Are we ruining our milestone moments?

We always joke about the infamous line, “if we don’t post it on social, did it even happen?”, but is this way of thinking that is now ingrained in us ruining our big milestone moments?

Image by Amina Filkins on Pexels

Recently, a family member announced that after many years of trying, they are going to have a baby. This was immediately followed by asking us to please not post anything on social media. Why do we have to be asked not to share news that isn’t ours or feel like if we don’t post our happy moments online, they feel less significant?

Social media can be a great resource for sharing in others happiness or getting support when we need it most, but I just feel like the instant gratification we get from others “liking” our posts is such a high that is has now become an addiction.

It can also send us into this comparison tunnel of thinking how can we share our big news bigger than this person did or when we see others posting we think, when will it be our turn to announce news? This takes away from the beauty and enjoyment of the moment.

Image from TechWireAsia, Nov 2017, Cheh

While it can be exciting to share our happy or sad moments with the world, we also need to pay attention to when and how we do it. Some family and friends can be upset if they are finding out important news online and weren’t present to celebrate the moment with you or find out after everyone else has.

Whether it be an engagement, baby announcement, or even the death of someone we love, we immediately have the urge to grab our phones and post online. We need to be mindful that we aren’t letting these moments be less significant or validating if we don’t get the amount of likes or well wishes we were anticipating.

Finally, if you want to enjoy a moment with yourself or the ones you love, don’t feel pressured to have to post it online right away. Yes, it did still happen even if it isn’t documented online. Sometimes, we just need to revel in the good and bad moments and live in the present!

What are your thoughts on this? Should we slow down and enjoy moments a little longer before sharing our news with the rest of the world?

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Has Social Media Influenced Your Fitness Journey?

The pandemic made a huge impact on the fitness industry and its shift to online and social media. In a time where we were practically locked inside, we could now bring fitness into our living rooms.

As with everything online, there are negatives and things to be aware of with social media and its influence on the fitness industry. There are also so many positive ways that social media can be used in your fitness journey. This post is to highlight both.

Image by Tim Samuel on Pixels

What should I be aware of?

Trusted Sources

These days, anyone can be an influencer or have their workout videos go viral, but you need to be aware and sure that you are taking advice from a trusted source. There is so much misinformation online that can be harmful to your health, so you need to be mindful of where it is coming from and if it works for you. There is no one size fits all when it comes to health!

Body Image & Mental Health

While it is great to see so much body positivity popping up on social media, there can still be the stigma of the “perfect” body image. It can be so easy to get sucked into the comparison game and get down on yourself for not looking the way an influencer or trainer does. Follow those who inspire you and pay attention to your mental health and the way you are talking to yourself.

How can I use social media positively?

Knowledge & Proper Form

So many trainers are now posting videos and “how-to” tutorials on proper form to educate beginners. You may want to follow a workout online but injure yourself by doing an exercise incorrectly. Some trainers are realizing the importance of not only posting an exercise but how to complete it correctly. You can also gain so much information on ways to fuel your body and tips for your workouts. Again, just be mindful on where this information is coming from!

Inspiration & Ideas

Social media platforms are now full of videos of workouts for beginners to experienced athletes. When I don’t feel like leaving my house, I will go on YouTube to find a routine I can follow based on how much time I have or how much energy I have that day. It is also great for finding new exercise inspiration. I love creating bootcamp style workouts, but it can consist of the same exercises. Scrolling through trainer videos, it helps with finding new exercises to incorporate that I haven’t tried before.

Connection

With the reach of social media, people now have access to trainers and trainers now have access to clients all around the world. It is so much easier to find someone who inspires you, subscribe to their content or even purchase one of their training programs. Trainers can grow their following and extend their reach connecting with clients anywhere in the world as well. If you are feeling unmotivated or want to share your journey with others, there are many groups on Facebook or forums you can join for added support.

A couple of my favourites…

I follow so many fitness accounts, but my top two favourite are Royally Fit & All Day Fit as they are local to me but also share many of my values. Check them out!

Royally Fit (@royallyfit) – Led by female trainers, this group is focused on fun workouts and building an inclusive, comfortable environment for bodies of every size.

All Day Fit (@alldayfit.co) – Cassie, the owner, is so full of energy and positivity. Their posts are often educational and focus on proper form and how to properly complete an exercise to avoid injuries.

I would love to hear from you! Has social media had an impact on your fitness journey? Who do you follow for inspiration or motivation?

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Online Game Changers: 3 People Making an Impact on Social Media

Social media influencers are everywhere these days and have been able to grow their careers and personal brands using only their social media channels. It has now even become a career path that kids aspire to have.

In my opinion, the ones with the greatest impact are those who show up as their authentic selves and align with brands which follow their values and aren’t just out there to make money.

There are so many amazing people that are making a difference in the world through their online presence. It was tough to choose but this post is to highlight a few of my favourite people to follow on social media. To me, they are industry game changers that everyone should follow.

Lisa Bilyeu

Lisa Bilyeu is the co-founder of Quest Nutrition, creator of Impact Theory, founder and host of Women of Impact, and most recently a best-selling author. Along with her husband Tom and his business partners, she co-founded Quest Nutrition. They started shipping nutrition bars from their living room and built it into a multi-billion dollar company.

Why You Should Follow Her: Not only is Lisa Bilyeu a total badass, but her brand is about empowering people, especially women, to be unapologetically themselves. Her and Tom founded Impact Theory, a channel where they create videos of “empowering ideas and interviews” with inspirational people. She is also the founder and host of the Women of Impact channel which features stories of “real” women and how they overcame struggle to reach their success. Both brand’s videos are found on YouTube with snippets being featured on other social media apps. Her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts are full of images of inspirational quotes. If you ever need a pick-me-up, following Lisa will give you a major boost of confidence and helps you to believe in yourself again.

