Two German universities conducted research that showed social media causes us to feel sadness, loneliness, and jealousy.
The study, by Humboldt University and Darmstadt’s Technical University involving 600 people, examined the links between Facebook use and feelings of sadness and jealousy.
According to the researchers, people try to cope envy by giving the appearance that their life is perfect, often causing more feelings of inadequacy and sadness in themselves and others. And the downward spiral grows.
We’ve all done this—post a picture of the one kid who is wearing clothes and smiling without spaghetti smeared on her face, while strategically cropping out the other two that are, well, over there. As one mom told us, she’s a “strategic angler.”
So, does Facebook = sadness? Not at all. What’s the difference then between feeling happy vs. sad?
When we see the real life of friends and family, we can breathe a deep sigh of relief because we’re all in this together.
Your kids destroyed the playroom again? Mine too!
Your guest room is still unpainted after 9 months of renovations? Mine too!
You’ve got a junk drawer with soy sauce packets that are more than a year old? Who doesn't?!
What if, instead of hiding the messy parts of life, we celebrated them? And what if celebrating them actually helped our friends? What if sharing our real home made it a little easier to ask for a helping hand without feeling ashamed that we can’t do it all?
What do you really love about your home?
February is the month of love and we want to challenge you to show the real you, your real home. What is that you really love about your home? Maybe it’s that cozy chair in the corner that really doesn’t match anything, but your kids LOVE crawling up and snuggling with you on. Maybe it’s the bath crayon art left over in the tub after bath time, maybe it’s the dirty dishes in the sink - the aftermath of having friends over for dinner. The thing is, the “messy” parts are often a sign of you, just living your life.
So, this Valentine’s Day we want to encourage you to really love your home, the good, the bad and the sometimes chaotic. Because, at the end of the day, it is true what they say - what makes a house a home is love.
