can I improve my mental health on Instagram? Don't let diet content kill your confidence

TL;DR: No matter how loud they may seem, your insecurities cannot be guessed just by looking at you. You can set yourself up for confidence and grounding by cultivating spaces where you feel your very best: in your kitchen [no, Harrison, not like that], with your friends, and in your social media experience. How? Careful + consistent pruning 🌱

my garden is a f*cking mess 🥀

As we're prepping our morning coffees this weekend, I looked over at my partner Caleb and asked, "are we planting anything this summer?" He answered with that look that a 14-year veteran teacher gives at the end of May.

I got the message loud and clear: if I want to see the garden glow-up this summer, it's my turn.

One of my greatest insecurities is that I feel extremely disorganized and messy almost 24/7. I pair it with my favorite flavor of anxiety: you're not doing enough! 

I try to reframe the way I can never find my keys or misplace my to-do list as the complementary chaos to a highly creative brain. But, admittedly, I'm not always that generous with myself. 

Anyway, the garden. Our backyard garden is usually tended to meticulously by Caleb. Now? Pierre barks at possums from what were once vegetable beds. Josie dug herself a cool resting hole for her belly between dead azaleas. 

Making the most of a dirt hole might as well be a metaphor for my past year of unrelenting grief, and also, I can spruce up the garden and feel 10x better about being out in my yard. 

The same is true for our brain garden, our social media garden, our workplace garden, and our relationship garden. We don't have to scorch the earth and start over; we can maintain regular care and gentle pruning and create spaces that support us. 

What is the cost of letting these spaces run themselves? Well, in the case of social media, you might find yourself digesting content that doesn't serve your headspace. It creeps in! 

I felt like, all of a sudden, it was super high protein breakfasts, somatic exercises to undo my trauma, "become unrecognizable in 3 months," and another 5 reasons I should stop lifting and do pilates. Oh, can't forget the 12-step anti-aging skincare routine. 

Let me walk you through how to update your social media preferences so you can keep your headspace (aka mental health) feeling well-bloomed instead of sunburnt by endless summer body talk! It's two easy steps:

step one: clean up the Search & Explore tab

If Instagram is suggesting content you don't want to see, you can hold down the post in the Explore tab and mark it as Not Interested.

For posts in your feed, you can top the 3 dots in the top right corner and select Hide. Or, simply block, mute, or unfollow the creator.

step two: reset your Ad preferences

Go to your profile and select the 3 horizontal lines at the top right corner. Tap Accounts Center.

In the Accounts Center, scroll down and select Ad preferences.

Under Customized Ads, scroll down to Ad Topics. 

Type topics into the search bar and select "See Less" for the topics you wish to limit.

I hope this reminds you of a few crucial facts: 

1. virtually no one can see your biggest insecurities

   
   

2. tending to your literal and figurative gardens is an act of self-care, even if it's annoying

   
   

3. having spaces, like our kitchens, cars, workspaces, bedrooms, and gardens, that make us feel good are spaces worth caring for, pruning, and customizing for our needs. 

Of course, the space between your ears is the one that deserves the most tending.

Remember: how you talk to yourself about yourself matters. It has nothing to do with nutrition and yet can completely transform your relationship with food + movement. 

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