Cyber bullying online and managing mental well-being
Notes from the original podcast interview with Gemma Went 2019
Listen to the podcast here.
Takeaways from this show:
Often when you’re spending time in the online world, you can really read into posts and worry about what you’ve done to cause it, but the reality is that you may not have the issue. It might be someone else projecting on you. Or it might not be about you at all!
“Katrina and I have both experienced cyberbullying, and for both of us it sneaked upon us. It started with someone in a similar industry who seemed to jump on our every post and undermine us. Cyberbullying does not always involve someone being overtly hostile.
It can feel like we’re fighting twice as hard just to be seen, and sometimes it can feel like you should just go home. If you have a troll confirm those fears, it’s a lot to deal with emotionally.”
When you start to feel that being online is impacting your mental health, it’s time to take a break.
So often you can feel like you’re being targeted when in reality, a lot of people don’t even mean it. When we’re selling our business and ourselves online we’re seen as a product. When you've seen it as a product, a thing, people don’t care how they make you feel behind the scenes. You need to desensitise yourself to that. Ignore them. Block them. Move away.
Even if we are supposed to be a business and a brand, this stuff hurts. We put our heart and soul into everything. Often this type of bullying occurs from those you know.
Building a business can stir up some mental health problems without the cyberbullying component. It’s not all unicorns and sparkles. There are hard moments and it’s our responsibility to share that, alongside the moments of success. Not sharing the “down” of the ups and downs creates unreal expectations.
Tip: build mental health time into your diary.
Personal responsibility and clear communication make all the difference.
Self-awareness starts with you, so if you do see cyberbullying taking place, what kind of person do you want to be? And I’m not saying this to put them down, but what action do you take? Do you jump on board? Do you defuse it?
* If you were triggered by any of the content above and you are based in the UK, please refer to the helplines below. If you are based outside the UK, please check in your local region for support agencies and lines.
https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/all-about-bullying/bullying-and-law/online-bullying-and-law
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/cyberbullying.html
