This is a little bit of a different post here, but I feel like it’s definitely needed especially during a time in society when social media influences e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
The reason I wanted to write this post is because I believe social media is one of the greatest assets we have, especially for our health and fitness journeys. Unfortunately, it also seems social media is often misused and abused, which can make us miserable.
Someone once told me to watch people’s intentions not their actions to learn who they truly are (love that approach 9 times out of 10 but not on social media). Go on social media and that approach to life may drive you crazy as you question why Suzie Q posted this or commented that or why your friends are traveling here, there and everywhere while you’re sitting on your couch.
The point of this post, however, is not to bash social media and highlight all the ways it’s used “incorrectly” but instead, how we can use it to make our lives everything we want and more!
You’re most likely reading this because you’re taking steps to create a happier and healthier life for yourself. That’s amazing!
When I first took that step, I turned to social media. I followed ladies who were doing what I wanted to do, who shared about what I didn’t yet know and who had the strength and appearance I desired. Not only did all of that help me reach my goals, but then, social media allowed me to reach YOU!
The LG Community is something that is available to you at your finger tips any time of the day from wherever in the world you are. If you want someone to celebrate your highs, if you want someone to support you in your lows, if you want to be there for someone else or if you just want to have fun with like-minded women, you have access to thousands of LG Sisters thanks to social media. #LGAccountability
Social media is one of the most life-changing tools we have, but it is up to us to use it in a way that is best for us individually.
I hope that this post can help you find that “right” place where you can use it for motivation and fun without any misery or overwhelm.
SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T REALITY
The first thing we must all recognize in order to not allow social media to make us miserable is that social media is not reality. Your page doesn’t not capture your entire life. Your friend’s page is not her day in entirety. It’s a highlight reel. And that is okay!
It’s only natural to share all that is good, exciting and fun and only some of the not-so-pretty. We don’t have to hate on that or get mad about it; let’s just see social media for what it is… a collection of mostly memorable moments with some doses of the bad and ugly as well.
Fortunately for us, we do have ladies who understand life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. If you need to share something heavy or hard, you’re sharing with women who will understand and do their best to support you. And commend yourself… it takes a lot of courage and confidence to be vulnerable in sharing that.
MOTIVATION VS COMPARISON
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Perhaps the most perplexing part of social media is how to let what people share motivate you as opposed to feeling the need to compare where you are it. If I were a betting gal, I would put a lot on the bet that we’ve all compared ourselves and our lives to images we see on social media. WHY?
Scenario 1: Suzie Q (damn that Suzie Q again 😉 just posted a post-workout selfie and her abs are poppin’! Thoughts… I just overindulged all weekend and have yet to complete today’s workout. It doesn’t help that my boss just asked me to stay late, so now, I may not even get to the gym. How does Suzie Q have the energy to workout at 5 AM? Why don’t I?! I’m never going to have visible abs. I don’t even care anymore!
…miserable all day
Scenario 2: Suzie Q just posted a post-workout selfie and her abs are poppin’! Thoughts… wow Suzie looks great and she got her workout in before work. Maybe if I try an early morning workout, I’ll have more energy all day and can relax after work.
…motivated to wake up early tomorrow and kill it
It’s not that easy, I know. Just so you know that I really know… A few years back, all my friends were starting their careers shortly after college and they were moving into their first apartments. My social media was filled with pictures of their new places, dressed up work selfies, and excitement of the “real world.” I, on the other hand, was living with my parents, still going to school during the day, and working at night. I was jealous of the adult experiences they were having. Even though I had my own excitement of going to dental school (if you new here, long story short – I ditched dental school to do this lol) and moving across the country, I missed out on a lot of it because I was consumed with what I wasn’t experiencing and I drove myself crazy on social media.
You see… motivation vs comparison comes from within. It’s a switch we must flip. It’s a conscious and continuous effort to focus on what is wonderful in our own lives and how we can improve without worrying about where others are in life. When you’re working through that though, social media is a tough place. You may have hopped on it, hopped of it (maybe 10x over) as you go through this phase. Just know one thing… as soon as make the decision to love yourself and your life regardless of how well others are doing or what is posted in cyber space, social media becomes just a small part of your life and you can actually enjoy it!
YOUR LIFE…. YOUR RULES
At the end of the day, social media must best fit you. The last I heard, the average time spent on social media each day is 106 minute. If you’re spending those 106 minutes beneficially and feeling motivated in the community and fulfilled through staying in touch with friends and family, keep it up! If you’re left feeling down about yourself after viewing the “lives” of others, perhaps it’s time to set some rules for yourself.
For example, I’m an open book when it comes to MY life. I’ll share anything from my highs like getting married to lows like health issues. My life, however, crosses with a lot of others’ lives. You may wonder why you rarely see me with my family and friends. There is nothing more important to me than the people in my life and if I’m trying to capture moments with my loved-ones on social media (and I’ve tried!), I tend to miss the enjoyment myself (and I have!). So, for me, that’s just one of my rules… when I’m with those I love, I like to hold those memories in my heart, rather than post them.
Below you can find some unwritten (unwritten until now lol) rules I abide by for social media that help me feel motivated without any misery.
HOW I USE SOCIAL MEDIA
I’ve *learned* to be responsible with my time on social media. I use social media intentionally (to post, to peruse the LG hashtags, to check out pages I enjoy) and not just when I’m bored. When you’re bored, you’re likely not feeling your best and more vulnerable to allow social media to leave you feeling yucky.
Follow/Unfollow – what beautiful buttons. If you don’t like what someone is posting, don’t follow them. Facebook has the most beautiful unfollow feature that allows you to stay friends with someone and not see their post on your news feed. I use it often! In fact, there is actually a “see first” feature, which I use for all my favorite pages like positive quotes and recipe ideas!
I am strict about not using social media first thing in the morning and before bed. Those are the moments that set the tone for your entire day. Once I’m set and feeling great about my day, then I’ll jump on social media.
When I need fitness motivation… I watch weight training videos. Images aren’t all that motivating to me anymore, but when I see women weight lifting and loving it, it makes me want to instantly jump into the gym.
When I need food motivation… I go to hashtags #LGMealPlan #EatYourWayLean #HealthyRecipes and it’s like looking through a cookbook of delicious, healthy recipes. I often do this before I cook dinner as if I’m looking through a menu. Also, the amazing food photography within the community is on another level!
Comment! There’s nothing like interaction within the community. Commenting and messaging back and forth with community members makes all of the online motivation come to life.
I don’t feel the need to keep my account just health and fitness oriented. If I want to post something from my personal life, I do so and I totally encourage it, especially to my LG sisters! We are in this as a lifestyle transformation as well, which is often evident in how much we are enjoying our life and relationships as well! Plus, I love to Insta-stalk your personal lives hehe.
At the end of the day, I am so grateful for social media. It’s completely transformed who I am as a person by giving me the means to engross myself in all that is health and fitness. I’ve formed true friendships with women all over the world. I’ve been able to share my message of health and fitness as a foundation for building a life you love with many others through social media. I’ am able to reach all my LG sisters with the click of a button.
I hope that this helps you think about the purpose social media plays in helping you. Once you identify how it can, use it just for that! If you do that, I believe that social media will leave you feeling motivated every time and misery won’t be anything you associate social media with!
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