Let’s face it, the world today is going digital. Every day, we are bombarded with news, information, updates and so much more on social media. Currently, all of us are living amidst the pandemic and have gone through mental turmoil in one way or another. While so many people I know took a digital detox and went off social media to protect their mental well-being, can content creators and people who work in the digital field afford to do that every now and then? As someone who works in social media for a living, I started feeling extremely anxious because of the constant news and the global situation. That is when I finally built the courage to join an anxiety support group online. So, here’s an honest review of how it went and what I learnt in order to tackle my anxiety. For all you content creators and social media junkies, I hope this helps you!
How I came to know about the anxiety support session
In the month of May, the mental health platform ‘Therapize‘ organised a series of support sessions for people who wish to share their experiences and seek help. Out of all the sessions they organised, I chose to attend 4 sessions of dealing with anxiety due to the current scenario. The best part? They conducted them at a subsidised fee so more people could afford it. Out of the many important concepts, I particularly loved how the therapist taught me about differentiating between my ability and current functioning capacity. Ideally, you may hold the ability to work for 12 hours but keeping the current scenario in mind, you might only be able to function for 6-7 hours and that’s okay. You don’t need to bring your A-game every day, you deserve to take it easy on some days.
Everything I learnt during the sessions
Some of the major points the therapist touched upon were helplessness, the feeling of guilt, self-compassion and continuous feeling of stress. I personally loved how everyone got a chance to express their story and convey their emotions. This made me feel like I am not the only one going through this and we are all in this together. As someone whose livelihood depends on social media, I was given various activities and instructions on how to not let it overburden me. Moreover, the anxiety support group also dove into the concept of overthinking and how it can cause so much unnecessary stress. I slowly found myself opening up more and more to the other group members and also started monitoring my trigger points.
How to be kind to your mind
Healing from anxiety is not simple, and the process is different for everyone. As for me, by the end of my four sessions, I was feeling a little better about myself. I started incorporating the lifestyle changes and activities suggested by the therapist and I could feel a difference. Nothing monumental but everything starts slowly, amirite? Here are a few takeaways that really helped me be more mindful of myself and my anxiety.
- Any and all kinds of physical activity has helped me stay centered and focus on my present. Also, it’s a great way to release anger.
- Making gratitude notes every night has helped me quite a bit and that’s something I think you should defo try. This reminded me about how lucky I am to have so many things in my life.
- When things get hard, take one day at a time. I practised this while I was feeling anxious and I realized that not everything needs to be pre-planned in life.
- For someone like me, who works in the social media field, after work I make it a point to stay off my phone and social media platforms for at least one hour and do things like painting, reading a book etc.
- Don’t take on the guilt for something you couldn’t do. I worry too much and I am sure many of us do. These anxiety support sessions made me realise that I do not need to take responsibility for other people’s actions.
Well, these were a few things I learnt from my anxiety support group and honestly, I am so grateful to have been able to attend them. Currently, the times are tough and all of us should seek help whenever required, it’s nothing to be shy about. So, if you feel anxiety is getting to you, I sincerely hope you reach out to mental health professionals. Just remember, you’ll only be able to help others if you help yourself. Stay home, stay safe.