How social media can have a positive impact on mental health.

As a result of the pandemic, people have been restricted from doing their normal activities including seeing their family, friends and colleagues.  As social creatures, this has left a gap in our lives. We naturally need a level of interaction with others and to be connected. Having positive connections with other people is good for our mental health and wellbeing.

Social media has been an important tool for keeping us connected with people whilst social distancing. Being socially connected to other people can provide us with a sense of belonging and the feeling of being valued. It can help ease stress, anxiety, depression and prevent loneliness.

Connecting is not only good for us because of the initial rewards it provides – but through connecting with others and building more meaningful relationships we can begin to create a network of people to turn to if we do experience difficult times in our lives. Having a strong social network and support system of people that are there to listen and offer support can help us to move forward from negative experiences.

How do mental health charities use social media to share their message?

For charities, social media can be utilised as a really effective way to broadcast their messages to gain vital support from the public - we spoke to Ashley Bunn from Norfolk Waveney Mind to get his take:

“At Norfolk and Waveney Mind, like many other charities, we have limited budget for advertising.  Social media allows us to reach larger audiences, in real time and in a cost-effective way. Our social media pages are effectively a space to tell our story, a space where people can gain an insight into not only what we do and the support we provide, but also what we are actively doing in our local communities.  It enables us to engage with our supporters, drive awareness, increase our visibility and promote our fundraising initiatives. 

We are present on some of the main social media platforms- Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter and each, in their own way, open a host of opportunities to share content and news with a wide range of audiences.

As a charity, social media proves to be a great way to recruit staff and volunteers.  Social media platforms like LinkedIn allow users to share posts with their networks, meaning we can reach a wider audience with our recruitment ads in a more cost-effective way compared to traditional advertising such as press.

Social media represents an opportunity for charities like ours to communicate frequently with our audience and nurture strong relationships which can have positive impact on fundraising.  Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram also enable users to donate direct to the charity of the choosing at the click of a button and also set up personal fundraisers.”

How to protect yourself from social media

Whilst social media may currently be your main way of staying connected and communicating with others, it is also important to know when to take a break from it and make some time for yourself.

If you find that being on social media is making you feel busier and more stressed, try to take a break. This could be for just an hour or two. If you find this difficult, try moving away from your device to another room or setting an alarm to time yourself.

Use this time for activities that don’t include scrolling through news feed like reading a book, going for walk, taking a bath or baking a cake – anything that helps you to relax.

Media coverage on the pandemic is hard to avoid and whilst it’s good to keep yourself informed, it can sometimes lead to feelings of anxiety.  If you want to keep up with the news, try checking in just once or twice a day rather than looking for updates all the time. Also, it is important to ensure that the news you are reading via social media comes from a reliable news source.  Social media is awash with fake news which can lead us to worry about something that may not be true.

With social distancing in place, video calling with groups of friends and family has become a popular way to keep in touch. You may be feeling the pressure to join every call that is happening as you feel you can’t say no or have an excuse when you can’t leave your houses as much at the moment. However, if you are feeling tired or having a tough day, remember that it is okay to say no. Starting a culture of being able to say no when you need some time to yourself is a good way of practising self-care and prioritising your wellbeing when you need to.