Do you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the outrage on social media… or is it just me?
Waves of Social Media Outrage
The last few years have been filled with one major event after another that causes a tidal wave of outrage on social media. I get knocked over when I consume too much of it. Then I completely disconnect just so I can get my feet back on the ground. Which sometimes leaves me feeling guilty because I’m not more aware and connected to what’s going on. Can you relate?
As artists recovering from trauma we are in a state of healing. So it’s especially important that we pay attention to how social media is affecting us. Part of healing is building resilience. What I’ve been finding helpful in building resilience to the social media outrage is having awareness, accountability, and taking action.
Artists are Observers
We can’t change anything if we aren’t aware of it. Kind of obvious, right? As artists, we have a unique sensitivity and awareness to the world around us. So a musician is going to notice rhythms and melodies of the sounds around them. Visual artists notice the reflection of light in strange and surprising ways. We also tend to have a deeper connection to people and their stories when our creativity is connected to emotions.
So it’s no wonder that we would get knocked down by the outrage on social media when we are acutely aware of the world around us all the time. Also, I think this is true for all artists, not just those of us who have experienced trauma. For those of us healing from past trauma, it’s important to remember that it’s ok to get overwhelmed by all of this. The trauma itself is an overwhelm of our system. We are already in a state of healing from that traumatic event.
So here’s a little reminder to be kind to yourself and give yourself time to heal.
Awareness of Social Media Overwhelm
First, ask yourself right in this moment, “How am I feeling?” You may have 26 different adjectives to describe your feelings in detail…or none at all. Either one is totally ok. I had years where I was so disconnected from my body and emotions that I couldn’t answer this question at all.
If you’re like me, here’s one simple way to reconnect with your body. Put your attention from the top of my head down to your toes. Just notice. You’ll become aware of sensations in your body you didn’t even know were there.
One way to help with connecting to your emotions is using an emotion wheel. Start from the middle and work your way to the outer edges of the circle to pinpoint more specific ways you’re feeling at the moment. There’s no shame in using this wheel or any other tool to help you connect with your emotions. It gets easier over time, too.
Throughout the day, check in with your emotional and physical state. From here, we can start to see how social media specifically affects us. Pay attention to how you’re feeling before going on social media. Then check in to see how you’re feeling after social media use. It’s useful to write this all down because you’re likely to see some patterns. You may see that certain times of day, subjects, or people you interact with bring up the same physical or emotional feelings. You can make better decisions to build your resilience when you have that awareness.
Ask for Accountability
So now let’s say you started to notice that you get overwhelmed from certain subjects. It’s probably because you care deeply about them. Which means you’re going to want to be informed and stay connected. But a lot of times these subjects are so big that no individual could possibly fix them. That can lead us feeling hopeless or more agitated because we don’t know what to do.
This is where accountability comes in. If we’re getting overwhelmed we are over-consuming this content. When we care very deeply about something, we are naturally going to want to stay in it. But all that does is stall our healing. We can’t be very effective at helping others if we are still in need of help.
Limit Social Media Use
So we need a way to be on social media less often that actually works. What I have found is that having accountability partners is the most effective way to do that. Yes, I still put my phone in a different room, turn it off at times, and have restrictions on it. But when it’s up to my own will power, those things aren’t enough. When I try to do it alone, I inevitably fail and start beating myself up about it until I give up completely. I’ll think, ‘I guess I’m not strong enough” or “ I need a better morning routine”.
One reason having an accountability partner is more effective is that I feel cared for knowing someone will check in on me. They can pull me out of my negative self-talk when I tell them about my failures. It may not be comfortable to let someone know that you’re struggling, but it’s really helpful.
Putting limits on how much social media we consume helps us grow more resilient because we need rest in order to heal. When we heal we can be more effective in the areas we care deeply about.
Take Action
One way to do take action is to use art to process our emotions. The way I do that is through painting. I start with some colors and music that match my mood and let it out on the canvas. I harness my energy into the painting to get it out. The painting may then be very expressive. Sometimes I even throw paint on the canvas. It’s less about the outcome, and more about just getting it out. I often get to a deeper understanding of what I’m feeling as images emerge.
Release Energy with Movement
Another action is to move your body. Our creative process may be a way we can do that. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout. Dancing in your living room is a great way to move your body! Think of simple movements you can do anywhere. Remember my rage cleaning? Getting the energy out by moving our body is so healing.
Yoga is also useful because it connects your breath with your body. It will also bring awareness to our body. Honestly, if you want to know where you’re tight or sore, yoga will tell you!
The Calming Order of Nature
My last action step is to take time to observe nature. Even just 5 or 10 minute breaks looking out of the window and watching the clouds go by is helpful. You’ve probably already heard how healing nature is. I’m not talking about mountain hikes in some secluded area because that isn’t accessible to everyone. Stepping outside to watch the trees sway in the wind is enough to get a taste of the healing power of nature.
There is an order to nature that is very calming. Alan Watts talks about how we don’t look at a cloud and think it is misshapen. We don’t judge the trees growing all gnarly and off balance. Instead we see them as beautiful. I think when we’re overwhelmed, nature gives us a short break from the pain and struggles in the world. The calming effect is healing and restorative and helps us persevere.
You are Valuable
As artists we’ve been given a gift to create beauty out of brokenness. We need to take care of ourselves as people living among the brokenness and healing from things done to us. So that we can create beauty that the world so desperately needs. That we so desperately need, too.
I just want you to know that wherever you are in your trauma recovery or artist’s journey, that you are so deeply valued just as you are. It doesn’t matter how much art you’re making. It’s ok if you have a lot of days where you feel overwhelmed and you have to pull back from what’s going on in the world around you. Your worth and your value are not determined by the things that you do. They are a part of who you are.
How do you deal with social media outrage or feeling overwhelmed?
Share your thoughts below. 💬
Victor hunter
says:I am not a big Social Media person, but I get overwhelmed by family members’ use of it. Therefore, my solution is to avoid it as much as possible.
Angie Edwards
says:Thanks for joining the conversation Victor! I think avoiding social media as much as possible is a good solution. I am trying to create more and consume less with social media. But I have a hard time with that and often find myself consuming more than creating. That’s where the problem lies for me. Less time on social media is a good thing, in my opinion. Whether it’s creating or consuming. There are so many better things we can be doing with our time!