shoutout to all the gals who are suffering from a big case of social media-induced anxiety. i now understand it. i just took a few weeks off from social media to try and help rid myself of the worry that comes from being constantly attached to that tiny screen...
here are some lessons i learned while i tried to detox from the constant scrolling. these aren't really groundbreaking thoughts, but i never thought they were affecting me until i decided to step back from the ever-present stream of pins of pretty houses and the latest engagement announcement on instagram and the most recent job update on facebook. hopefully other people can be encouraged by these thoughts as well..
1. the comparison game is a REAL FREAKIN' THING and it will eat you alive if you're not careful. comparison is a monster and will steal your joy. it will keep you blind to all the ways your life is just as wonderful as the gorgeous girl who has thousands of followers. think about how you feel when you see the girl who has the best clothes. or the cutest boyfriend. or the shiniest engagement ring. or the coolest job.
OR. OR. OR.
do you rejoice with her for all the ways her life is going well? or do you feel the looming sense of jealousy and fear? these comparisons can go on forever and be applicable to whatever it is that you want and don't have, that someone else does. taking a breather from social media (instagram especially) has taught me a bit more about not being jealous, and instead realizing that i have my own ginormous storehouse of blessings that are right in front of me.
i have been blessed with an amazing family.
i have the chance to get my masters degree.
i have the best friends.
i am healthy.
i have Jesus.
and i'm learning that even if i only had Jesus, that would be enough.
once you recognize all the ways your life is great, it makes it so much easier to CELEBRATE the blessings of other people rather than resent them for what they have been given.
2. take pictures to HAVE them, not to solely post them! you take pictures to have them as memories once those moments have passed, not to prove to someone else that your life is cool.
3. social media gives a false sense of community. you see picture after picture after picture while scrolling through your feed, allowing you to believe for a little while that you're truly connected to these hundreds (or thousands) of people. in reality, you only know half of them and if you're REALLY honest with yourself, you only truly care about keeping up with the lives of a fraction of that half.
i want to focus on cultivating friendships with the people i interact with every day. it's so much more fulfilling to form friendships with those that are walking out life in the same sphere that i am rather than try to examine the lives of the people on the other side of my screen.
4. don't post pictures to get peoples' attention or get a like from a certain person. your worth is not determined by the number of likes your pictures get, or who likes those pictures, or how aesthetically pleasing your feed is. don't look on the "following" side of instagram, either. it's a dark place. save yourself the stress! on that note, some encouragement...
5. you have worth because of WHO JESUS MADE YOU TO BE! your worth is dictated by the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who knows every tiny detail about you and loves you more than you could begin to fathom. He says you're beautiful and worthy and accepted and chosen, no matter what your follower to following ratio is.
