1. Limit your use - you can do this by tracking the amount of time you spend on social media. There are apps to help you do this. You can then program how long you would like to spend on each platform each day and when you hit that limit, the app will kick you out. 2. Disable notifications - social media platforms are really invested in making sure we are on the platform as much as possible. So, if the algorithm notices you haven't been on there for a little while

Is social media impacting you in a negative way? Here is a checklist of questions it might be useful for us all to ask ourselves from time to time… Are you spending more time on social media than you are interacting face-to-face? If you're on social media more than you’re talking to people in person, that might equal a problem. It may mean that you are becoming isolated or withdrawn. And when you are face-to-face with people, are you truly engaging with them or the activity

Social media gets a really bad press when it comes to the impact that it has on our mental health. And although last week we did look at those negative impacts, it can also have positive impacts on how we are (if we use it in a routine, not a heavy or substantial way). The main aim of social media is to help us to stay connected to people. That can be especially helpful if we live somewhere remote, have social anxiety or agoraphobia, have limited independence and if there's a

Studies are showing us that there is a link between heavy or substantial social media use and depression, anxiety, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. The studies categorize heavy or substantial use as 4+ hours a day. You may think that seems an absolutely incredible amount, but if you track the amount of time you use social media each day, you might be surprised by how much that adds up to. And it isn't just heavy social media use which can cause negative impacts, it's an

How social media impacts our mental health.

1. Don't wait for the perfect moment It doesn't exist. Don't wait until you're both sat down, in good moods and there's nothing else going on in your lives, in order to talk. It's just not going to happen. You can have a conversation when there are other things going on. You can talk in the car or in a café. So don't wait for the perfect moment because you'll be waiting forever. 2. Ask twice We're often asked, ‘how are you?’ And our response is usually something like, ‘yeah,

Here are 5 things that you can do to help prevent and combat mental health stigma. 1. Don't label people You wouldn’t say someone was ‘cancerous’ or ‘diseased’ and the same goes with mental health. Instead of saying ‘they’re schizophrenic’ or ‘they’re bipolar’, try saying ‘they have schizophrenia’ and ‘they have bipolar disorder’. Even try switching ‘they’re depressed and anxious’ with ‘they are suffering with depression and anxiety’. Don't label people as what it is that

Did you know that those with mental health problems are amongst the least likely group, of all those who suffer with a long-term health problem to hold down a job, to be in a long-term steady relationship, to live in decent housing and to be socially accepted by society? Part of what fuels those difficulties is mental health stigma. So, today’s focus is on what you, as the person who is struggling could do to help others better understand what you’re experiencing. Stigma is o

3rd Feb 2022 hosts ‘Time to Talk Day’! Time to Talk Day is all about coming together, talking about our mental health, listening to others talk about their mental health and trying to instigate some change. What often stops people from feeling like they can, or they want to open up about how they're feeling is the stigma they perceive other people carry around mental health. Or, the stigma, perhaps that they carry around mental. So, this month, we're going to be challenging m

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