Inspiring people to follow on social media

Recently I have been really enjoying social media. I know that’s quite an odd thing to say, let me explain.

Social media has become so intrenched into our daily lives, it can feel very passive. We sit and scroll aimlessly, often forgetting to look up. The media is full of tips on disconnecting and stories telling us ‘social media makes you depressed’…

but what if there’s another way?

To clarify, I totally support disconnecting from time to time and paying attention to the world around you, BUT - I do think you can enjoy social media and make it a positive part of your day.

After watching the Minimalist documentary on Netflix, the first thing I did was ‘cleanse’ my social media feeds. This basically meant going through and unfollowing anyone that was filling my feeds with negativity or just junk.

I then started finding people and brands that would fill my feeds with VALUE. They’re either people I know and love in real life, or people/brands that inspire me.

So now, my social feeds are full of support, positivity and light. I’m much more engaged and active too. I comment, I join conversations, I’m social.

If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed I’m now posting daily and playing with insta-stories. I’m learning more about this platform and it’s inspiring me to up my game photography-wise… and I’m bloody loving it.

But it’s the people I follow that make my scrolling inspiring and not mind-numbing. I feel like I’m quietly joining a community of like-minded souls on the vast expanse of the Internet.

Inspiring people to follow on social media

I’m going to try and keep this brief as there’s so many people I could point to, but here’s a quick run down of who I’m loving on social media right now - I’ve linked to their Instagram accounts as that’s where I hang out most *stalker alert*.

bodyposipanda

I discovered Megan through Oh Comely magazine and fell in social love (is that a thing? It should be a thing). A recovered anorexic, Megan is all about body positivity, self-acceptance and shunning an industry that profits on our self-loathing, amen to that.

kayley.e

Kayley is the CEO of Wear Your Label, a clothing brand my colleague found that encourages conversation around mental health. I love her openness and #girlboss attitude. Also I want to buy all of her company’s clothes. Immediately.

katherine_ormerod

Editor of workworkwork.co which describes itself as “An anti-perfectionism platform for women to share their challenges & triumphs both in & out the office.”, Katherine is relatable and and I really enjoy the website’s content and ethos.

(shout out to my colleague Ellen who pointed me in the direction of both Wear Your Label and WorkWorkWork - girl has excellent taste)

hannahrainey_

I originally found Hannah on Twitter after seeing the hashtag #TalkMH which she created. This hashtag is used to encourage people to talk about mental health and support each other. The Twitter chats are an inspiring place and a shining example of how social media can be used in a positive and healthy way.

kay_ska

A mental health blogger, Kay is sharing her healing journey in an honest and powerful way. She’s confronting her fears head on and I’m finding her body acceptance and positivity truly inspiring.

tattooedyogimama

Tattoed Yogi Mama is just a frickin’ ray of light. She’s an ‘ED survivor’ (eating disorder survivor) a ‘spoonie’ (lives with chronic illness) mother of three with a love of yoga, tattoos and self-love. I’ll be honest, I mainly follow her for her videos in Instagram stories, she’s awesome. Get involved.

OK, that’s a few to get you started. I could have pointed you to all the huge wellness ‘gurus’ and Youtubers out there, but hopefully there’s a few people here you haven’t come across before.

So, who else do I need to start following?! Let me know in the comments below or, hey - why not give me a shout on social?

– Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest –