How To Successfully Purge Your Social Media For Stress-Free Posting

Social media is a powerful tool that almost everyone in the world has access to nowadays. It's become something that has come to affect how we function on an everyday basis. On the positive side of social media, it has become a great tool through which we can share our causes and connect with people that we couldn't usually reach. However, because it's such a powerful tool that enables people to reach us and know every detail of our lives, it can be a pathway for myriad mental and physical issues.

In fact, a 2017 study published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine found a connection between a higher social media usage and a higher probability of experiencing an anxiety disorder — and having a feeling of anxiety come up during usage. This could happen with as little as two hours of social media use per day.

As the world continues to become more interconnected than ever, it's important to create an environment in which you can feel less stress and anxiety when using social media.

The most crucial step when purging your social media is to examine who exactly you follow. When going through your following list, ask yourself if that account is adding something positive to your day (via Vice). Whether it's a family member or a celebrity, your social media feed should consist of accounts that inspire and motivate you. If an account makes you feel worse about yourself or is someone that makes you feel emotions of anger or resentment, they don't deserve to be on your feed. If you feel concerned about hurting someone's feelings or want to avoid confrontation, you can also utilize Instagram's mute and close friends features to avoid any potential questions. 

Another way to help lower your stress when it comes to posting on social media is to remove the idea that posting is stressful. Since social media is so integrated into our daily lives, the constant usage makes it seem like we have to be online all the time.

According to Self, you don't have to do a complete digital detox to reestablish your mindset surrounding social media. The simple act of deleting unnecessary apps or limiting how many hours a day you check social media will help reframe your relationship with social media. The less you rely on social media for that satisfaction, the less its importance will be to you.