Your Daily Brush: Use a Timer When Browsing Social Media
Too much of a good thing can be draining.
Social media is such a loaded topic!
Research has documented how it can be detrimental to our mental health. At the same time, the plus side is that it allows us to keep in touch with people, celebrate their milestones and access information.
The problem is not the consumption or use of social media in and of itself. The issue is rather when we are pulled into its gravitational field and suddenly a few minutes turns into a hour or more. Sometimes it can feel trance-like: following up on a topic, and one post leads to another, and then another…and another…
And how about those recipes on Facebook that promise the perfectly crunchy tofu if only you toss it in cornstarch and air fry? Did you know that you can upgrade your tofu for way less money than it costs to upgrade your airplane seat?
Just add some sliced green onions or scallions, some toasted sesame seeds, maybe even some pickled red onion. If you want to further luxuriate, serve it up on a bed of organic quinoa. While it may not rival flat bed seats on an airplane, a bed of quinoa can be quite nice nevertheless.
The problem with social media is that it can be the mental health equivalent of eating potato chips. It feels good in the moment and can be fun. But as with chips, which can be great in small amounts every now and then, it is easy to just keep consuming and consuming. If you have ever encountered Tim’s Jalapeno potato chips you know what I’m talking about. Or maybe it was the one with ruffles for you?
But unlike a bag of chips with finite content — even if it is in the giant Costco size bag — social media is infinite like the galaxies that surround our planet. To paraphrase Carl Sagan: There are billions and billions of posts.
So here is something for you to consider and maybe even try out: set a timer when you log on to social media. And line up something else for you to do as soon as the timer goes off. Get up and get a glass of water and move around. Or do some squats. Or tackle a task that is hanging over your head. Or read a book…You get the idea.
This way you will avoid empty calories for your mind, and you might even end up nourishing it instead.
Here’s to your health!
