20 Jun How To Consume Travel Content In a Mindful and Healthy Way

Posted at 12:00h in Travel Tips by
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As social media has grown not just in popularity as an app, but into a massive part of our everyday lives and routine, we have all felt the impact it is able to have on us. Ideally we want this impact to be good, and it potentially can be. Social media can be a place to find inspiration, connect with old and new friends alike, share our passions with others, grow a business and support others. But as most of us are aware, there’s often a dark side to it, as well.

While the rise in social media continues to grow, studies have shown a correlation between excessive use of social media and poor mental health. There are many varying  contributors such as bullying, lack of real social connection, addiction, distraction, disconnect from reality, and one of the biggest factors: <i>how it feeds our comparison to others, and therefore impacts our views of ourselves, specifically our self worth.

This type of toxic comparison and putting oneself down is something I’m all too familiar with myself. When social media, especially Instagram, became popular I became more and more insecure with my appearance, aesthetic, popularity, and how it correlated to my worth. Even though I sneered the idea of measuring yourself based on social media, that wasn’t enough. It still subconsciously got to me and could be really depressing. When I realized this, I began to take steps to minimize those effects and begin to feel confident with my body and myself. Although I knew I had to continue to take those steps moving forward, I really thought the toxicity ended there – at appearance.

But the fact is, toxic comparison from social media can be in all areas of life – including travel content.

Who Did it Better?

Over the years, as my focus has shifted into the lifestyle of travel, I’ve immersed myself fully in photos and videos of people traveling the world. Travel has such incredible benefits for people, and a long term trip is something I’ve always wanted and worked for. So I thought looking at loads of travel content all the time could do nothing but inspire me.

But I realized that’s not always true. Sometimes scrolling through photo after photo of blue water, mountains and  infinity pools started to really make me feel like shit. I had gone past the point of inspiration and into the mode of comparison. I started to feel shame and ask myself questions like, “Why do I have a boring life in Virginia working all the time? Why don’t I live in a beautiful place? Why can’t I travel the world 24/7 like them? Why don’t I have the money to stay in paradise every other week for months at a time?” etc. etc. etc…These types of questions when followed with, “But I CAN do that,” ultimately led me to find ways to travel cheaply and save money to do so. But when asked from a mindset of </span><i><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>insecurity and comparison</span></i><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>, it really left me feeling hopeless and like I CAN’T do that. Ultimately, if this comparison is happening serially, it becomes insidious to your mindset.

By comparing myself to others, I had taken away from my own travel experiences, hadn't appreciated my own successes, had slowed down my productivity in improving my travel content and honestly, had even stolen away some of my own happiness. All this, because of the way I was using social media and viewing travel content.

See the thing about comparing yourself to others is that it seems to never stop, and you unconsciously start to believe you or what you have is never enough, and happiness becomes unattainable. When I did finally have the opportunity to travel through Asia, there were times I would be scrolling through Instagram seeing better pictures in other countries, and I would think, “Wow that’s so beautiful, I need to go there too,” forgetting I WAS in a beautiful place. I would even see pictures of other people in the same country as me with far better photo content, and feel shame that maybe I’m really not making the most out of this beautiful place or I’m not talented enough with my camera. I had even started a travel blog, and yet struggled to get it going and felt very aware of other’s travel blog success vs. mine all over my instagram feed. I forgot that they’re human, and that they probably also struggled at the beginning too, and by even starting I have completed a goal, a dream!

By comparing myself to others, I had taken away from my own travel experiences, hadn’t appreciated my own successes, had slowed down my productivity in improving my travel content and honestly, had even stolen away some of my own happiness. All this, because of the way I was using social media and viewing travel content.

You’re always going to have an idea of what fulfillment and happiness looks like, but as soon as you get to that destination or goal, you’re going to find something else that will 'make you happy.' There’s always going to be something else.

I read a quote once, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” And it’s so true. While in Nepal, I remember during a phone conversation with my mom I was telling her it just wasn’t what I expected and wasn’t fulfilling me like I thought it would. I was disappointed, not in the country but in what I had made of the experience. I told her about how I couldn’t wait to leave and go to India and then how next year I want to go to northern Africa because I had seen photos of so many different countries there. Before hanging up she told me, “You know you’re always going to have an idea of what fulfillment and happiness looks like, but as soon as you get to that destination or goal, you’re going to find something else that will ‘make you happy.’ There’s always going to be something else.”

