The Wellbeing 5 Project
ManageMind
Social Media & Mental Health
The Mental Wellbeing 5 Interview
5 Simple Questions to help with mental wellbeing with answers from Experts, Thought Leaders, Campaigners & Advocates
ManageMind
We are ManageMind, a group of Imperial Students currently researching the impact social media has on our anxiety. 84% of the UK population are social media users (Statista, 2022), and it’s a medium that we constantly interact with. Our research has enabled us to really understand the pathways through which social media is impacting anxiety levels and we believe that a greater focus should be placed on looking into the impacts of social media on mental health. Our website encompasses some of these resources and more information about us: https://managemind20221.wixsite.com/managemind
The Mental Wellbeing 5 Interview with ManageMind
1. What is your favourite quote, anecdote, proverb or experience that helps with mental wellbeing?
ManageMind:
“Promise me you’ll always remember — you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh
2. What is your top piece of advice for mental wellbeing?
ManageMind:
Our top piece of advice for mental wellbeing is to know that it’s okay to seek help. Often, we get bogged down by the thought of worrying our loved ones, but help can come in many forms – it doesn’t just have to be seeking professional advice. We’ve found that its sometimes helpful to share our stories, because they too offer the potential benefit of helping others who may be going through something similar. The more we are willing to seek help as well as help others, the easier it will be to increase the awareness and importance of mental wellbeing.
3. What is the one change in the world that you would like to see? (in your area of wellbeing or in the world in general or both)
ManageMind:
One change we would like to see in the world of mental wellbeing is greater acknowledgement of the impact of social media. Every day we see more and more people join social media, yet a disturbingly low amount of users are aware of how to maintain a healthy relationship with their use. And given that social media is so integrated into our lives, we’ve become reliant on them! Once again, the resources on offer to help us navigate this problem have not been enough. We want people to know that this is very much a current issue and that they are not alone in their journey.
4. Which resources (books / websites / videos etc) for wellbeing would you recommend?
ManageMind:
There are lots of brilliant resources on mental wellbeing! StudentMinds and the Mental Health Foundation do a lot of incredible work within this domain, such as publishing guides on different topics. MoodFit is an incredible app that can be used on a daily basis, providing you with reminders on engaging with good mental health practices. Also, a book we have really enjoyed, specifically within the realm of social media, is Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport.
5. What’s the one thing that always makes you smile?
ManageMind:
One thing that always makes us smile is hearing laughter. Even whilst we’re walking down getting our coffee or sitting on the tube, just hearing people laugh makes us smile. And that’s what has prompted us to start this journey about improving our relationships with social media.
Social media is built on connecting people together, allowing us to share good memories and experiences together. Thus, we want to help ensure that it stays this way, with any negatives that arise are kept to a minimum, and that we know how to act should it occur to any of us
Bonus Question! Is there anything else pertinent you would like to add to the conversation?
ManageMind:
Honestly, the main thing that we’ve taken from our project is how necessary it is to keep social media as part of the overall conversation on mental health. More and more people are spending an increased amount of time on social media and we must address this!
Further Exploration - ManageMind
Website: ManageMind
The ManageMind website containing information for Students & GP's about the team's research on social media's impact on mental health
App: Moodfit
Moodfit provides a comprehensive set of customisable tools to help you learn and focus on what most affects your mood.
More Mental Wellbeing 5 Interviews Below
More Mental Wellbeing 5 Interviews
With answers from experts, thought leaders, advocates and campaigners to help with mental wellbeing