Social media definitely plays a role in how I see myself, but I’ve been able to take a lot more control over that recently. Before COVID I deleted all my social media - I came back to Instagram, but that’s it.
My Instagram is very controlled, I regulate what content I see really heavily because for me it’s important that social media is useful and not a detriment to my mental health or perception of myself. Obviously interacting with people via social media has become more important since COVID, but I’ve found myself using social media less than before and in a more conscious way.
I think it’s important for me to recognise when I push myself to the point where it becomes harmful, which often happens. It’s not so much about preventing myself from getting to that point, but being aware of it when I’m there.
It’s kind of hard for me to get rid of these high expectations of myself altogether, as opposed to just being aware of its effects when they happen.
I think it’s a bit of both. All of the things that I have in my room are mine, and I have them because they make me feel good. The way that I’ve chosen to furnish and decorate my space is for the purpose of making me feel ‘at home’.
But at the same time, all of these things could be in any other space - I don’t really have an emotional attachment to the apartment I live in, just the things in it. I think that, again, the people I’m surrounded by dramatically impact what makes somewhere ‘home’ for me.