We have all heard the adage “you are what you eat” which has made a recent comeback with some of the food industry marketing. From watching the commercials of the kids playing soccer dressed up as doughnuts or French fries, I have collected that what I consume affects my health and physical performance.
I believe this to be true in other aspects outside of food. We are consumers in many definitions. We consume products, we consume experiences, we also consume media. The media is what I want to focus on.
Have you ever scrolled Facebook or Instagram, and felt your mood shift? Have you ever had CNN or Fox news rolling constantly in the background or got news updates and recognized a change in your stress level? What we consume through our eyes and ears also greatly can affect our mood. A few years ago, there was a term flying around called “Facebook Depression” (not diagnoseable) but was referring to the feeling people had comparing all of the great facebook posts of new cars, happy relationships, and cute babies to their own lives. People have also reported an increase in anxiety symptoms when being constantly updated on news briefs.
The next time you are scrolling through your respective feeds, check in with yourself. How are you feeling about yourself? Have you noticed any mood changes? If you do, it may be time to examine your media intake.
The trendy thing right now is taking a social media break for 30 days. This can be very helpful as it does decrease the amount of media consumption and may also give you opportunities to focus on other things in your life (like phone games, yay!)
The other thing you can do is change what you consume. Look at what bothers you the most in your feeds and block, unfollow or delete it. Decrease your consumption of beauty bloggers, yoga on mountain top vegans, or updates on the current political climate in China.
Doing steps like this could not only improve your mood but could also connect you more to this present moment. You are not what you eat, you are what you consume-so consume a healthy media diet!
Contact our office and set up time with one of our therapists to talk about what you consume...and how it is affecting you and your loved ones! www.restorerockford/appointments
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