Let’s face it, Facebook can be a real time suck. I’m guilty of going down the rabbit hole clicking from link to link, scrolling through a coworker’s 400 recently posted vacation photos, and searching for old beaus.
But there are days (I can remember a few doozies when I was home recovering after surgery), where Facebook was instrumental in shifting my mood and preventing that downward spiral that can haunt me on the rough days.
No matter how swimmingly things may be going in my life, dealing with intense chronic pain cantake it’s toll some days. Or like everyone, I just have a plain ‘ol bad day. I remember one day in particular when I woke up and felt discouraged by the pain and started to slip into a pity party. Instead of my usual happy, healthy morning routine of green juice and meditation, I hid further down under the comforter, grabbed my phone and started trolling through Facebook in pure procrastination and escape.
Twenty minutes later my mood had taken a sharp turn, and I even found myself laughing out loud at a silly video, encouraged and ready to face the day.
1) Inspirational quotes – There is an overabundance of these wrapped in flowery borders, but sometimes the exact one you need will smack you in the face.
2) Gratitude – Seeing a post from a friend I had seen the night before and shooting a thank you message to another friend who had sent me a wonderful Christmas package that brightened my day helped to remind me of how much I have to be grateful for, even on the challenging days.
3) Instant community – Connecting with like minded people in my B-school Group, Jazzercise Instructor Group and Detox Coaching Group is a sure fire way to get my creative juices flowing and shift my mood.
4) Informative articles – Though I sometimes feel the effects of information overload, there is also a headline that grabs me with just the information I need that provides coping strategies like the MindBodyGreen article ………
5) Perspective – This is what I return to time and again when I encounter obstacles. As I read posts to get updated on a friend’s battle for her life, I am once again reminded of how precious life is and know that I don’t want to waste one more moment in bed surfing on Facebook.
Sometimes it’s helpful to burrow under the covers and get lost in the Facebook feed. You can find connection, gratitude, community, and inspiration.
Then take that, go offline, and share it with the world.