Rx for Resilience: Boundaries
Last week, several social media company executives were grilled by members of Congress for their role in suicides and depression among young people, in particular. But you don’t have to be a teenager to be influenced by the dark side of social media - people who misrepresent who they are, people who exaggerate their “wonderful” lives, and some people who are just plain mean on social media channels. These things can impact us the most when are at our most vulnerable, when we have had a loss, an illness, or are dealing with other challenges in our lives or with those we love like aging parents or a terminally ill best friend.
Whether it is legislated or not, we can decide to set boundaries with social media and individuals who are negative and divisive. Personal choice is powerful and the more we think intentionally about the people — in person or online—who support our dreams and goals and those who thwart them, the more we contribute to our own mental health and wellbeing. Our ability to achieve our goals depends on our boundaries and how well we manage ourselves and others.
Consider the boundaries you need to have for yourself to manage yourself optimally. This may be moderation with substances, work, and other things that keep you off kilter. If you have a current addiction or struggle with maintaining your center of calm, get help. It may be the ability to plug out of television and/or social media so that you can cultivate your inner knowing and trust your own valuable, reliable judgment.
We can also choose silence over noise, simplicity over too many inputs, and order over factors that create chaos in our lives. There are life situations we cannot control and there are choices which we do control. When we choose healthy boundaries, powerful Nos, and powerful Yeses, we keep our mental fortitude strong and can meet any challenge - self-imposed or life-imposed.
