The world is changing so much faster than it ever has, and we're doing our best to keep up with it. Sometimes I like to think about life from a psychological perspective (even though my knowledge is limited—I've taken a few psych classes, but in no means am I an expert) and from that, it's easy to see why depression and anxiety are so common. 300 years ago we didn't have to worry about how marketing ads and campaigns on Instagram affect our psyche, but we did have to worry about food scarcity. 50 years ago we didn't have to worry about hundreds of Instagram models or Bumble matches as reproductive competition, we only had to figure out a mate with the people that we immediately and geographically knew. It's so easy to write depression and anxiety in the first-world off as something unimportant because there are people starving or without shelter in other places, even in our own. However, comparison, depression, and low self-esteem are genuine problems that we should be taking action to learn how to tackle properly. Is it possible to be truly grateful in a social media-driven society? Here are some tips on disconnecting this holiday, in order to have peace of mind about where you are in life, no matter where that may be.

Follow your passion

First of all, we'll start with common sense, follow things and people that make you happy! But on top of that, make sure you're going after your real passions in real life at the same time. It's easy to look at people who are monetizing social media gains with brand deals or creating their own brands, and forgetting how possible it is for us to create our own, independent future. Your goals are, in my opinion, the top five on what makes you happy and driven. Be intentional about figuring out who you are and what you truly want to accomplish.

Get inspired

We've all been there—we see someone's life circumstance that we wish we had, and we get jealous. I've found that instead, using this as inspiration is a lot healthier. No matter what dream your chasing though, it's okay to be grateful for the simple things in life that you most likely already have. No matter how much you accomplish, life really boils down to the ability to experience as much beauty as you can. And you can do that on, or off camera, no matter where you're at in life.

Stay realistic and remember we’re all in this together 

The most important thing to remember with social media is that the people who you think have no problems, definitely have problems. You never want to put someone in the uncomfortable spot of assuming someone's life is perfectly based on three moments where their fit and backdrop look perfect. People who you least expect are fighting silent battles, sometimes with things they can't publicly talk about. So the girl in high waisted flare jeans and a yellow crop top? Cheer her on mentally instead of bringing her down. You never know what battles she's fighting.