but countless magazines and advertisements have also been criticized for advocating unhealthy and unrealistic standards of beauty and success.

As a young model, I’ve seen a lot of these tactics first hand. I’ve had to learn some tips when it comes to practicing self-love, especially when surrounded by “perfect” images on social media.

Be selective and picky when choosing the people that surround your life.

My mom always said, “Be as picky with your friends as you are with the clothes you wear, because the people that you surround yourself with can really dictate the quality of your life.” The same idea goes for social media. If you’re like most people, social media is probably one of the first things you see in the morning, and one of the last things you see before going to sleep. So what or who are you being so generous with your time and attention? Does what you’re seeing make you feel empowered and beautiful, or does it leave you feeling inadequate and discontent?

If you’re feeling anything but positivity from what you see on social media, consider only following accounts and people that help inspire your life and bring value to you as a person. Every few weeks, I like to scroll through my Instagram and see who I’m following. If I see an account, or person, that doesn’t help inspire my goals and visions, I will unfollow them. Trust me, after a few days you’ll have completely forgotten about it and will have most likely found a more positive, honest, and inspiring account to follow.

Shift your mindset from jealousy to inspiration

When you see a beautiful person, body, lifestyle, business, or couple on social media, what is one of the first thoughts that comes to mind? Do you find
yourself mentally comparing their body, lifestyle, or business to yours? If the answer is yes to any of these than I am here to tell you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! So many people struggle with this.

So, the first step to shifting your mindset from jealousy to inspiration is recognizing that the initial feeling is there. We are all human, the emotion of jealousy is something that every person deals with from time to time. The trick is, what will you do with that emotion when it comes into your mind? Something I like to remember is that I never see the whole process behind every picture. I don’t see the eight hours of hair and makeup it probably took for a specific photo shoot. Nor do I see the amount of exercise and dedication it took to achieve a specific body. So instead, let that inspire you. Imagine what it must’ve taken for that a specific photo to be made possible and let that empower you. Try seeing the dedication and hard work behind every picture and let that be the inspiration.

Check in with yourself

Once or twice a month, I like to take a social media detox. By detox I mean taking a day or two off of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. It is so easy to get caught up in the latest trends, who’s dating who, what in style, etc. Personally, I have found that when I take that time off of social media (even if it’s just for a day), I get such a different perspective on life. It allows me to be with my own thoughts, instead of being bombarded with the opinions and feeling of others. I have found that I’m able to get more done for myself, around the house, and in my business.

Just like our bodies needs a physical cleanse every once in a while, the same goes for our mind!

Related Post: Addicted to Social Media:48 Hour Break

Form yourself and create the best version of you

There is only ONE person like you in this world, so do your best to become the best version of that person you can be. Your identity isn’t defined by the likes and followers you have. Don’t let social media fool you. Some people may have thousands of likes, but are incredibly lonely in real life. While others may have only ten likes and have plenty of friends and happiness. There are couples that may appear to be SO perfect in pictures yet are in dysfunctional relationships.

Social media has evolved into an outlet where self-worth is determined by the amount of likes and followers someone may have. Next time, you’re comparing yourself to someone else on social media, try and find something that you can benefit from them. Something you can take away from seeing them, that will propel you towards becoming the best version of yourself!

Remember it’s just social media

Besides following family and friends, remember that social media is simply one of the biggest media outlets for this generation. Media is lots of makeup, good lighting, and photoshop. So, be realistic when you’re scrolling through your social media. People (including myself) usually only post the good stuff, I mean how often do you see someone posting a bad picture explaining how terrible their day was?

Remember you are an intelligent, smart, and beautiful person. So don’t let your quality of life, or how you feel, be dictated for social media to decide. Each of us are uniquely beautiful in our own way, so look at social media as an inspiring place rather than something that may make you feel discouraged, discontent, or unhappy with yourself.