Loving Our Unfiltered Selves

(mouse clicks) (gentle music) Headspace Studios. (light serene music) Hi, friends, it's Rosie. Welcome to Radio Headspace, and to Wednesday. This week is all about self-compassion, and today we're exploring this topic in a realm that's increasingly important. Social media. If I'm honest with you all, I have a love/not love relationship with social media. I understand it's value and have benefited substantially from having a presence online, but I know that many people struggle finding balance with it. So this is what we'll get into today. How do we cultivate a self-compassionate mindset amid the pressures and expectations of digital perfection? (light serene music) For example, one of my Mindfulness students, let's call her Jade, was a social media influencer. Her job was to look perfect, sound upbeat, and maintain a constant presence online. But behind the scenes, she was fighting a battle with negative self-talk and self-image. And though we may not all be influencers, many of us can relate to showing the world our best side, even when we don't feel our best. In Jade's case, she was burdened by the unrealistic standards set by her online persona. She was exhausted, feeling as though she was living a double life, and had taken a break from social media at the recommendation of her therapist. Jade came to me for some coaching to supplement her therapy sessions. She and I began our work on self-compassion. I encouraged her to view her insecurities and anxieties as valid emotions, not as signs of weakness. She learned to anchor herself in the present moment, rather than getting lost in the spiral of comparison. And, she began to change her relationship with her audience. She shared her real experience wholeheartedly, and began dismantling the facade of perfection one post at a time. And all this continues to this day. In today's hyperconnected world it's so easy to fall into the trap of constantly scrolling through social media feeds seeking validation and connection. I've certainly found myself caught up in this cycle. Checking my social media feeds multiple times a day, hitting refresh incessantly, and unknowingly activating the comparing mind. As I've said before, comparing ourselves is a common source of unhappiness that can affect our wellbeing both online and offline. It's an unrealistic expectation that can poison the progress we should be proud of in our own right. Instead of getting caught up in the endless spiral of comparison, we can learn to cultivate a sense of gratitude for the present moment, paying attention to the small joys and accomplishments in our lives, and celebrating them without the need for external validation. And, of course, this won't happen overnight, but here are some practical tips to help us get there. Tip number one, practice mindful consumption. Remember, you control the content you consume. If something feels toxic, disengage. Put down your phone. Even just not looking at your phone for five seconds can help you unplug from your feed and move on...