Day Seven Sober Holidays - Limit Social Media

LIke everything in life, social media has its good and its bad. But during the holidays the good and the bad seem to get magnified by 100x.

Let's look at the bad parts first:

• Social media can lead to comparison and cause anxiety.  Especially when you see vacation photos and families posing in matching sweaters in front of some amazing scenery (Rockefeller Center, Aspen, Big Ben, the Pyramids....) AND isn't there always one person that can be especially irritating with their daily social posts of "great times"!!! and "special moments!!!" There's one person who's kept me away from FB for years. NO ONE can have a life - hair, children, house - that perfect! aargh... See? It does cause anxiety!

• You'll see a lot of people drinking a lot of pretty looking cocktails. AND they'll all look like they're having a blast! I'm sure they had fun, but really I've been to a lot of drunk parties in my past and most of them only had about one or two good photo ops before something broke or an argument started or something else not FB perfect. The point is - it'll make you resentful that they're having fun and make you think of drinking. Resentment and cravings! Not good.

The good parts?

• Use social media to get inspiration whether from videos or motivational accounts you can follow and feel supported. There are plenty of groups, communities and inspirational speakers dedicated to healthy living!

• Social media is open to such a wide range of people around the world, it's pretty easy to find support groups or connect with others with shared interests or goals. And if people are sleeping in your part of the world, there's plenty of people in Australia or other places that are wide awake!

The one thing about social media that I'm not keen about - is that it's become a substitution for REAL social interaction. I'm still a phone person and I LOVE seeing and being with people, but there is a place for social media and it can be a great way to connect when you're feeling alone or lonely. Just try to balance it with real phone calls and getting out of the house!

Tomorrow is Day 8 and I'll tip you off - it's about isolation! Have a great day :)