I immediately put that lesson in my iPhone notes to remember, because it hit me what I had been doing subconsciously. The world is a huge and beautiful place. There’s always going to be another destination. There’s always going to be a more talented photographer or travel influencer with a “better” photo and a “better” story. But so what? If there’s anything I’ve learned through traveling it’s that happiness is a choice not a destination. 

I thought going to these beautiful places would bring me happiness and sometimes they don’t. Your atmosphere and materialistic things can only bring you pleasure, but not fulfillment. That’s something you have within yourself, you just have to find it and decide to embrace it. If this isn’t something you practice, then every time you travel or accomplish something, you’re only ever going to see the next thing or place and notice how someone else “did it better.”

You're Not Alone

If you can relate to what I’m saying, before I move on, I want you to know that you’re not alone. I used to think I was inadequate for comparing myself to others and feeling insecure. Then I realized this is a universal emotion that no one is immune to no matter their experience or accomplishments. One of the most empowering things I have done is listen to podcasts, interviews, and read accounts of people considered successful and all masters in their field. Many of them I look up to, and to hear them talk about how social media even impacts their thinking has been huge in my process to learning how to deal with it. 

Okay, what do I do now?

Okay so you know social media can have negative effects, you know if affects everyone no matter their status or success, and you know that you need to find happiness within yourself and be confident in your own life…but is that knowledge enough? Now what? Some people might say screw it and delete all their accounts because, “social media is toxic.” While I understand this statement, it’s false. What’s actually toxic is how we’re using social media. 

If it wasn’t for social media, I wouldn’t have been inspired to travel the world, I wouldn’t know how, I wouldn’t have so many resources for learning travel photography, I wouldn’t have ever thought of starting a blog, I wouldn’t be able to reach so many other like-minded people, and really none of this would have happened! And that’s just my personal story. There’s are SO many benefits to social media especially in the travel world. So instead of saying to hell with it, let’s learn how to consume travel content (and honestly all content!) mindfully, where it’s beneficial to your well-being, not harmful.

1. BE MINDFUL AND PRESENT ONLINE

I know this sounds a little crazy because often times when we think of mindfulness we associate it with mediation and being present in nature. But really it involves being present in all our actions, including scrolling through social media! Something that’s far too common, (and that I’m guilty of) is scrolling mindlessly! When we do this our attention span is almost nonexistent, long captions that could have real meaning and be beneficial just look daunting, we see and like tons of photos but couldn’t pick them out in a lineup 2 minutes later, and ultimately it’s just an empty time waster. But it doesn’t have to be that way! By practicing being present online, instead you gain more value out of the content you’re consuming and you take control of your actions and time.

SOME WAYS HOW TO (USING INSTAGRAM AS AN EXAMPLE):

  • Did you mean to click the app and start scrolling, or did you just do it out of habit? Focus on what you’re doing. If you didn’t mean to, then maybe close out and go back to what you were doing before. Only log on if you meant too. 
  • While scrolling, look at every photo and purposefully notice at least one thing about it.
  • If you see a long caption, rather than skip it, challenge yourself to read the contents. 
  • Instead of scrolling through the timeline, type in someone specific that you are interested in and look at their content; you could also do this with a hashtag. 
  • Use social media with a goal in mind. Sometimes logging on can be just for fun, and that’s okay! But it’s also really beneficial if you log on with a purpose. For example, “I’m looking for a recipe,” or “I’m looking for cool place in Colorado to add to my itinerary.”
  • Take the extra step to connect with others; maybe instead of just liking photos: leave a comment, send a message, or forward it to a friend who may enjoy it too!

2. BE CONSCIOUS OF YOURSELF WHILE SCROLLING: LISTEN TO YOUR MOOD AND FEELINGS

A lot of times content can make us feel a certain way but we don’t even realize it, because we’re not being mindful of our emotions. For example, you might look at too many photos of supermodels, and then later on feel self conscious looking in the mirror while you brush your teeth. On the flip side, sometimes we’re in a certain mood or feeling negative emotions all ready, and then go on social media and see everything through that negative lens. 

