Social Media and Authenticity

Social media can be both a blessing and a curse. I think most of us can relate to a time where we needed to take a break from social media to focus on other things in our lives. Then, there’s other times where you might enjoy endlessly scrolling through content in your spare time or sending funny memes to your friends.

If you’re like me, Instagram is probably your social platform of choice. However, it feels like Instagram comes with all of these ‘rules’ (as I like to call them). Make sure your content is relevant, use trending hashtags, post everyday, engage with others, etc. and then the algorithm will be in your favor (maybe, because who really knows anymore). Don’t forget to create a beautiful ‘grid’ and post the perfect photo that looks ‘Instagram-able’, but isn’t too staged.

Don’t get me wrong, I promote my yoga events/classes on my social media. In fact, that’s how I get new students, which as someone who works in Marketing, is always my favorite method! However, lately I’ve noticed how exhausting it can be to spend time on social media when you aren’t in a good headspace or the people you follow don’t align with your lifestyle/values, and that’s what I want to talk about today.

I don’t often hear the words ‘social media’ and ‘authenticity’ used together but I really think they should be. Authenticity is about being true to who you are and your beliefs. Being your authentic self should make you feel happy, like you are living in your truth. However, it can also be scary if you’re worried people might judge you or that you’ll lose people along the way.

At the end of the day, being true to you is the most important thing and you will find people that you align with. So, with that being said, now is a really good time to take a look at your social media followers. Look at the people you follow and ask yourself how their content makes you feel? If it’s not great, then unfollow. If you don’t want to unfollow them (trust me, I get it) just mute their stories/posts.

There are so many great accounts out there that can and will make you feel good. Be conscious of your media intake. Although we can’t always control what pops up on our newsfeed, we can take control and follow accounts that make us feel good (and get rid of those that makes you feel icky).

For me, I follow feel-good accounts that post positive quotes, food recipes, puppies, mindfulness/yoga tips, and Bachelor memes. Figure out what makes you happy and then find brands and accounts to follow and fill your newsfeed with those! Social media should be fun, so when it’s not, take a break or change up the content that you’re looking at!

Xoxo,

Gee Nicolette

What Therapy Has Taught Me

I wanted to take some time to open up about my experience of going to therapy. It’s been about a year now since I started seeing a therapist for my anxiety and it really has been one of the best decisions I ever made. I’m always advocating for mental health awareness and to end the stigma around mental illness, but the truth is, it took me quite some time to make the move and actually seek out a therapist. For a long time, I thought I could deal with my anxiety/stress on my own, but it started to feel like it was weighing me down and defining who I was.

I wanted to share a few things that I’ve learned in therapy and continue to learn with each session.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. This one was really tough for me to actually accept. Making the move to see a therapist was me making the decision to finally put myself and my mental health first (it’s so easy for us to put others first). It was so natural for me to go in for my annual doctor checkups and get my flu shot, but taking care of my mental well-being took me swallowing my pride and letting go of my ego so that I could admit I needed support.

Therapy makes you feel validated and safe. A therapist is like a best friend that validates your feelings/emotions and listens to your deepest darkest secrets. Honestly, just having someone listen and validate your feelings is huge.

Crying and swearing feels really good. There’s just something about letting out all of your emotions (even ones that have been built up for years). In therapy, you can cry, swear, yell and say whatever it is that you need in order to feel better. A lot of times, it feels nice to just say the words that you have been holding in or thinking of.

Boundaries are difficult but necessary. Whether it’s setting boundaries with a family member, friend, significant other, work, etc., boundaries are necessary. Be gentle with yourself as you work on setting them and don’t get discouraged if you don’t always stick to them. You are a work in progress.

Focus on the things that fill your cup. We often hear the words “self-care”, especially today in the media, but to actually think about what makes us happy, brings our stress levels down and fills our cup is so important. Self-care looks different to everyone and it can also change day to day. I’ve learned that self-care is super important after therapy sessions and that some days are really heavy.

Although some sessions may be heavy and I want to curl up and sleep after, I leave feeling motivated to continue working on myself and discovering who I am and what my core values are. It’s also totally okay to curl up and sleep after (one of my self-care forms).

Lastly, I’ve learned that your mental illness does not define who you. It’s okay to seek help or go on a medication if you need. My therapist has taught me approachable grounding techniques and coping skills that I can use daily as well as when I’m feeling triggered or extra anxious.

Some resources for mental health and how to seek help are below:

Xoxo,

Gee Nicolette

Spreading Love During a Pandemic

If you haven’t already, I highly suggest taking “The 5 Love Languages” quiz here. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages include Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch and Receiving Gifts. If quarantine has taught me anything, it’s that we can show others how much we love them in many different ways (even from a distance). It’s really important to show people how much they mean to us, even when we can’t see them or hug them.

I wanted to share some of the things I’ve been doing to show others love (from a safe distance) as well as what others have done for me.

  • Group video chats/phone calls (take time to listen: we all have more time on our hands so really make sure you engage and are fully present in your phone or video call conversations)
  • Streaming movies/shows or listening to podcasts virtually with friends
  • Send a hand written letter in the mail
  • Order a surprise gift online and have it shipped to a loved one
  • Buy groceries or run errands for someone
  • Bake or cook something and drop it off at someone’s front door to surprise them
  • Organize a car parade for a special occasion
  • Socially distant hangout or walk
  • Book/magazine exchange
  • Create a playlist with songs to send for a loved one to enjoy
  • Send/bring someone flowers or a plant
  • Leave a positive note on someone’s car

Here’s a s’mores kit I ordered online from XO Marshmallow for a socially distant hangout!

Xoxo,

Gee Nicolette