At all times, we take a look at Instagram to see what our friends are doing. A quick read of a text about politics on Facebook, a like on a new dance on TikTok. On WhatsApp, friends send funny stickers, while corporate groups discuss activities and meetings. This happens before, during, and after work.Attention: your mental health is being affected by so many stimuli, which can harm your professional performance.
Brazil is the 3rd country that uses social media the most in the world, with an average of 3 hours and 42 minutes per day. Considering all countries, Brazil ranks only behind the Philippines and Colombia, which spend an average of 4 hours and 15 minutes and 3 hours and 45 minutes, respectively. These data were revealed by a study released by the platformCupomValido.com.br, which compiled information from Hootsuite and WeAreSocial about global social media usage.We are also above the average in the percentage of the population that uses social media: 70% of Brazilians, which represents more than 150 million users. Globally, more than 4 billion people, or 53.6% of the population, use social media.
The importance of social networks today for entertainment, communication, and work is undeniable. Your impact on the individual's mental health is also clear and has been increasingly studied. A study conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) in the United Kingdom, in partnership with the Youth Health Movement, pointed out that the most used social networks cause positive or harmful effects on human health, depending on how they are used. Furthermore, they are described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol.
This new universe of communication can affect professional performance in various ways. Firstly, causing a lack of focus and concentration. The addiction to staying connected to multiple networks at the same time already has a name: FOMO, the acronym for the English phrase "fear of missing out," which in Portuguese means something like "fear of being left out." Like any addiction, the constant need to know what's happening on social media distracts from concentration and focus on work, hampers reasoning, and reduces productivity, which can lead to delays in deadlines and distractions that even pose safety risks, such as using a cell phone while driving.
Thus, it is certain that another effect of the abusive use of social networks is anxiety. The impression that others' lives are more interesting, complete, colorful, and important than your own, and the speed at which images and texts follow one another, give a sense of helplessness — while a successful post can cause instant euphoria. There are many ups and downs at the touch of a cell phone.
The excess of negative news and unpleasant comments are constant stimuli that affect mood and the sense of security. At the same time, social media exert pressure for optimism, success, consumerism, and an impossible perfection to achieve. This inconsistency is a definite trigger for cases of depression.
Photo sharing apps are especially harmful to self-image, creating a false reality of a perfect life through edits of the best moments of ordinary lives.Instagram itself, knowing that 70% of young people revealed that the app made them feel worse about their self-image — a number that rises to 90% among women — changed the way it displays the number of likes in 2022.
Intellectual and professional losses are not limited to distractionAll this load of frustrations, desires, anger, and fear comes to the surface in daily life and can be taken out on colleagues, friends, or family. The avid social media user does not rest the mind and becomes an anxious person. It is essential for companies to be attentive to this scenario and promote this dialogue in the workplace, creating safe spaces for employees to share their experiences and seek help when necessary. Furthermore, organizations need to establish a protocol for cell phone use during work in a healthy manner, benefiting everyone without causing workers to lose focus or feel uncomfortable and repressed. Leaders and managers can act as facilitators in this process, identifying areas of concern that require adjustments, such as the excessive use of WhatsApp work groups.
We have prepared some tips that can help leaders and teams develop a healthier relationship with social media, thus protecting their emotional health:
- Make a self-criticism about your presence on social media. If you think it's harming your productivity, do a detox: disable your phone notifications, choose only one social network to check during the day, and do so during break times.
- Stay focused and put your phone aside during conversations, meetings, and other interactions. Look into the eyes of the person speaking, write down their instructions by hand, listen carefully.
- Find out about the social media usage policies at your workplace. You may be risking even your job termination. Do not exceed these limits.
- If your company requires the use of networks like WhatsApp, discuss with your team about limits, such as the need for conversations outside of working hours.
- Avoid responding to conversations that are not work-related.
- Do not use your corporate email to receive social media notifications.
- Practice physical activities. Endorphins can bring as much pleasure as a like!
- Seek out meditation and mindfulness practices.
- Try to spend some time with yourself without needing to know what's going on with others: read a book, watch a show, listen to music.
- Rest deeply: disconnect from electronic devices at least one hour before sleeping. Establish a sleep routine that promotes tranquility: drink tea, read a book, take a relaxing bath.
Disconnecting from social media is also self-care; it's taking care of your mental health. When you disconnect for a few minutes, you can start to see a universe of possibilities around you. Over time, you may find a balance for a life with more well-being and harmony.