For example, it’s a rainy day, work was awful,  you’re stressed out, you come home to bills in the mail, and then you log onto social media and see a travel influencer living in sunny paradise. Of course that’s going to rub you the wrong way! Not by fault of non authentic content, but simply because what you’re going through currently.

So be aware of how things make you feel and then reflect on why. This may mean you need to unfollow someone, perhaps limit your time online, and/or be aware of when you’re in a sensitive place and shouldn’t be on social media. I recommend all three!

HOW TO:

  • Ask yourself, how does the content you look at make you feel? Usually it’s the content/person we’re most interested in that we need to examine most.
  • After deducing your feelings, reflect on why that is? It can be for a lot of reasons, so be real with yourself.
  • Be aware of your feelings throughout the day, if you’re in a negative place, then maybe don’t get online. For example, if I’m feeling overwhelmed and anxious, I know I should never get on social media because I’ll start looking at successful travel bloggers and compare my success to theirs, no matter how uplifting they are. It’s simply not a safe space for me at the time no matter the content.

3. CHOOSE WHO TO FOLLOW AND WHO TO UNFOLLOW

Who we allow into our lives greatly affects us, and this includes on social media. The type of content you’re looking at and consuming matters! If you have ever heard of setting boundaries with people in real life, it’s the same on social media. And if you followed tip #2, you may be realizing someone’s content inherently doesn’t make you feel good, which means you may need to hit unfollow.

SOME QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE:

  • How does the page/person relate to their following? Are they personable? Authentic? Uplifting?
  • Is the content presented idealistic/feel unattainable or does the page/person give tips and advice on how you can accomplish the same? Are they real about the process?
  • What do you think the mission of the page is? 
  • Is it/Are they relatable to you?
  • Do they inspire you?

4. LIMIT YOUR TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

When following the right people and consuming mindfully, social media can have some INCREDIBLE benefits! But too much of even a good thing is harmful. Most of us know this, the problem is usually we have no boundaries for ourself on when to log on. For most (including myself), that’s why it’s a mindless habit. So set some boundaries, and limit your time on social media. We’ve heard this so many times, but seriously, do it!

SOME WAYS HOW TO:

  • Turn off your notifications for social media apps. This way you’re not logging on every time you see one.
  • Practice catching yourself when you grab your phone mindlessly/out of habit. If you do, put your phone down immediately when caught.
  • Unless you really need your phone throughout the day, try to not have it right next to you at all times. Or maybe keep it out of sight like in your pocket. Putting it on do not disturb helps too!
  • Don’t get on a social media first thing in the morning! Instead create a routine. For example, washing your face, meditating or journaling (I like to start my day with gratitude), and then making breakfast. It also helps to have your phone away from you while you sleep. This may mean buying yourself an actual alarm clock, but it’s worth it!
  • Create a time frame specifically for social media. This could be at lunch during your work break, in the afternoon when you’re done with work, whatever. But when you set a time frame, you’re being purposeful of logging on during that time only.
  • Have a “ghost day.” Choose one day out of the week that you don’t get on social media or your phone at all.

5. WHEN YOU HAVE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS RELATED TO THE CONTENT YOU'RE SEEING, COPE WITH THEM

You may be following all the right people and looking at social media only in a specific time frame like I suggested, but newsflash, you’re not a robot! It’s only human to have all sorts of emotions even ones considered negative no matter how much we avoid them. So don’t avoid them! Instead learn to cope with them!

Now when I say cope, I don’t mean problem solve. I’m not about to tell you to unfollow even more people, log off or even delete social media! That would be problem solving. Instead I’m telling you to cope with any negative emotions you might have involving social media; this means facing those feelings. I do this through acceptance and fact checking (combating emotional thoughts with facts).

HOW TO AND EXAMPLE:

Example: You see a a travel influencer living their best life in paradise, seemingly without a worry in the world. Their life seems SO easy. You become jealous and feel ungrateful and even mad about the life you’re living.

