Scrolling through Instagram used to make me feel left out, like a failure and not very empowered. I compared myself to my peers and I felt like I was running behind on life, even though that wasn’t the case at all. We all follow different paths, and achieve milestones based on our own history and life experiences. I've learned to curate my social media pages and I found that Instagram can be a source of comfort for me. Today, I’m going to share my favourite mental health-related Instagram accounts. When I follow accounts that focus on mental health, self-care and therapy, it makes me feel better about my struggles and the fact I am not alone.
@nedratawwab
Nedra Glover Tawwab is a therapist, writer and the author of one of my favourite books called Set Boundaries, Find Peace. She describes herself as a “boundary expert” and her Instagram grid is filled with little golden nuggets of knowledge. She knows a lot about relationships, self-love and how to set boundaries with yourself and others. She also gives practical tips, which I have found useful.
@drjenpsych
Dr. Jen is a neuropsychologist, coach and author. Her posts are “curated coping tools to #rewirewellness” and she has written a book called Quick Calm: Easy Meditations to Short-Circuit Stress Using Mindfulness & Neuroscience. I think that Dr. Jen is insightful and gives practical tips as well. I find her posts to be relatable, interesting and validating of people’s life experiences and struggles.
@thecolourproject.society
The Colour Project is all about peer support! Peer supporters are trained peers with lived experience with mental health concerns. The Colour Project is anonymous, free and consists of 1:1 text-based peer support. To learn more, visit: www.thecolourproject.ca.
@campuslightbox
This account is a must-follow! Campus Lightbox was created by UBC students. Its website lists a bunch of mental health resources accessible to UBC students, including professional help, peer support and a phone hotline. Campus Lightbox's Instagram posts are all related to mental health! You can visit the Campus Lightbox website at campuslightbox.com.
@lindsaybraman
I cannot say enough good things about Lindsay! She describes herself as a therapist, artist, dog admirer and mischief maker. Her content is for educational use only. Her posts will make you feel good — I promise you! She combines her passion for art and mental health, and the results are colourful doodles that give practical tips and information about a variety of topics.
@crazyheadscomics
This account is run by Matilda, a Swedish artist and mental health advocate. Similarly, to Lindsay, her content is funny, relatable and educational. I highly recommend you check out her posts!
@what.is.mental.illness
This account is run by special educator Jade. She describes herself as an artist and mental illness activist. She creates posts about a variety of mental illnesses, and there are also posts about self-care and how to support others. One of my favourites, for sure!
@lizandmollie
I thought I’d throw one more out there! This account also contains colourful doodles, tips and lots of mental health related content. I’ll leave it up to you to check it out!
The authors of this column are not mental health professionals. If you need additional support, please contact Student Health Services, the Sexual Assault Support Centre and/or the Wellness Centre. In case of an emergency, call 911.