Facebook: Lisa Bilyeu Instagram: @lisabilyeu TikTok: lisa_bilyeu YouTube: WomenofImpact

Image: Taken from @lisabilyeu on Instagram

Alicia Mccarvell

According to her Facebook bio, Alicia Mccarvell is a ‘TikTok creator passionate about comedy, her husband, and self-love’. On TikTok, she has a massive following of 5.7 million.

Why You Should Follow Her: Alicia is inspiring because she challenges societal norms on a daily basis. She faces so much online bullying for the way her and her husband “don’t make sense”. I love the way she challenges the haters without giving hate back. She is real in the way that she doesn’t just post when things are going well. She posts about her bad days and has reminded followers that she too is also on a self-love journey. Alicia only aligns with brands that fit with her values, not just ones that want to pay her. She is from the East Coast and naturally hilarious, often posting videos of her pranking her husband. She is a genuine light that everyone should follow for some more positivity on their feeds.

Facebook: Alicia Mccarvell Instagram: @aliciamccarvell TikTok: @aliciamccarvell

Image & Caption: Taken from @AliciaMccarvell Facebook

Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty is a best-selling author, life coach and hosts the #1 health and wellness podcast in the world. He left a career in finance to live as a monk for 3 years and seems to have made it his mission to pass along these teachings and values to others.

Why You Should Follow Him: Jay Shetty is one of the biggest names known around the globe and it’s easy to see why. His mission is to make a meaningful impact on the world. Living as a monk for 3 years taught him values that he tries to pass on to others every day through his podcast and YouTube episodes. His podcast has grown to be #1 in the health and wellness category and one of my favourites. He interviews some of the most influential and fascinating people about their lives, struggles, and successes. His Facebook and Instagram accounts also feature funny videos of himself and his wife which make him more relatable. If you find yourself needing some inspiration in life, Jay Shetty is one to watch and follow for sure.

Facebook: Jay Shetty Instagram: @jayshetty TikTok: @jayshetty YouTube: Jay Shetty

Video: Taken from Jay Shetty Podcast page on YouTube

I am always on the lookout for who I should follow next. Who are some of your favourite people to follow? Why do you like following them? Let me know in the comments below!

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Positive Ways to Combat ‘Social Media Anxiety’

For me, social media can be such a love-hate relationship. Unfortunately, there are so many negative aspects including cyberbullying that we must watch out for but, it seems what we really have to watch in ourselves is social media’s link to anxiety and depression. It seems that this has only increased in everyone with the pandemic.

In a 2021 article posted by CIRA, it was reported that 6 in 10 Canadian’s screen time had increased during the pandemic. I know my screen time increased during that time because we were stuck at home in isolation with nothing else to do! Due to the increase in time spent on social media apps, I became addicted, and my anxiety had reached an all time high.

My ‘social media anxiety’ showed itself in a few different forms. Over the past few years, I have developed major FOMO (fear of missing out). There was a time when we weren’t even allowed out in groups, but I felt that others were having better isolation experiences and I was missing out. Why was that even a concern during that time?! I also started to develop feelings of inadequacy and lowered self-esteem because my life isn’t where it “should” be. Everyone else seems to be getting engaged or having kids and I felt like I didn’t know when it was going to be my turn and I “should” be doing those things at my age too.

Photo by Yan Krukov on Pexels

While we all tend to have these feelings, especially when we spend too much time online, I have managed to combat this anxiety by focusing on using social media apps in a positive way!

So how can we turn our social media anxiety around?

Support Groups/Pages

In the last year, I was diagnosed with health issues and felt very alone in my experience. I ended up finding pages on Facebook with women who have joined with the same diagnosis. These Facebook support groups have become a space where you can share your experiences, post articles, and get advice on how to manage your health. There are so many different pages and groups that you can join online based on hobbies, likes, and experiences that they are great places to turn to for community and help you to not feel so alone.

Follow Those Who Inspire You

Recently, I’ve taken a good look through the list of accounts and people I follow, particularly on Instagram. While unintentional, many accounts you follow can throw you into the comparison game. You slowly start to feel inadequate and maybe not “fit” enough, or where you should be in life. This is toxic. I did a mass unfollowing and now follow only those who inspire me. I love following influencers who are body positive at every size and business moguls I can get tips from. I enjoy scrolling because I feel more inspired and like I can accomplish these things too rather than negatively comparing myself to others.

Limit Time Online & Take a Break

This is a tip many will suggest doing when you have anxiety but that is because it works! During the pandemic, I found myself going into TikTok scrolling spirals for hours on end. It is easy to go scrolling and find out you have been at it for hours. It is not always easy but I’m working to limit my time on social media. I try not to look at it during the day while at work and only for small periods of time throughout the night. If I am with friends or family, I’m working on not picking up my phone while spending time together. When I find the anxiety really starts to creep in, I’ll challenge myself to a full day or weekend detox.

Change Your Why

So many of us are used to turning to social media as a distraction. It takes away awkward silences or gives you something to do while waiting for an appointment. What has helped me, is changing my reasoning for going online. Now I find I like scrolling for new recipe ideas or exercise routines to try out instead of mindlessly scrolling to look at anything and everything.

While these ideas may not work for everyone, my hope is that they can help when the anxiety starts to show up inside. It can affect everyone in a negative way and if you have it, you definitely aren’t alone. As much negativity as social media can have, there are so many ways it can be used positively!

I’d love to hear from you! What are some tips and tricks on how you use social media positively?  

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