{"id":6278,"date":"2015-01-04T23:00:46","date_gmt":"2015-01-04T20:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/?p=6278"},"modified":"2015-01-04T23:00:46","modified_gmt":"2015-01-04T20:00:46","slug":"5-high-yield-ways-to-be-happier-and-healthier-on-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeadvancer.com\/5-high-yield-ways-to-be-happier-and-healthier-on-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"5 High-Yield Ways to Be Happier and Healthier on Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the era of social media, there\u2019s more to worry about than taking a photogenic selfie. Sometimes, it feels like your personality, your values, what you\u2019re doing with your life, and the way you talk are all on display and open for judgment.<\/p>\n
As a result, the pressure to stray from \u201cbeing your true self\u201d<\/strong><\/em> is overwhelming. But why is authenticity so challenging? Shouldn\u2019t be yourself be easier than playing a different part?<\/p>\n According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, love<\/a>, belonging, and self-actualization follows basics like food and shelter in the hierarchy of most important human needs. Yet none of these things are achievable without authenticity \u2014 being your true self.<\/p>\n Because authenticity is so vital, any serious challenge to it can leave you feeling vulnerable and lead to unhappiness<\/a>. If there\u2019s one habit of highly successful, happy people, it\u2019s authenticity. Even in the midst of superficial social media.<\/p>\n Those who engage thoughtfully and according to their own true impulses and views, without paying much mind to how others will see them, are more satisfied and genuinely engaged with their networks than those who ask, \u201cWill my photo or status be liked?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n But authenticity can quickly go out the window if you don\u2019t do an occasional audit.<\/p>\n The hard truth is that the pressures of social media have created a world of artificiality. We have too many \u201cfriends\u201d to keep track of, let alone foster meaningful relationships with. This leaves us feeling like we don\u2019t know them well enough to share and be our real selves.<\/p>\n To make matters worse, social media is full of curated lives. Words and photos can be carefully chosen to create certain impressions<\/a>. In fact, a study conducted at the University of Michigan found that people feel lonelier and more anxious on social media due to feelings of inadequacy.<\/p>\n With so much more control available than in real life, social media can be used to perpetuate a fraudulent view of who we are \u2014 to ourselves and to others, even when we\u2019re narrating nothing but our own thoughts, opinions, and duck faces.<\/p>\n Think about how often you see a \u201cfriend<\/em>\u201d post something and think, \u201cHe\u2019s just fishing for likes.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> Social media has become a tool for personal validation<\/a> \u2014 and a false one at that.<\/p>\n To combat this, it\u2019s important to consciously reflect on your social media presence. In short, you need to audit yourself. Here are five questions your authenticity audit should include for every tweet, post, message, or share:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re composing a status update and all you\u2019re focused on is how witty it is or how it will impress your friends, your authenticity probably isn\u2019t at its peak. Spend some time thinking about what you really want to express to your friends.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t write that particular post without feeling anxious about how you\u2019re coming across, delete it, for now, log out, and take some time to reflect. It\u2019s hard, but it\u2019s well worth it.<\/p>\n Questioning your reasons for posting a particular update or opinion can unveil your most authentic self. Are you posting or liking something just because you feel it\u2019s expected of you? Do you feel that sharing this update is relevant to your own needs, passions, and self-expression?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t assume you\u2019re the only person struggling to be authentic. No doubt, many of your friends and followers grapple with the same insecurities. But being authentic is always easier with a certain group of people. Share with the people who know and love your authentic self best, and you\u2019ll start feeling closer to the real you \u2014 and to them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you find yourself retaking your selfie dozens of times to get the perfect angle or hair flip or rewriting your tweet to strike the perfect tone, you\u2019re a little out of touch with your most authentic self.<\/p>\n It\u2019s OK to want to carefully craft a comment so you\u2019re saying exactly what you mean, but obsessive moderation is never going to produce your most authentic expressions. Think about what you would do in the real world when meeting a friend. Would you do 12 retakes of \u201cHi! How\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This may be the most important checkpoint on the authenticity audit<\/strong>. Envision all the versions of yourself, including how you see yourself, how you put yourself out to others, how others see you, and how you see the world.<\/p>\n If all of these versions are generally the same, you\u2019re doing a great job of being authentic. If they\u2019re completely different, you know you need to spend some time realigning yourself. When you do, the benefits will be innumerable.<\/p>\n An authenticity audit is one of the most valuable investments you can make. When I commit to the practice of being authentic, I\u2019m happier and healthier, my relationships are richer, and I\u2019m simply more joyful.<\/p>\n The MBA in me thinks about this investment in authenticity with a \u201creturn on investment<\/em>\u201d mindset. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, \u201cNo price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>And in the age of superficial posts, messages, and tweets, his words couldn\u2019t be truer.<\/p>\nStaying Authentic in an Inauthentic World<\/h3>\n
Retool Your Social Media Presence<\/h3>\n
1. What\u2019s your frame of mind?<\/h4>\n
2. Why are you posting?<\/h4>\n
3. Who\u2019s your authentic audience?<\/h4>\n
4. How much do you curate yourself?<\/h4>\n
5. Are all your selves aligned?<\/h4>\n