3 Social Media Boundaries to Set This Holiday Season
Written By: Katie Jacobi, LPC
With the holiday season upon us, there is another meaningful relationship to reflect on in addition to those we navigate with family, friends, colleagues, and peers. That relationship? The one you have with social media. While social media can be a powerful tool for connection and community building, it can also be a space where emotional landmines get activated, and exaggerated representations of day-to-day life are portrayed through the lens of a highlight reel.
With social media amplifying the illusion that the lives of others are “perfect”, it can oftentimes create a comparison trap where emotions get hooked, and false narratives can be spun. Just like any relationship where hurt and pain are consequential, there may be an opportunity here to set boundaries with your social media accounts this holiday season. Here are three critical ways to set boundaries with your social media accounts over the holidays:
Set boundaries with the amount of time you spend on these platforms.
When you think about it, boundaries around time seem to exist in almost every other facet of our lives. We have scheduled times when we show up to work, school, social engagements, appointments, etc. The vortex of social media is easy to get engrossed in with almost no objective limits around time and usage. Unfortunately, in this realm, if we don’t manage our time tends to manage us. This is why setting boundaries around the time you spend on social media is self-imposed. You can try clarifying a daily time limit on your social media platforms, setting an alarm for the time you get to spend there, or incorporating your social media time like an appointment you have each day with a hard start and end time. Setting these time boundaries can be an impactful way to counteract the detrimental impacts of social media during the holidays.
Manage the content you’re taking in, and evaluate how nourishing it really is for you.
If you eat a food that your body doesn’t quite agree with, you may get a cue from your system in the way of an upset stomach. What are some of the cues you get that your social media consumption isn’t quite sitting well with you? Is it viewing certain profiles you follow and feeling the cringe? Is it the judgment you form around others and yourself? It may be time to set a boundary with the content you are consuming.
One of the profound aspects of social media is the ability to curate the content you’re exposing yourself to in an effort to meet your individual needs. If you’re navigating a breakup during the holiday season, or managing grief over a loved one who’s no longer with you during this challenging time of year, it may be worthwhile to explore what content is nourishing or nurturing your needs. Accounts dedicated to grief, body image, break-ups, mindset, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and an array of other traumas and challenges that can peak during this time of year may be an integral part of finding a way to use social media to meet your unique needs.
A gentle reminder that the “unfollow” button exists for a reason. Whether it’s muting or unfollowing some accounts, or following ones that feel more resonant to you this is something you have control over in the social media arena. Setting boundaries are a way to keep you safe, and if certain accounts are no longer doing so, it can be an empowering reminder that you and you alone get to decide who you do and do not follow on these platforms!
Remember that being clear is being kind, and clarity around your boundaries matter.
How clear are you about how you show up in your social media ecosystem? Do you feel the people-pleasing tendency to respond to every single message or reaction you get on an Instagram story? Do you feel the need to accept every friend or follow request? How firm your boundaries around interactions you have on social media does make a difference. What do more solid boundaries in this forum look like for you? If you end each interaction on social media feeling depleted and worn down, that may be a cue that a boundary needs to be set around social engagements on these platforms.
Don’t forget that you always have the power to leave the party. If the platform no longer serves you, you can take breaks, remove the apps, and temporarily or permanently delete accounts that are no longer serving.
As we dive deeper into the holiday season and new year, social media can be an arena where feelings and tensions run high. As we begin to gift wrap 2022, remember that life is rarely (if ever) tied up in a nice red bow in the way it may appear from time to time on social media. Your boundaries get to be yours, and yours alone. This is a gift you can give yourself this holiday season, and one that requires minimal impact on your wallet and maximal potential benefits to your well-being.
Begin Working With An Anxiety Therapist in DC
Setting boundaries is much easier said than done, especially during the holiday season. A caring therapist can offer support from our Washington, DC area practice and across the state. You can help ease your mind and receive support in creating social media boundaries by starting your therapy journey. To start your journey, please follow these simple steps:
Schedule a consultation with us using our contact form.
Meet with one of our skilled therapists.
Start enjoying the holiday season!
Other Services at The Sterling Group
Our counseling practice believes in healing for the whole self. That’s why our skilled therapists offer a range of services related to your healing. Other mental health services offered include therapy for anxiety, depression, life transitions, and executive function and ADHD struggles. Additionally, we can provide couples therapy as well as individual counseling for relationship issues. We hope that you’ll reach out to us to get started with counseling and we can’t wait to hear from you.
