Sometimes I hate that I’m addicted to Facebook.

I am embarrassed to say how many times that I check it per day; my phone’s battery shows that Facebook takes up 22 per cent of its usage.

I’m addicted to Facebook not only because of the information it provides but I find the social interactions of people who seemingly don’t know each other quite interesting.

I also enjoy sharing my love of fitness, thorough workout videos and photos, posting tasty recipes and sharing my own struggles in fitness from a personal perspective. Social media is also great for exchanging ideas, developing personal and professional relationships and it has opened the door for personal accomplishments.

However, social media can have a dark side. It allows us to share our thoughts and ideas with the world but sometimes people seem to share their thoughts and ideas without accountability.

We all have some insecurities, whether they are physical or mental. When I was younger I had some insecurities about my body that I still carry today. Sometimes we can let social media define who we are as a person. We let broken people tell us how broken we are.

We let comments — and not just those on social media — negatively affect us from day to day.

Every day we must strive to improve ourselves — mentally, personally, professionally. We must try to block out the negative and emphasise the positive in our day-to-day interactions. How quickly do we like other people’s photos? Would we be so quick to like our own? When your friend tags you in a photo that you deem unflattering, do you cringe?

We are typically much kinder to others than we are to ourselves. Don’t be so quick to seek out your flaws. Think about what your friend liked about the photo. Were your legs toned? Could she see your muscles as you held a plank position, or were you looking awesome as you ran in a race?

Treating yourself as you would your best friend gets you into the habit of speaking to yourself kindly. The more you say positive things, the more it becomes a natural part of what your brain thinks.

At the end of the day, all we want out of life is happiness — socially, personally and professionally. Facebook, or any social media outlet, does not have to mess with your mojo! Enjoy the benefits of social media. Filter the negative and follow the positive! Create a feed that’s filled with variety and full of all the things that keep you in a positive space so that you can share in my addiction too!

Stay positive and B-Active for Life!

• Betty Doyling is a certified fitness trainer and figure competitor with more than a decade of experience. Check her out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/B.ActiveForLife