You may not even be aware of it, but your social circle may be negatively affecting your health. Do you and your friends frequently go out for a drink, eat unhealthy meals, or take risks? Your health might be at stake if you said YES to any of these things!
Now, I’m not saying you should never go out and have fun with your friends! The key to remaining healthy while enjoying a social life is to drink alcohol, eat fast foods, and take risks in moderation. If you aren’t careful your mental and physical health could be in danger.
Comparing Yourself to Others
For some people, their social circle leads to comparison issues, which can negatively affect your health in a mental and physical way. Everyone wants to be successful, right? There is nothing wrong with that, but when you are with your friends and they are talking about their most recent accomplishments and start bragging a little, it’s easy to start comparing yourself to others. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of resentment towards people who are supposed to be your friends.
Dating
A big part of our social lives is dating. As humans, most of us have a desire to meet that one special person who they will spend the rest of their life with. With social media dating apps becoming more and more popular and it has never been easier to meet someone, even if you consider yourself an introvert!
Dating can have a huge impact on your health, and you may not even realise it. For example, an unwanted pregnancy or an STD can have serious impact! It’s so important that we keep these things in mind before we start any type of physical relationship. Stay safe.
Social Media
Social media can play a huge role in your well-being. For a lot of people, it’s really addictive. A recent study showed that 63% of Americans log in to Facebook at least once a day. 40% of that number checks their account several times a day. The fact that social media users often glamorises alcohol and drugs makes it harder for people to say no.
Another interesting point showed that a lot of diehard social media users tend to have mood swings and are generally unhappier then those who don’t login as frequently.
Social media addictivion has become so common that researchers have created what is called the ‘Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale‘. The scale uses six types of criteria to measure someone’s level of addiction. Answering yes to 4 out of 6 of the questions indicates that you may have a problem.
Some people feel pressured to do things that their friends are doing so they can stay ‘part of the crowd’. Don’t let this happen to you. If you are doing these things frequently you should consider slowing down, and possibly speaking to your doctor about getting help. It’s never too late to take smart steps to improve your health, and your life.
