Being one with nature was the theme of Mental Health Awareness week this week, something we all have turned to during the past year. Nature is important especially for our mental health and connecting with nature can reveal extraordinary benefits.
Spending time with nature can benefit your mental and physical well-being. Exercising outdoors can have lots of positive effects such as:
- Improving your mood
- Reducing stress feelings
- Take time out and feel more relaxed
- Physical health improves
- Help increase physical activity
- Improve confidence
As were nearing the end of Mental Health Awareness week, our Digital Marketing Executive Jasmin Stevens, wanted to express the challenges we face in the modern-day. Looking at mental health and well-being, many individuals have felt the negative impacts of social media.
Social media and the digital world can bring many benefits, but before all of this, we must be mindful of double tapping, sharing, and before-bed scrolling that can have such a negative impact.
Despite negative impacts social media has huge benefits, we are all connected, we have a vast amount of information at our fingertips which we can receive in seconds…
But behind the positives, the negatives seem to overrule the social media atmosphere.
Did you know…
Young Health Movement reported: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html
- Rates of anxiety and depression have increased by 70% in the past 25 years.
- Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.
- Social media is linked with increased rates of depression, anxiety and poor sleep.
- 9 in 10 girls say they are unhappy with their body; social media is behind a rise in younger generations opting to have cosmetic surgery to looking better in photos.
- Around 70% of 18-24 years would consider going under the cosmetic knife.
- FoMO, the concept of the ‘fear of missing out’ has grown rapidly in popular culture since the rise in social media, it is the worry that social events may be taking place without you present to enjoy them.
It is important to look after ourselves when spending time online, how can you do this?
- Take time away from your screen, before you go to bed turn your phone off an hour before and relax before you sleep.
- Unfollow everybody (celebrities and influencers included) that isn’t adding value or making yourself feel good! Trust me it does wonders for your self-esteem.
- Only keep the social media sites that bring you the most joy and brings a sense of community to your platform.
- “Jas you seem to reply back so slowly” Yes, I decide to leave my phone on do not disturb mostly… I never regularly pick up my phone as the function of do not disturb turns-off all notifications. It’s such a nice feeling to forget about your notifications and switch off for a while.
Social media can take a toll, please talk to someone about it. It could be friends, family or a helpline.
Not so long ago I spoke to my friends about feeling behind in my early 20’s… as I compared my life to someone on social media. My friend advised that “Everyone’s journey is different. Life will take you where you need to go, and you don’t have to tick boxes to try to make it happen in set times”.
Useful Numbers
Anxiety UK
03444 775 774
Calm
0800 58 58 58
Mind
0300 123 3393
Samaritans
116 123