How to Make Your Social Media Recovery Aligned in the New Year
It’s 2024, and you know what that means - New Year’s resolutions! In previous years, your resolutions may have been focused on being “healthy,” with a focus on weight loss, gym memberships, or the latest diet program - but this year, things are different. An alternate resolution could be to align your social media with your recovery goals.
By: Sajel Jani
Social media can be a great way to feel connected to others, document your life, and stay “in the know.” Yet, for someone in eating disorder recovery, social media can be harmful because it can perpetuate disordered thoughts and feelings and bring you further away from your core values. Aligning your social media with your eating disorder recovery can help you stay focused on your goals for yourself.
If this sounds like something you are interested in, here is how to do it:
Recognize the Impact That Viewing Others’ Photos May Have on Your Perceived Body Image or Self-Esteem
When looking at a post on social media, ask yourself, “Do/’ I feel good after viewing this post?” Does it make me feel motivated? Inspired? Connected? Great, keep following that account! Alternatively - does it make me feel lousy? Sad? In self-despair? Honor your feelings by listening to them, and get that post off your feed by muting or unfollowing ASAP!
Tailor Your Feed to Your Recovery Values
The accounts you are currently following may represent your life before recovery, Now, as you pursue recovery it is important to have your core values reflected on your feed. By following and interacting with more uplifting and recovery-aligned accounts and posts (and getting rid of the negative ones), you are creating a feed that reflects who you are and what you value in recovery.
Think About the Impact You Might Have on Others
Reflect on the types of comments you may leave on others’ posts. Do you find yourself often complimenting things like physical appearance? Challenge yourself to switch your comments from appearances to non-physical compliments or successes about your friends. Celebrate who people are, not what they look like, and don’t forget to include yourself in this too!
Set a Social Media Timer or Restriction
Most smartphones have a feature that allows you to set times on how long you can spend scrolling each day - you can even choose specific apps to limit! Additionally, many apps have a “not interested” option after you are shown a post to tailor your feed more towards posts that resonate with you positively.
When All Else Fails…Log Off For A Little While (Or, Honestly, Completely Deactivate)
There is nothing wrong with taking a social media break. Many look to social media to make themselves feel more connected and less alone - but there are other ways to seek this out and feel human connection than through a screen. For instance, you can invite a friend or a loved one to participate in a fun activity, like going for a nature walk, going to the movies, baking, or anything that resonates with you and your interests!
Overall, social media has offered a space for people to share about themselves and feel virtually connected to others. However, we know just how harmful it can be, especially for those recovering from an eating disorder. Aligning your social media with your recovery goals is a form of self-care, self-prioritization and a wonderful way to start the new year!
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. You can go to our YouTube page to watch our Fact Check Your Feed: Debunking Diet Misinformation Webinar to learn why trusting your favorite influencers’ diet advice may not be helping you, spot common nutrition myths with research-backed evidence, identify diet misinformation red flags, help your loved one or client think critically when using social media, and more.
Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services. Book a free consultation call below, or read more about our philosophy here.
This post was written by BALANCE Clinical Intern, Sajel Jani (she/her).
Sajel Jani is currently in her final year of Columbia University’s MSW program and holds a B.A. in Psychology from The College of New Jersey. Her passion lies in supporting clients on their eating disorder recovery journey, including finding confidence, self-empowerment, and what is considered healthy for them. Sajel is an active fighter against diet culture on social media and strives to spread messages of self-love and acceptance. Ultimately, she wants to pursue a career where she can help those struggling with an eating disorder discover the life they deserve without an eating disorder. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, going for walks, and reading. Sajel is excited and eager to learn from the talented staff at BALANCE and aid clients in their journeys toward recovery.