When social media feels difficult
Online spaces can give you connection, ideas and support. They can also leave you drained or take more of your time than you want. Start with how your own use feels and what you would like to be different.
Your relationship with online life.
The same platform can be helpful in one situation and difficult in another. Connection, expression and access to support can sit alongside pressure, comparison or upsetting content.
This is an experience and support page. It does not assign an addiction diagnosis from minutes online or assume that social media caused a mental health difficulty.
Based on Mind
Keep the connection. Make room for your day.
- What helps
Connections and support you want to keep
- What interrupts
A pattern that gets in your way
- One adjustment
A change that fits your circumstances
- Your review
Whether it helped what matters to you
Keep, adjust, review.
Keep: name a community, conversation or activity that supports you. Adjust: choose one interruption or pattern you would like less of. Review: notice whether the change helped the part of your life you care about.
These are optional reflection prompts, not a treatment protocol. There is no daily limit, score or personal history to enter here.
Notice the effect, rather than counting a failure.
You can reflect on one part of your day without judging your whole online life.
Your connection
How you feel before and after a particular online activity.
Notifications
Whether notifications interrupt something you want to do.
Your sleep
Whether online activity is getting in the way of sleep or responsibilities.
Your priorities
The people, information and communities you want to keep.
Understand what you want to change.
Consider the activity, its context and its effect on your own day. Hours alone cannot explain whether you are finding connection, doing work, seeking support or feeling pulled into something unwanted.
If distress, sleep difficulties or other mental health concerns persist, you can discuss them with a professional. You do not need a social-media label or a screen-time score to ask for help.
- 1What is useful?
Name something online that you want to keep.
- 2What feels difficult?
Choose one effect on your day, sleep or wellbeing.
- 3What would fit?
Consider a change that respects your work, access and relationships.
Make room for what matters to you.
Choose an option that fits your circumstances. You can leave the others.
Quiet an interruption
Consider changing one notification setting during an activity you want to focus on.
Shape your feed
Review a source of pressure or upsetting content and decide whether to mute or unfollow it.
Keep your connection
Protect an online friendship or support space you value while adjusting another part of your use.
Try a change that leaves room for your needs.
You can choose what feels useful, with room for your circumstances and preferences.
Based on Mind
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Find care or prepare a conversation. You can ask for help before you have a diagnosis.
Your first sentence does not need to be perfect.
Ask yourself what you want more room for and what is worth keeping. One small change can be a starting point; you can adapt it when you learn what works for you.
Based on Mind
“Some online activity is helpful, and some is affecting my wellbeing. I would like support with the difficult part without losing the connection I value.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
Our editorial approach