#Authenticity: Don’t Let Social Media Affect Your Self-Esteem

What is real? What’s real is that I am a twin mom with a very “imperfect” body by society’s standards. It’s been five years now and I still haven’t lost all my baby weight. What’s real is my hair (on most days) is a hot mess and I wear sweatpants 5 out of 7 days a week. What’s real is that although I adore being a twin mother and don’t know how I lived without my boys before they were here, this parenting thing is hard on a daily basis. What’s real is that I haven’t been on a “real” vacation in almost ten years.

 

The truth is, social media does not depict real life and that’s something we must remember. I post my “best” pictures and moments on Instagram, but I also post things that feel natural and are authentic…. things that show the “real” me. By not having some sense of authenticity in our postings, we are creating a façade. And doing that kind of creates a psychological barrier between what your portraying and what’s real. Its almost most like living two lives in a way and one of them takes a lot of work to keep up.

 

Here are some tips for staying authentic and maintaining your self-esteem with social media…

 

Step 1 Detox

Take a two-day detox from all social media. That means no posting and no looking whatsoever. The best thing to do is delete the apps from your phone and then add them back two days later. This will give you the necessary real-life breather you need, especially if you are an avid poster.

If you can, try this once a month.

 

Step 2 Unfollow Some Folks

When you come back from your detox, unfollow people that make you feel uncomfortable or super insecure. The ones that make life look like it is perfect all the time are not portraying reality and if it will help you temporarily, unfollow some of them.

 

Step 3 Be Real in Your posts

Try to incorporate real aspects of your life. You don’t have to post a picture of yourself depressed in bed but when you are depressed in bed, don’t post an old pic of you on a beach living your best life. Instead, why not be real and post a pretty motivational quote and caption it saying, “I am not having the best of days but trying to keep my head up #motivation.” It’s authentic and it can still look pretty on your timeline and I bet your followers will appreciate it.

 

Step 4 Follow Positive People
There is nothing wrong with following your favorite celebrities, magazines, and even TV shows but balance that out with following people that are positive and inspirational so that you are getting a healthy and balanced mental download every time you log on.

1 Comment
  1. I appreciate your openness with the readers Allyson. Authenticity is always a goal of mine, which for some means, self-care than showcasing (the good, bad or ugly of) life on social media. Congrats on being the mother of twin boys! Motherhood is real work and I applaud your grind! I will share that I decided to take a break from reading posts as well. I’ve started to limit my social media days to no more than a few days a month. I found that being “happy” for others does not always give me energy–even draining as I reflect on my own life. #Self-care #Gratitude #BeAuthentic #SocialMediaDetox

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