These accounts, from both Tik Tok and Instagram, help me to mindfully consume social media and protect my well-being. For each one you follow, I suggest unfollowing or muting one account that might not benefit your mental health.
- @jqwellinart on Tik Tok describes her painting as “art celebrating emotion,” and it does just that. I love to watch her paint because she can make me cry with just a few brush strokes, and she makes me feel loved and understood by the women she depicts in her paintings.
- @jennapalek on Tik Tok has created her niche with the hashtag “fun on weekdays”, which is basically exactly as it sounds. She inspires me one day at a time not to live for the weekends but to make each day count and find joy on random Tuesday nights.
- @iam.mirandaa on Tik Tok is working on becoming “that girl” by investing in herself, taking a break from notifications, and helping to motivate others along with her own journey.
- @remibader on Tik Tok is a not only a real, honest creator with no time for bullshit, but also one of the most inspiring, body positive women on the internet. Her niche is “realistic hauls” of clothing from all different brands, and she is open about the fit and sizing of each brand’s clothing on her body. Not to mention, she’s simply hilarious.
- @plantkween on Instagram is a beautiful gardener creating joy through plants. They represent and empower the Black queer community, and I encourage you all to not only amplify Black voices by following accounts like theirs, but also to try nurturing some plants (and yourself) along the way.
- @thoughtsmayvarypod on Instagram, otherwise known as the IGTV show Should We Talk About It? discusses mental health with guests from various backgrounds and perspectives. The page and the show is real, challenging, and fun!
- @brenebrown on Instagram is probably my favorite creator of writing, digital content, and research in the world. I cannot recommend enough that you read her books, listen to her podcast, and watch her TED talk on vulnerability. While her Instagram is mostly announcements about other work, exploring one or many of those announcements might give you an opportunity to change your life.
- My final recommendation is this: follow the people closest to you, and only those you truly want to see succeed with all of your heart. I am not saying you should shut out the rest of the world, but remember that the people we see on social media whom we do not know in reality are characters. Those people you only see post once a month have bad days too; they are not always on vacation, they cry and sweat and eat late night snacks just like you. So, follow your best friends, and comment how happy you are for them, and then reach out to them in real life and be there for all of the messy, ugly stuff too.
Burned Out Babes 