Mental health, as the name suggests, is our health mentally, which is to say, has to do with our brain. And just like our bodies, our brains are constantly changing and growing, particularly in childhood and adolescence.
The short answer? There are a lot of ways that using technology and specifically social media affects your brain. After all, the brain is always working and responding to everything, and social media is no exception.
It always seems like there is a never-ending to-do list. This list can be memorialized in your mind palace, various techy gadgets, or on paper. We all need this list to keep track of our many tasks and obligations related to school, work, family, and friends. Sometimes, it can feel good to always have something to work on or even to look forward to. I always feel a sense of accomplishment when an item is checked off my to-do list. While it gives me the motivation to keep pushing forward, this can become excessive and detrimental if I do not set boundaries.
I want to share the importance of taking breaks and accepting when you need a break. We often overwork ourselves. And to be honest, that is totally okay! I always feel like I’m in a state of overworking myself, tired, anxious, and in the horrible stages of burnout. That is all before I started taking breaks and building them into my day-to-day routine. Breaks are a good way to switch your brain on and off from different tasks and practice self-care.
Some things are more important than others. Do I have enough food and water? Am I safe? Do I have people to talk to and share a genuine connection with? These things are very important. How many “likes” did my post get? Do I have the newest Apple product? Is my bed made? Did Jonny use a coaster? These things are less important (not unimportant, simply less important).
It is important to find a routine that works for you amid your busy schedule. Each day may bring something different. For those in school, finals and big assignments may be coming up soon, and it can be daunting to figure out how to get everything done, especially with the anxiety you may be feeling with these tasks on top of the anxiety with everything else going on. Ironically, if you feel anxiety when it comes to getting tasks completed, those symptoms of anxiety may actually delay you from starting them, making it take even longer to get everything done. Distractions around you like your phone don’t help either.
We use the Internet to learn about, essentially, everything. All it takes is opening up the browser app of your choice or opening up a new tab, googling whatever you’re interested in, and immediately getting hundreds upon thousands upon millions of results. This can be, without a doubt, overwhelming. There’s so much information to parse through and consider, and sometimes you may find yourself going to social media sites you’re comfortable and familiar with and do the research there.
“You take Tylenol when your head hurts. You take those pills to stop your tummy from hurting when you eat ice cream. How is it different to take medication to make you feel better when you’re down?” My boyfriend said this to me today after I told him about the conversation that I had with a school psychiatrist.
Something that has come from my anxiety and affected my life greatly is my tendency to apologize too much, even in situations that do not warrant an apology. I did not realize that I was excessively doing this until my family and a significant other pointed it out to me. The significant other said that it seemed as if I was weak and self-conscious if I kept apologizing for everything. This was a huge wake-up call to me. It made me take a step back and look at the root of the issue.
Three years ago I would have laughed at the idea that aromatherapy could help me. I thought it was a scam, a waste of money, and that it would only work if you believed it would (the placebo effect). And maybe it is, but I am now grateful for aromatherapy. I still know little about it scientifically, but what is important to me is that after a long day, when I get home, sometimes it is difficult to relax. It can be difficult to leave the stress of school and/or work especially in today’s world where work is so intermixed in some people’s homes. With working full or even part time remotely, it can be challenging to know when to quit or learn how to separate work and life.
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