Disconnect to Reconnect – and Grow in the Sun

I love this quote:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein

Doesn’t that sound like social media – or all media, for that matter – and the way it serves as a channel for negative comparisons and judging?

Research has shown that there are both pros and cons to high levels of media consumption. Some studies link media usage with reduced physical activity, leading to obesity, depression, and sleep disorders. Negative aspects of social media include promoting feelings of inadequacy by comparing yourself to others, fear of missing out, isolation, cyberbullying, and self-absorption, when sharing selfies and your every thought and action becomes your primary activity.

But there are also social benefits of media usage. It enables us to connect to people in different countries and from different cultures, communicate with friends and family wherever they might be, correspond with people who share our interests, promote issues and causes important to us, and seek or offer emotional support when it is needed. For those who struggle with social anxiety, the distance provided by technology can make interactions more comfortable.

Still, we need balance in our lives, and the negative effects of social media can quickly take their toll on our mental health if we are not careful. Check out this Help Guide for signs that social media might be impacting your mental health and for some tips on what to do if it is.

In fact, disconnecting from technology at times can help us reconnect with the rest of our world. When we step away from our phone or computer, even for a short time, we may find new and different things to do and people to interact with.

Doing so can allow us to grow, which is why this topic is part of this month’s theme, “You Have the Power to Grow.” It also fits perfectly with this week’s “growing in the sun” phase of our 24-Day Self-Care Challenge, in which we are focusing on having a positive outlook on life and ensuring that we have the water and nutrients to grow like a strong tree branching out in the sunlight.

We are now more than halfway through our self-care challenge, and I hope you’ve been following along with us. Throughout this challenge, we’ve asked you to take a step out of your routine and devote just a few minutes each day to self-care. Our hope is that this will help you build momentum to continue adding self-care activities to your daily life even beyond the challenge, and to continue YOUR journey of growth.