Curating a positive social media feed
6 April 2020
Social media can be a great resource. It’s a perfect place to share stories, photos, projects, news updates and events. Especially now, with social distancing, social media can help us stay connected with our loved ones.
But it can also spread fear and panic during times of crisis and uncertainty. When our feed is full of stories on the impacts of COVID-19, it’s no surprise that our sense of anxiety has spiked within recent weeks.
If you want to stay connected without the fear mongering, there are a few things you can do to help curate a positive social feed.
Unfollow/unsubscribe from negative accounts
Unfollowing accounts that share clickbait content and sensationalised news headlines will significantly reduce the negative content you see across your feed. These outlets often aim to incite fear among their audiences, and to fuel the panic surrounding events such as COVID-19.
If you don’t want to miss out on important information, consider following reliable sources such as ACT Health, Australian Government Department of Health and World Health Organisation.
Disable notifications and alerts
Nothing spikes anxiety more than being overloaded with alerts, notifications and news updates. Consider disabling notifications and alerts on your phone and limiting updates from apps that you find necessary. Having less to focus on will not only declutter your phone space but also your mind.
Follow positive, feel-good accounts
Think about following accounts that share positive, feel-good content that brings you joy and peace. Following these accounts will not only outshine the negative content in your feed, but also adjust your algorithm so that your account suggests content that you WANT to see.
A few of our favourite feel-good accounts include: The Kindness Pandemic, The Happy Broadcast, Girl Boss, GemmaCorrell.
Support businesses and organisations
Consider supporting businesses that are currently being impacted by COVID-19.
As most businesses move online, you’ll find no shortage amazing accounts to follow from artists, performers, restaurants, boutiques, gyms and even solo traders! By following their social media pages not only will you be showing your support, but you may even get a few great deals!
While you’re at it, why not support a local charity or community organisation just like us?
Feel inspired and share things you love
Social media is great place to start gaining inspiration for projects you may want to start in self-isolation. Follow pages that will motivate you to begin your creative journey, such as a writing prompt a day or drawing tutorials.
Then share your projects online! Sharing your interests will attract like-minded people so you can cultivate your own community.
Switch off
When all else fails, just switch off. Sometimes taking a break from social media altogether is exactly what you need to reduce your anxiety. Use this time away from technology to enjoy other activities in your life, such as reading, gardening or spending time with loved ones.
So, next time you’re scrolling through Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, ask yourself, ‘do I really enjoy seeing this?’. If the answer is no, change it. Remember, you have the power to fix what you see online, it’s just a matter of making the right moves and following the right people.
Tags: covid-19, mental health, positive change