Welcome.
We’re so glad you’re here.
Every October 10 is Mental Health Day, but mental health is important all year. Regular breaks from social media can help you reflect on your own usage and the impact it makes in your own life. You can take the pledge to Take a Break from social media any time by clicking the button below.
Take a Break!
This site will connect you with resources to understand the impacts of social media, help you assess the role it plays in your life, and offer simple ways to support your mental and emotional well-being.
This is a space for learning and possibility.
Come as you are, and find what works for you.
Note: Understandings and expressions of mental health and well-being vary from individual to individual, culture to culture, community to community. This site tries to be as globally relevant and inclusive as possible, but we recognize that there are many things, big and small, that may be missed. What we offer here is a beginning, and can be complemented by the resources available in your community.
Understand
Let’s Talk About Social Media
Some of us were born before it existed; some of us have never known the world without it. But for many of us, social media has changed how we interact with and relate to ourselves, our communities, and the world.
Social media is powerful.
It can shape the way we think, how we act, and who we believe ourselves to be. It can provide a place to connect, to find support and community. It can be a stage for our creativity. And at the same time, it can lead to comparison, perfectionism, and isolation, driving feelings of loneliness.
For young people, processing the flood of information on social media is a biological challenge. In adolescence, the brain is hyper-sensitive to social cues, but is still maturing its reasoning and decision-making skills.
Replacing real-life activities and sleep with screen time adversely affects young people’s ability to control emotions, foster healthy social relationships, and interact with others in a positive way.
Browse the resources below to learn more about how social media impacts young people. From there, we’ll take a closer look at how social media impacts you.
%
of teens say they spend too much time on social media
%
of tweens use social media every day
%
of teens use social media every day
Average daily screen time in 2021
hours for tweens
hours for teens
Notes: Tweens = ages 8-12, teens = ages 13-18; Screen time includes: watching TV & online videos, playing video games, using social media, browsing websites, creating content, e-reading, & other digital activities.
Sources: Pew Research, Common Sense Media
Adults
Youth
Assess
In the resources above, you learned about how social media impacts young people.
Now, let’s understand how social media impacts you in your life. From there, we’ll offer some suggestions for cultivating a healthier relationship to social media.
Start by turning on the screen time tracker on your Android and Apple devices to track your use, or record data in any other way that works for you.
Once you have a week’s worth of data, use the prompts in the box to reflect on your usage. If you’re reflecting as a family or with a young person, watch this video to help you start the conversation.
How much time do you spend on social media in an average day? What platforms do you use the most often, and why?
How does your social media use vary throughout the week? Are there some days or times when you use it more often, or less?
On a daily/weekly/monthly basis, do you feel that you have the time you need to engage in the activities you want or need to do?
What situations, thoughts, or feelings generally prompt you to use social media? And to put your device away?
What thoughts and feelings arise when…
- You think about using social media?
- You pick up your device?
- You open a social media app?
- You engage with content on social media? Are certain feelings associated with different types of content?
- You close a social media app?
- You put down your device?
Adjust
Now that you’ve explored how social media impacts you, let’s look at some tools that can help create a healthier relationship with social media.
If you see areas for improvement in your life, remember that change takes time and commitment, and there is no “perfect!” It doesn’t have to happen all at once, and small adjustments are often the easiest to maintain. Find what works for you, and remember that it’s perfectly normal to course-correct along the way!
Plan Together
Many of us create structure in our lives with rules and boundaries, but we may forget to apply these to social media. Creating a family media plan can guide everyone in responsible, healthy use of social media. In addition, making time for regular check-ins creates a safe space for youth to share their experiences and ask for guidance.
Consider setting timers on screen and app use with the screen time tracker on your Android and Apple devices.
When engaging with social media, ask yourself the following questions to make real-time adjustments.
- What do I hope to get out of this activity? Is this something that will add to my well-being?
- How much time do I need to accomplish what I want to do? Set a timer for this amount of time. When the timer goes off, assess whether you want/need to continue the activity.
- Pause every few minutes to assess what you’re feeling and thinking. Do you feel connected? Inspired? Happy? Or anxious, angry, or bored? How is the content affecting how you think about yourself or others?
- Is the content teaching you something meaningful? Does it promote positive values? Or is it simply a distraction?
