Bipolar Disorder And Social Media
My thoughts on social media can apply to everyone, even those without bipolar disorder. I just wanted to throw that out for consideration before we dive in. š
I created The Bipolar Battle in April 2017.Ā At the time, I was taking an online course on creating a blog.Ā During my online education, I learned the importance of utilizing social media as a means to drive traffic to my blog.
I have never really been a fan of social media. In fact, I thought I had deleted my Facebook account and did nothing online for about a year. I received an email, and Facebook wanted me to sign in. Before I knew it, I was back on the popular social media platform.
The importance of social media became evident to me as I embarked on my journey. MODERATION is the keyword I try to live by. I extend that sentiment regarding my role in using social media.
Growing up, my Dad hammered the idea of moderation into my psyche. Having bipolar disorder, moderation is my friend and ally. With a mental illness that is based on extremes, I always strive to find the middle ground and balance.
Similar to everything else, an excess of anything can have negative consequences. You’re probably aware that even an excess of something beneficial can have negative consequences.
It is easy to get on the computer, check all your different social media accounts, and easily go down the rabbit hole. Minutes easily turn into hours. If you are not careful, you can quickly spend a whole day on social media without ever feeling like you got something accomplished. Like anything else in life, you can find yourself quickly addicted.
With my blog, I have accounts on all the popular social media platforms. To keep my time productive, I do my best to adhere to a posting schedule that aligns with my life and various commitments. By doing this, I have eliminated a significant amount of wasted and unnecessary time in my life.
Disclaimer: I am not supporting one social media platform over another.
My Focus On Social Media
My main focus right now is X (formerly Twitter), because the relationships I have cultivated have been sincere. This is huge because my blog is about empowering those with bipolar disorder. X provides a sense of community. It is a great platform to support my blog.
Now, I also utilize Facebook, but I have found the younger crowd does not enjoy it like they used to. Still, I can create relationships with others and Fan Pages to support my blog and other endeavors.
Basically, I have found that scheduling my social media time is the best way to organize my time and not overdo it.
Last Thoughts
In summary:
1) I have determined how many days a week I would like to be on my computer.
2) I have scheduled the times in my calendar in blocks.
3) I always fall back on the idea of moderation.
4) Too much of anything can be bad.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my blog post. It means the world to me!
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please comment below or e-mail me at john@thebipolarbattle.org
Until next time, take care of yourself! š
