My secret to a healthy online lifestyle

August 6, 2021

Guest post by Aman Sahva, Deputy Director of Content Team at Mind Champs.

It was the best of years, it was the worst of years.

Early in 2020, I was awarded “Best Student of the Year” by my school, an indication that I was going to enjoy a spectacular year. But then the lockdowns began, my circle of friends started having problems, and academic pressure mounted. This was supposed to be the best year of my life, and I was drowning in deep sorrow. 

Teenage years are said to be the most crucial stage of a person’s life. And that is mainly because along with hormonal alterations and physical changes, teenagers are exposed to the world and the media. It’s the peak time of observing and absorbing moral values, which contributes to our personality development. 

Choosing community over dependency.

In this digital era the majority of the youth are hooked to social media platforms for an average of two hours every day. Staying connected, getting global exposure, staying up-to-date with the latest news, trends and technology are some of the positive benefits. But the negative impacts are the main cause of physical, mental, and emotional struggles such as anxiety, depression, and fear of missing out.

The reason most of us teens use social media is an insatiable desire to seal the emptiness of the mind and heart. It feels soothing to escape busy schedules and commitments. An addiction to distraction is the death of one’s creative production.

Our influence in the world mirrors the glory, nobility, vitality, and luminosity that we have accessed in ourselves. Our relationship with the “person” inside us needs to be healthy to go out in the world to get connected with communities. So why not strengthen our relationship with our own greatest self, fully know our genius and start a lifetime love affair with our most noble nature.

I chose to view the lockdown as 87 days of utter freedom – the longest vacation I ever had. In order to strengthen my mind against anxiety and depression, I would welcome the rare opportunity to be creative. I would heal and transform not out in the physical world, but deep in the wilderness of silence, solitude, and stillness. I constantly took deep breaths and remained grateful and I consciously ended up becoming a new me in the new normal era.

"I chose to view lockdown as 87 days of utter freedom."

My secret to an online lifestyle that preserves my mental health

A healthy mindset arises when we are fully aware of our minds. Our ability to be empathetic and be strategically supportive develops a healthy society. I believe that we are social beings who are supposed to take up the courage to elevate a community. 

I have found two groups who are helping me use the internet for its best purposes and keep a healthy lifestyle.

Through spikeview I was able to get connected to ambitious and talented teens.

Mind Champs is a “by-youth-for-youth” organization dedicated to creating meaningful content and initiating inclusive conversations about mental health and wellbeing. I was able to join their team, where I get to help equip youngsters across the globe with tools and resources to overcome mental health challenges.

One of the ways we connect with youth around the world is by forming partnerships with like-minded organizations. That is how I came to connect with spikeview. They are a global platform that gives teens an online hub where they can own their personal narrative. My spikeview demonstrates my interests and experiences in a way that a resume or an essay never could. 

Through spikeview I was able to get connected to ambitious and talented teens. Forming a community of mature and charismatic teenagers living productive lives helped in my introspection and mental healing. I’m owning my narrative and maximizing my potential!