Keeping It Real on Social Media – How Many Steps a Day?, Healthy Food Trends, and How to Avoid Drama

Dear Fellow Traveler! 

I have not posted anything in the last few weeks. I was busy with work and hosting a visitor.  Then I had to have a colonoscopy, an experience I expect is well-known to many of you. (Thankfully, it didn’t find anything concerning!) Taking a break from social media was refreshing. That made me think…

Reading posts about someone’s seemingly perfect life (that we may not ever be able to achieve) can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and inadequacy. Posts detailing someone’s complaints about the world can make us feel down too, in particular if we feel that they may target us, either directly or indirectly. Social media sites have begun changing their rules to create a more respectful platform that will hopefully foster more meaningful connections. This is a great beginning, but I think more subtle changes are needed.

Before posting on social media, ask yourself what your purpose is. If your goal is to elevate yourself by showing off your accomplishments, to ridicule someone, or to express your complaints or frustrations, perhaps you should think twice. If your intention is to help others by posting content that is inspiring and authentic (whether focusing on the ups or downs that are inherent to life), then your post is more likely to have a positive impact. Social media can be restorative. Even if you cannot interact with others in person due to your health circumstances, you can still help them and create a legacy online via the ripple effect of shares, clicks, and likes! This might make you feel as if you are exposing your vulnerable side, so you may want to start slowly. Follow your comfort level.

If reading social media causes you more grief than joy, you might consider turning off your accounts. If that seems too extreme, you should feel free to change who and what you follow to dynamically match your evolved taste and life priorities. This will allow you to maintain the feelings of belonging and meaningful connection that social media was intended to create. If you are homebound due to health concerns, social media can be a great way to stay present, engaged and in touch while you travel the virtual world!.

Thank you for visiting me. Below I’ve included a few things to educate and entertain you. Remember, I share ‘extra treats’ if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

Learn and Think:

• How Many Steps Should You Take a Day? I believe the short answer is: “It depends”. This article describes 1) the fascinating history of the arbitrarily chosen target of 10,000 steps per day as well as 2) the notion that one’s daily physical activity goal cannot and should not be reduced to a target step-count since the target depends on your personal fitness level. Plus, physical activity includes so much more than only steps. However, anything is more than nothing! 
• Eat This, Not That had an entertaining clip on a recent Today show episode about the Tastiest and Trendiest New Healthy Foods! I was particularly interested in their featured broccoli crust pizza, oats and keto-ice cream product! Yummy in my tummy!

Live and Feel:

• Every sentence in this preview of Bruce Springstein’s upcoming movie is a treasure. The one that resonates most with me: “Life’s mysteries remain and deepen, its answers unresolved. So you walk on, through the dark, because that’s where the next morning is.”  
• When cancer strikes, relationships can change for the better or worse. An illness can worsen pre-existing role patterns. This interesting read provides some advice on how to avoid the drama!
• The “Mechanics of History” performance by Yoann Bourgeois is mesmerizing!

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