Fact Check: The influencer you’re looking at probably worked EXTREMELY hard to live that kind of life. At one point they were someone just like you, trying to figure it all out. And don’t forget social media is a highlight reel! Traveling full time is not easy, and it’s definitely not for everyone. There’s a lot of pros, but there’s also  a lot of cons. So don’t be quick to idealize someone else’s life when you don’t know the full story. Additionally, use the logic, “Just because of A, doesn’t mean B.” Just because they’re happy living that kind of life, doesn’t mean you have to be unhappy with your kind of life.

Acceptance: Accept where you’re at in your own process, accept that it’s okay to feel a little jealous. Let the feelings be, noticing them, and then move on.

6. CHOOSE INSPIRATION NOT COMPARISON

Mindset is everything. And we have more control over it than most people realize. It’s as simple and as difficult as deciding how to view the world and choosing how to react. This is something that needs a lot of practice, especially if you’re not automatically prone to positivity. It can be difficult, but over time it will eventually become more natural. And you can start now! When you see travel content and you begin to feel that shameful comparison to your own situation, choose instead to be inspired by that content. In fact, challenge yourself to reframe those negative thoughts into something positive.

HOW AND EXAMPLE:

Example: You follow someone who lives abroad and is in a new country every month. It’s so frustrating to see because you haven’t even been on a vacation in over a year.

Negative Thought: “Why is my life so shitty, I could never afford to do that.”

Reframed Thought: “What that person is doing with their life is amazing and I want it too.” Now, feel that positive inspiration, and act on it! Which brings me to tip #7…

7. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION IN YOUR LIFE

Far too often, negative emotion stemming from how we view others really comes down to unhappiness in ourselves. When we’re not living our true self, it’s difficult to watch others live their’s. If you have dreamt of seeing the world but are doing nothing to reach that goal, when you see travel content, you’ll always have that little saltiness. So take action now! 

HOW TO:

  • Reach out to the travelers you follow and ask how they did it and how to start!
  • Google is you best friend. There are so many blogs (like mine😊) and vlogs out there explaining how to travel the world! Take the time to learn.
  • Start saving and planning a trip!

8. BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR OWN LIFE AND SUCCESS!

You know how I said mindset is everything? Well it is, and the best way to get your mind right is through gratitude! Be grateful for everything you have and the life you’ve been given. Be thankful for even the small things like your phone to be able to look at travel content and see the opportunity out there! Be grateful for the process and journey of life, whether you’re traveling currently, working towards travel or just want to! The journey is everything, cherish it! And let’s not forget, the law of attraction has shown that the more gratitude we feel, the more we get of what we want. So if you’re feeling grateful, you might just see more travel coming your way!

HOW TO:

  • My favorite way is to journal; every morning write down 3 things that you’re grateful for, it can be anything!
  • Say it out loud! What we say deeply affects our thoughts, so say it! “I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY LIFE AND I LOVE IT.”
  • Use gratitude as a way to reframe negative thinking like in tip #6. Instead of, “Ugh there’s people traveling for free and I’m working so hard just for one trip,” say, “I’m so thankful for my job and that it’s going to contribute to my future travels.” 

With these 8 tips, social media can truly be your friend and a massive resource for travel inspiration and planning! If any of this sounds crazy or difficult, just remember it takes a lot of practice! Breaking habits, creating new ones, and reframing your thoughts is not easy stuff! But it’s worth it and will leave you happier and inspired, not just while looking at travel content, but in your whole life.

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3 Comments
  • Jessica Thomas-Parker
    Posted at 23:31h, 23 October Reply

    You’re such an inspiration and I really needed to read this on this night. I just happened to be telling my daughter about one of your travel photos and it lead me to your website. Job well done Caroline!!

    • Caroline Rose
      Posted at 21:58h, 01 November Reply

      Thank you so much Jessica!! That means so much to me

  • Myra Schlabach
    Posted at 08:48h, 03 February Reply

    I just discovered your blog, and this post is the first one I’ve read. Wow Wow Wow! You hit so many things right on the head, I love your insight and the tips and suggestions you give. Very needed here! Thank you!

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