How to Really Love Yourself in the Age of Social Media

I have a love-hate relationship with social media.  Yes, it’s highly entertaining and keeps us connected with friends and people all over the world.  However, the content we see on social media is often far from the reality of people’s lives.  And what do we do as we scroll through our news feeds?  We compare ourselves to what we see on our screens, which can deteriorate our self-love.  Here are tips for really loving yourself in the age of social media without deleting your Instagram and Facebook accounts.

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There is really nothing instant about Instagram photos.  Most people spend lots of time editing their photos and finding the best filter.  Plus, Facebook and Instagram photos are snapshots that reveal only the best parts of people’s lives.  Whether the photos feature a perfect meal, a night out, an expensive outfit, or the ideal vacation, they reveal only a single seemingly perfect moment in someone’s life.  Therefore…

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Don’t determine the state of your own life or your own body or your own success by looking at someone else’s perfect photo.  His or her life is far from perfect, so just enjoy the interesting photos in your feed without letting it affect your self-love.  Don’t compare yourself or your life.

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I am pretty sure there are a lot of people out there who are addicted to scrolling through social media feeds.  Looking at our phones has become a way to comfort ourselves in awkward situations, and people have acquired the fear of missing out on some key piece of information.  But both of these behaviors cause anxiety and even keep us from being productive.  Heck, it can even prevent us from relaxing!  You can’t fully have down-time while your brain is busy downloading everything it sees on social media.  Anxiety and stress can definitely impede your ability to love yourself.  Maybe designate yourself certain times to scroll through your social media feed and stick to it.

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This tip is specifically for bloggers or influencers.  (It can also matter to anyone in their teens who may be more fixated on popularity, but I am going to focus on the former here.)  You can’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle, and you don’t know the steps the seemingly “more successful” (There we go comparing again.) bloggers had to take to achieve their thousands of followers.  Maybe their location allows them to have countless contacts (for example, LA and NYC) or maybe they are younger than you (which means they may have started building a following at a much younger age).  There are even programs out there that allow you to buy followers (ick!).  Just focus on your own engagement and enjoy being a part of the social media world.  And lastly, try your best to ignore unfollowers.  If they are unkind enough to unfollow, do you really want them looking at snippets of your life?

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This brings me back to the beginning of the post, where I discussed how far from reality social media images and updates can be.  Simply enjoy your news feeds and allow yourself to be inspired by what you see.  But don’t compare yourself to what you see, or your level of self-love will suffer.  You can even make a vision or inspiration board to help ground your thoughts and feelings.  And most importantly, just be yourself!  There is no other you.  And that is what makes you super special!

That’s what’s up in lifestyle tips today.  Will any of these tips help you really love yourself in the age of social media?  How do you maintain a strong sense of self-love as you scroll your social feeds?  Let’s have a discussion!

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