When my lupus flared into the worst flare of my life... I was living half-way around the world in a foreign country and trying to survive medical school. I felt lost and alone.
So I turned to the internet. I made a slew of amazing friends on Twitter - many of who I'm still friends with today. Last year, I created an Instagram account for my dog Ollie and started posting there about my lupus journey too.
With so many of my most supportive friends existing in virtual settings, I often find it hard to disconnect from social media. I always feel like many of the people I rely on are there... and I feel like a bad friend if I'm not there for them myself.
But we recently lost a close family member and I took some time away to grieve. It didn't change my friendships. I didn't lose all my followers. In fact, it helped me build deeper friendships. And it allowed me the time to process my thoughts and feelings.
Ultimately, social media breaks are an important self-care break. We spend so much time focusing on what we see on social media, and so much of it is staged and fake. Time away helps remind us to focus on our own lives and reality.
Do you take social media breaks?