Is Facebook Stressing You Out?

Pensive man at laptop in home office

If you’ve found that Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites leave you feeling a little worse, a little more stressed when you’ve been looking at them for a while, you’re not alone.  Studies have found a direct correlation with the amount of time people spend on social media sites and how stressed they are, which could mean a few things. It could mean that more-stressed people spend more time on social media, it could mean that social media is causing more stress, or a combination of both. Other research, however, has connected the stress of social comparison (when we compare our lives to the lives of others–we all do it to some degree) to social media.

What’s worse, because people usually only post the best versions of their lives and experiences but we see the good, bad, and ugly truth of our own, we’re comparing our best and worst to just their best, which gives us a distorted view of how our lives are compared to others’.

There are a few things you can do about this, and they don’t all have to involve logging off. (This is especially true because some social media, such as my Facebook Page About Stress Management, can help you to relieve stress!) Also, staying connected to others, swapping jokes and recipes, and staying current on things you care about can all enrich your life.

Today I suggest that you read more about how to limit the stress of social media social comparison so you can still enjoy what you may love about social media without as much stress from what you don’t love. And while you’re at it, feel free to share my page with people who may want stress relief resources if you’re so inclined. Enjoy your day!

Pinterest: A Tool for Stress Relief and More

Creating a vision board can be extremely empowering for goal-setting.

I’ve been a fan of “vision boards” for many years–they can help you to really create a clear picture of what you want in life and they stimulate creativity. They can provide reminders of what goals I’d like to really pursue and it’s fun to look back and see when I’ve made progress. (Here’s a list of more benefits that come with vision boards.)

As a vision board fan, I was thrilled when Pinterest came out. It helps you make simple vision boards that can also include information you can use to put your plans into action and instructions on how to actually reach these goals. Today, you may want to create a new pinboard at Pinterest that can help you with one of the following:

1. Learn about something new
2. Reach a goal
3. Create a more peaceful life (here are some of my boards that can help with this!)
4. Deepen your knowledge on one of your favorite topics
5. Collect recipes, craft ideas, workout plans, make-up tips, DIY projects, and more

It’ll take just a few minutes and could be the beginning of a fun habit that can move you forward in your life. Also, you can check out my boards for ideas–I’ve cultivated several. Happy pinning!