Can you feel it?
Hi everyone
How are you?
We understand that lockdown is having an effect on all of us, in one way or another. Some are embracing the stillness that has been forced on us, some are missing the interaction with other humans - something that's so important to us as a species. Some of us are feeling a mix of the two, with a whole host of other emotions thrown in to the mix. Make sure you are taking the time to lean in to whatever feeling you have and allow it the space to be. Of course, make changes if the feeling is not serving you, but do so with patience, acceptance and an understanding that we have to embrace everything that lockdown is making us feel - this is how we get stronger.
One way we can protect our mental health is to ensure that we are making social media work for us. We recently recorded a YouTube video with our 3 top tips on how to make sure social media is good for your mental health.
1. Mute Accounts that are not right for you at the moment.
During lockdown our patience will likely be tested. We may find irritations in people or accounts that didn't bother us before, but are now testing us each time we see them. Know that this is normal (and we get that our own account could be one of them!). If you don't want to completely unfollow the account, but want a little time 'away', hit the Mute button. When you are ready to have them in your life again, unmute them! (If only it was as easy in real life ). Of course, if the account wasn't making you feel good about yourself before lockdown, maybe you need to make the decision to unfollow completely. Trust us, you won't regret it!
2. Avoid social media first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Research shows that looking at social media first thing in the morning and last thing at night can cause poor moods and restless sleep. Offer self-care and have the best start to your day by skipping social media (and the news!) for at least 2 hours. A calm, strong start to your day will likely stay with you throughout, so give yourself some space to 'wake up' and smile. Let your brain switch off by not overloading it with images and comments that will send it in to overdrive - put the phone down at least an hour before bed!
3. Don't compare.
Remember that what you are seeing on social media is often the 'highlights' of someone's life - and some of these are exaggerated or even made up! Do not compare your own journey to someone who's showing theirs through pictures and quotes. Everyone has their own baggage, everyone has their own 'highlights', and some people are amazing at sharing this - whether it's true or not. Don't get caught up in someone's 'story' without knowing the background, and if that someone is making you feel negative about yourself, take action with Tip 1...
We love social media. As a business it has helped us a lot, as individuals we have experienced the same mixed feelings most people have gone through within their social media journey. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others and know that it's just social media. More than ever, we are being shown what's important in life, and social media, although a great way to stay connected to some degree, is probably quite low down the list of priorities. Make it work for you, but don't let it consume you...
Have a wonderful end to your week and know that we have been thinking of our amazing SMASH community a lot! We are sending a hug to all of you now - can you feel it?
Big squeeze
Sam and Ash
P.S. Head to our YouTube channel and watch our 3-minute mental health video on social media here! Don't forget to subscribe!
P.P.S. Don't forget it's The Greatest Showman workout on Zoom at 8am on Friday and SMASHcamp on Zoom at 10am on Saturday! Invites are in the email sent last Saturday, would love to see you there!
