Welcome to this mindfulness exercise for pausing before commenting on social media.
For many of us,
Social media is a great way to communicate and catch up with friends.
However,
There can be a dark side to social media.
Minding those virtual relationships isn't always easy.
We may not even be aware of how much we mindlessly comment or overshare online.
What's considered to be socially appropriate behavior online is really no different than what it is for real life.
But because social media is so impersonal,
We may find that we take more risks and say things without thinking them through when we're online.
And this can have really serious ramifications for you and your relationships,
So it's really important to pay attention to the ways in which you interact online and what and how you share.
In other words,
It's really smart to practice pausing before commenting on social media,
Which is what this exercise is all about.
This might also be thought about as learning to respond rather than react when you're on social media.
When you react,
You're acting in the heat of the moment.
Reaction is all about impulsivity and a sense of urgency.
It's sudden and rash.
But when we respond rather than react,
It's really very different because responding is about being mindful internally and being mindful of all the other people involved and who are affected by our actions.
When you respond,
You act in a calm and grounded and focused manner,
Quietly assessing the situation and taking appropriate action.
Breathing deeply is a great way to shift your focus from a reactive one to a calm,
Responsive one.
It's also a great practice to engage in to help you practice pausing before commenting on social media.
What's called the 4-7-8 breathing technique is a great quick technique to learn because it's like your body's own natural tranquilizer.
So let's try it now.
Put your phone down and close your eyes for a deeper experience.
Relax and get yourself comfortable.
You might want to sit down,
For example,
With a straight back and rest your hands in your lap or stand or get into any other kind of still comfortable position.
For this practice,
You'll be breathing deeply all the way down to your belly,
Like you're filling up a balloon deep down in your body.
You'll start by breathing in through your nose to the count of four,
Holding the breath for the count of seven,
And slowly exhaling through your mouth for a count of eight.
That's where the 4-7-8 comes from in the name.
It's a simple practice that can have really big results because it helps to clear away toxins and stress from your body.
So let's try that now.
Start by breathing in through your nose deeply all the way down to your belly,
Like you're filling up a balloon,
For a count of four,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
And release the breath gently through your mouth slowly for a count of eight,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Now take a moment to notice how you feel.
You might find that you're feeling a little bit more relaxed.
Now let's repeat this cycle one more time.
Inhale through the nose for a count of four,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
And release your breath for a count of eight,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight.
Nicely done.
Now allow your breathing to return to normal and relaxed pace.
Take a moment or so to gauge how your mind and body are feeling right now and see if you notice any differences from when you started this practice.
And just remember you can try this quick technique the next time you find yourself on social media overreacting or over commenting or just feeling anxious.
There are some other simple things you can do to practice pausing and to help encourage yourself to pause.
You can try to take a moment to pause and breathe anytime before you comment on social media,
Before you respond to anything on social media.
You can even do this before liking a video or giving a thumbs up or disliking something.
Anytime you're about to give feedback online,
You can pause and breathe and see if that helps you get into a more mindful state,
A state where you're better at responding rather than reacting instinctively.
And during that time when you're paused breathing,
You can stop and ask yourself,
For example,
Do I really need to comment or respond to this at all?
And if so,
Why?
What's my reason?
What's my intention behind responding?
Investigate that intention.
You may find that by going beneath the surface,
You get more in touch with what your true intention is instead of just reacting with a response.
This is so important to work on,
Especially if you're writing feedback to someone with any kind of content.
So much of the feedback that we see and we ourselves may even engage in online can be lacking in thought or care and as a result may be hurtful.
Much of the time we can avoid this if we take some time to stop and think about what we're going to say before saying it.
You can also try pausing and seeing if you can picture or see the other person on the other end,
Even if you don't know who that person is.
You might just imagine who they might be.
This can help you to get in touch with what it might feel like to be on the receiving end of your comment,
Just as you would do naturally if you were speaking to someone face to face.
I'd encourage you to try these simple practices the next time you feel a desire to comment on social media so that you can practice and develop the habit of pausing and getting in touch with your intention before you comment online.
I hope you found this helpful and thanks so much for joining me today.
