The last two weeks I was bombarded with some social negativity. It wasn’t from a source that was close to me, however, it did affect my mental state while dealing with it.

This led me to start thinking about all social interaction and how we can make it less toxic. We know life isn’t truly like the glossy photos on Instagram and Facebook daily — people only posting their best, most perfect, filtered selves.

Things are always a bit more messy than that and it’s perfectly normal to feel stress and unhappiness sometimes. But if you notice it happening more and more often, it may be time to re-evaluate and hit the reset button. Check out these tips below!

1. Get an early night

There is nothing more important than getting enough sleep. It is critical for our brains. Sleep studies have shown that those who only get a minimal amount of sleep per night exhibit decreases in cognition and overall performance.

Sleep keeps the brain healthy by clearing out toxins that naturally build up throughout the day. Even though our lives are busier than ever, it’s important to get enough sleep.

2. Exercise

Exercise has a pretty significant mood-enhancing effect. The best thing, in my opinion, is to get your sweat on when you’re feeling down in the dumps.

Working out increases activity in your cardiovascular system and increases blood flow throughout the entire body.

Exercise can also improve your mood and enhance mood regulation. When we move through different types of activities such as exercise, it can lead to huge physical and mental changes. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

3. Hydrate daily

I forget all the time to wake up and drink water. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration can alter a person’s mood, energy and ability to think clearly.

It is important that we remember to drink throughout the day. Feeling thirsty means you’re already dehydrated.

Try starting your day with hot water and lemon. The hot water wakes up your digestive tract and the lemon helps your liver and flushes out toxins.

Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in pounds to ounces, before the end of the day; a person weighing 130lb, for example, should aim for 65 ounces.

4. Take a social media break

Truthfully, social media can sometimes lead to serious FOMO and that has the ability to crumble one’s self-esteem and cause unnecessary sadness and jealousy.

I use social media for my business and personal life daily. However, studies say that the overuse of social media can harm your mental health. Setting limits and sticking to them can help minimise these effects.

If you need to, delete your social apps, or at the very least make it a point not to check them as soon as you wake up. Try to make sure you are giving as much effort to real life, and real-life conversations, as you do to social media.

5. Get outside

Nature has the ability to soothe and heal us mentally and allows us to get out of our own heads and connect to something bigger than ourselves.

Vitamin D is critical for our physical health. It helps to regulate the immune system and releases neurotransmitters in the brain associated with pleasure and good moods. It also reduces the possibility of depression.

You don’t have to go for a 20-mile bike ride or run a marathon, a quiet walk outside or a nap on the beach can help you calm down and hit the reset button.

6. Be thankful

Sometimes, I sit back and realise how fortunate we are in this country. Of course everything is not perfect but most of us are not missing any meals.

Truly, it’s all about remembering the little things in life. Giving thanks can actually make you happier. Acknowledging the goodness in our lives can provide an outlet for emotional release, while also setting up an intentional moment to step outside of the drama that’s involved in everyday life and notice the positives.

Take care of your mental and physical health and B-Active For Life!

• Betty Doyling is a certified fitness trainer and figure competitor with more than a decade of experience. Visit B. ActiveForLife on Facebook