Change Your Feed, Change Your Mood?

 
Last year I realized that my Instagram feed was making me feel bad about myself and about my life. Whenever I opened up Instagram, my mood became increasingly sour. I debated deleting my account altogether but instead I decided to try something else – changing  up my feed. I began unfollowing accounts that didn’t inspire, educate, or entertain me, and I began following more accounts that I related to and that diversified my feed and my mind.
 
The accounts I follow now fall into a few buckets. These groups are not mutually exclusive, many accounts fall into multiple buckets:

1. People I know outside of social media like friends, family, etc.
2. People who have similar interests or experiences (e.g. PhD students, women in academia, dog moms, etc.)
3. Creators that educate me in some way
4. Creators that make me laugh and post relatable content
5. Creators that inspire me and make me feel good about myself, including women who advocate for body positivity, self-love, and body acceptance
6. Brands, non-profits, organizations that I like and whose missions I value

 
I also unfollowed a lot of accounts. A big change was that I unfollowed influencers who I categorize as “aspirational” creators. In other words, their feeds are beautifully curated pictures of beautifully perfect lives that we’re all expected to aspire to – luxury travel, perfect food, perfect bodies, everything is aesthetically pleasing and color coordinated… You know what I mean. Everything is perfect. And in my view, not authentic. By unfollowing these feeds, I was making a conscious effort to focus on authenticity instead of aesthetics. I want accounts that show the good and the bad, the perfect and the imperfect, the human side of social media. I also unfollowed a lot of celebrities who I was following for no reason other than that they were a celebrity.  
 
When I look at my feed now, I feel good. I see inspiring, funny, awesome people who I would love to know in real life and who brighten up my day. So, if social media makes you feel bad, try this out and let me know if it helps!
 
Questions? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments! 

​