Learn and Practice Self-Care
Self-care is recognizing and meeting our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. For most of us, self-care takes practice, and that’s okay!
When life gets stressful, we often reduce self-care; the important thing is simply to reestablish our self-care practices when we can, how we can.
Think about what self-care looks like for you, using these essential elements as a guide:
- Eat and hydrate well
- Get enough quality sleep
- Engage in physical activity
- Go outdoors to reconnect, reflect, and restore
- Experience the benefits of volunteering
- Engage in your favorite activities and hobbies, or try something new!
If you’re interested in well-being apps, check out reviews from mental health experts to find what works best for you.
Reach Out for Help
Life can be challenging. Mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, are real, common, and treatable. Learn about symptoms and find resources.
No one needs to go through things alone. Reach out to trusted people in your life, and connect with a professional to learn how to navigate all of life’s moments. Behavioral health services in New Mexico may be available at no cost to you (learn more here and here).
Call or text TALK to 988 to speak with someone 24/7/365 who can help with emotional, mental health, or substance abuse crises. Remember, in an emergency, always dial 911.
Be Kind to Yourself
Navigating life experiences and processing emotions as they happen requires learning and practice. Remember to be patient with and kind to yourself. No matter what you might experience, you are not alone, and there are many resources available to guide you towards deeper connection with yourself and others.
We encourage you to learn more about working with your emotions and to practice listening with open-ended questions and supportive statements. Focus on your self-care, and take a break regularly to recharge and reset!
Young People Share
These quotes were written by New Mexican youth as part of an NMDOH initiative.
On the left, you will find notes to adults on the topic of youth mental health. On the right, you will find messages of love, encouragement, and hope from youth, to youth.
I want adults to understand that...
Our mental health is affected very easily because of the pressure put on us each day.
I want adults to understand that...
We are expected to make our world better, we are expected to be what our elders want us to be. We are expected to talk about what we feel, but we aren’t really being heard.
I want adults to understand that...
Adults believe they know more than us because they’ve been around longer, but our world is growing, so they don’t know as much.
I want adults to understand that...
I wish adults would allow us to share our emotions more.
I want adults to understand that...
I need to be able to have freedom of expression and to be able to go off on my own every once in a while.
I want adults to understand that...
I struggle to tell my family about my mental health because I know they will be worried about me losing myself.
I want adults to understand that...
Therapy has been a thought, but I don’t know if I can trust someone who I hardly know with my mental problems.
I want adults to understand that...
We don’t always want advice, sometimes we just want someone to listen.
I want adults to understand that...
I wish that adults would try to understand their kid… to support them to understand that not being okay is okay.
Messages of Hope
You matter! Do not let anyone else tell you anything else.
Messages of Hope
¡Sí se puede! ¡Con toda la actitud!
Messages of Hope
Be true to yourself
Messages of Hope
You’re very loved!
Messages of Hope
Life gets better in the end, and if it’s not better, it’s not the end 🙂
Messages of Hope
YOU ARE LOVED
Messages of Hope
You belong
Messages of Hope
You are someone’s person, be kind to yourself! ❤️
Messages of Hope
You are always enough and loved ❤️
Messages of Hope
You aren’t alone, you are loved ❤️
Messages of Hope
You are valid 🙂
Messages of Hope
Never give up!! 🙂
Messages of Hope
You’re doing wonderful, even if you’re not doing much, you wake up so you’ve done enough. Enjoy life. 🙂
Messages of Hope
Tú eres importante. ¡¡Vive la vida!! ¡¡SÉ FELIZ!!
Messages of Hope
Eat breakfast, it’s just as important as you!
Messages of Hope
You are very important to people! ❤️
Messages of Hope
You are worth more than a million words. ❤️
Messages of Hope
You are amazing!
Messages of Hope
You’re special to at least one person!
Messages of Hope
You matter! Smile! 🙂
Messages of Hope
Hello friend 🙂,
If things are hard right now, breathe. Breathe and remind yourself that it is absolutely normal and okay to feel these things. Figure out why. Sit with them. They will pass. I promise. Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Remind yourself that you are loved, you’re worthy, you’re strong, and you can do this
Toolkits
Below are the 2023 Mental Health Day toolkits
Click on the link or icon to download the toolkit assets.