Social Media occupies such a central location in most of our lives that our obsessive connectivity with friends and followers online substitutes itself into times that we once used for actual personal relationships. The trade-off between these virtual relationships and the real thing is far from even.
We are taught by our educational institutions to be critical thinkers but in virtual social gatherings, we are everything but. Emotions sell the idea or product and dissent is not tolerated well.
These virtual relationships roller coaster through emotional landscapes at such a pace, it is no wonder we feel stressed out.
Emotions = Physical Stress
Remember your experiences with public speaking?
The knot in the stomach, racing heart, sweaty palms, and a distinct thought about running for the nearest exit. Mental stress translates directly to physical stress.
These kinds of symptoms are your sympathetic nervous system kicking into gear. As our classic “fight or flight” mechanism, it has gotten us out of trouble many times over the years. (If you can’t stand to fight that menacing bear, you can certainly try to run away from it!) Great system for those emergency situations but trouble when this system is left on for too long.
Given the surprises that Social Media has presented, with its emphasis on drama over thought, these dramas stimulate our bodies to give us sympathetic rushes of adrenaline and some really dynamic brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). We are preparing for that fight more often than we are resting. The end result is that as the hopeless chemical junkies that human bodies are, we keep returning to for a fix of the thing that gives us this rush.
The Other Half
Our physiology tends to specialize on combining one-function processes. One process will make something happen and another will make it stop.
With this idea in mind, we have a parasympathetic nervous system that does just the opposite of our favorite sympathetic system. Instead of getting our bodies wired and ready to go, this system likes to “rest and digest”.
Balancing these stop or go signals is what makes our bodies work. The difficulty arises when we are more go than slow.
Ever get hungry in the middle of a heated argument?
Me neither.
When stimulated to fight, things like our digestion goes into hibernation.
When the fight keeps going on, things like digestion start to run into problems. Heartburn, ulcers, and other problems can result.
Balancing Social Media
Awareness of the nature of our Social Media interactions is key to understanding what we can do to keep our bodies Healthy while following our various feeds.
- Get enough quality sleep. The amount varies by each individual. (Six to eight hours being the suggested amount.) Just don’t shortchange yourself here.
- Eat good food. Good nutrition always goes a long way to keeping our bodies working and feeling well.
- Regular exercise. Yep, get up off that couch or from behind that monitor regularly and get that body in motion. Pain is purely optional. Regular walks will go a long way towards energizing your daily routine.
- Get outside. Reconnecting to outdoor nature aids in reconnecting us to our internal human nature. Fresh air encourages deep breathing and 20 minutes of sunshine stimulates a healthy production of Vitamin D in our skin.
- Take regular Social Media breaks. It is amazing how unplugging for a day or two can be so refreshing. Funny enough, all of your platforms will get along just fine without you for a while.
- Keep it real. Stay grounded and remember that Social media is all based on fictionalized versions of real life. If someone is really bugging you online – remember you are in control. Un-friend/un-follow and remove that irritation from your enjoyment of Social Media. This should be fun.
All Things in Moderation
As we balance our Social Media use, so go our bodies. Keep it fun and enjoy but don’t forget to participate in all of those wonderful experiences available in Life.
Beware of addictive medicines. Everything in moderation. This applies particularly to the Internet and your sofa. The physical world is ultimately the source of all inspiration. Which is to say, if all else fails: take a bike ride.
– Aaron Koblin
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