Social Media- To Distract or Not to Distract Part 2

"Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky.  Conscious breathing is my anchor."

 
                                                                        - Thich Nhat Hanh

In the last post, we explored how the use of social media can help us avoid uncomfortable feelings, move away from the present moment, and disconnect from our internal world.  It can offer temporary relief from loneliness, self-doubt, sadness, anxiety, and many other blocks to peace/happiness.  As with any activity, it is always helpful to understand our intent behind it.  When we sign on to a social media site, we can ask ourselves- Why am I choosing to utilize my time in this activity?  When the answer is to bring emotional relief, it may be wise to look inward.  It is easy to become dependent upon something external to help us feel safe, at ease, even loved.  This may sound familiar.  What we are talking about is the essence of an addiction. 

There is a saying in mental health circles-  “Addiction is addiction is addiction...”  Truly, any activity can become addictive, from eating food, shopping online, and going to work to taking pain medication or using alcohol/drugs.  The key to defining addiction is to know the intent behind it. With an addiction, the intent is to temporarily relieve us of an unpleasant emotional state.  If the activity does its job, we return to it again and then again until we have given up power over our internal world.  Hence, the 2^nd step in a 12-step program – "Admitted we were powerless over (fill in the blank)".  While there is currently no 12-step group designated to the overuse of social media, its addictive potential should not be dismissed.

Once we have identified our intent to avoid unpleasant emotions, then it is important to maintain our connection to the present moment.  How do we do this?  We can bring our attention to breath and body. 

The following exercise can be helpful:

Sit in a comfortable position, making sure the spine is straight and shoulders back. This opens up the diaphragm, located in the center of the ribcage, so that the breath can flow deeply. 

Inhale through the nose with the mouth closed.  As you inhale, notice the temperature of the air touching your nostrils, then flowing down the back of your throat. 

Exhale through the mouth and notice the warmth of the breath as it moves up from the throat. Notice the sound of the breath as well. 

If you find that your mind is jumbled up with thoughts, images, etc. see a snow globe in your mind’s eye. Imagine this is your mind and the bits of snow are just ‘static’.  See the snow floating downward and settling at the bottom of the globe as if this is the static of your mind settling.

Once the static has settled, see a door or a window in your mind’s eye and watch as it opens.  Imagine you are opening your mind to your innermost thoughts and emotions.  Allow whatever comes up to just come up and simply notice the information without judgement.

It is important to remember that there are no ‘shoulds’ to this practice.  We do not need to control the process, just to be present, open, and observant.  We serve only as a witness to what comes up and can respond with simple curiosity.