Coronavirus got you stressed? Here are 7 Charlotte Instagram accounts focused on mental health

Life is stressful enough right now, who needs political fights, shade tweets, and “highlight reel” posts to fuel anxiety and FOMO? But let’s not kid ourselves, that probably won’t happen. I need social media for work, and there are parts of online connection that I do enjoy.

Instead, I’ve made it a point to tweak my feed so it’s filled with accounts that add positivity to my scrolling and offer guidance on how to take care of my mental health.

Here are a few Charlotte-based mental health content creators that I love following on Instagram, in no particular order.

@NedraTawwab

More than 529,000 people follow licensed therapist Nedra Tawwab on Instagram, using her account for tips on a variety of mental health-related topics, particularly boundary-setting.

Why you should follow her: Check out her posts on boundaries if you’re struggling with your Covid comfort levels or need to learn how to stop checking work e-mail at all hours just because your house is now your office, too.

On mental health and social media: “Knowledge is the key to healing and growth. People must have access to tools, and Instagram is an access point. Some will go to therapy, and for those who won’t, they’ll have the ability to use information from Instagram.”

View this post on Instagram

When you normalize that people think and behave differently, you are less offended when people are themselves. Disclaimer: This post does not apply to instances of abuse, criminal acts, or assault. Abuse and violence are not things to normalize. #nedranuggets

A post shared by Nedra Glover Tawwab, Therapist (@nedratawwab) on

@HealthyEaton

Samantha Eaton dishes up (see what I did there?) practical tips to shift your mindset and improve your relationship with food.

Why you should follow her: To be kinder to yourself about what you are or aren’t eating during this stressful time in order to enjoy a healthier, more natural relationship with food.

On mental health and social media: “This kind of content is a bit taboo in the health and nutrition space, but mindset is commonly the number one thing holding you back from achieving your goals. With this approach, you won’t find those ‘ASAP’ results other approaches might deliver, but if your mindset isn’t aligned, it’ll sabotage those results anyway.”

View this post on Instagram

What thoughts pop in your head when I say “honor your cravings, eat the food”⁠?⁠ ⁠ Is “But if I honor and eat my cravings, I’ll never stop eating! I’ll just eat junk food all the time’ one of them?⁠ ⁠ Having that thought is actually a big blinking red light of a signal that indicates you very most likely have an unhealthy relationship with food.⁠ ⁠ Telling ourselves food is bad, we can’t or “shouldn’t” eat it creates that negative relationship and THAT is what makes you want it MORE, generating those thoughts of feeling like you’ll never be able to stop eating it and crave it all the time.⁠ ⁠ Actively restricting and controlling foods you love either physically or mentally like calling them bad or saying you should eat them is what is actually driving those feelings of being “out of control” around food.⁠ ⁠ The antidote to stop feeling like you’d lose total control around the food is to think about it, talk about it, and treat it just like any other food. When you don’t restrict it in any way, you don’t have those same crazy feelings around it. So it’s not the food itself, it’s the mental environment you’re creating around it.⁠ ⁠ It’s normal to feel scared to start honoring your cravings. I help my clients through this every day in my coaching program using my Mind Body Food Method. ⁠ ⁠ If I could help you too, isn’t it worth looking into? PM Me and we’ll set up a free mini session!⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #healthyeaton #dietsdontwork #intuitiveeating #balancedlife #fuelyourbody #antidiet #ditchthediet #trustyourbody #allfoodsfit #mindbodynutrition #nondiet #progressnotperfection #eatwhatyouwant #fedupdieter #psychologyofeatnig #eatingpsychology #mindfuleating #endthecycle #screwthescale #foodpsychology #bodywisdom #worthoverweight #dietculturedropout #fuckdietculture #losehatenotweight #nondietapproach #morethananumber #ichoosehappiness #balancednotclean #perfectlyimperfect

A post shared by Coach Sam, Eating Psych Coach (@healthyeaton) on

@DinaGambellaLMFT

Dina Gambella is a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes both in eating disorders and in relationships.

Why you should follow her: Her aesthetically pleasing feed is filled with confidence-inspiring mantras to take with you through the day, regardless of whether you’ve showered yet.

On mental health and social media: “Any raising of awareness helps reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment. It’s especially important in times like these when isolation and anxiety are at the forefront.”

View this post on Instagram

You’re right on time. Constantly evolving, growing, and changing. Trust the process because we can’t go backwards. Each day brings a new chance to shed old skin, to develop into the latest version of yourself. The work is always ongoing-trust in the process because baby, you’re right on time.🖤 . #dinagambellalmft #fellowtravelercounseling #mentalhealth #evolution

A post shared by Dina (@dinagambellalmft) on

@TheWellTherapist

Alyse Bone is the wellness psychotherapist behind The Well Therapist. Her Instagram account is filled with calming colors and a mixture of ideas to ponder, plus informational videos.

Why you should follow her: Alyse’s account offers doses of daily inspiration, plus longer videos for those still trying to get comfortable with the concept of therapy.

On mental health and social media: “Many individuals, especially the BIPOC population, do not understand the importance of attending to mental wellness, which impacts your whole person. To put it simply, to improve and maintain quality of life, prioritizing wellness, especially mental wellness, will be a journey, not a destination. The way we think impacts our entire life on a daily basis.”

View this post on Instagram

What would happen if you lived in the moment versus always capturing the moment? Now we are always focusing capturing the moment to show of post and we miss the actual moment.. I was blessed to have an opportunity with my friend @kidsrcapable to focus on living versus capturing. It was difficult but worth it. We communicated the entire time and enjoyed any silence that occurred. We literally enjoyed each other’s company and time and it was a blessing. LIVE🤍 #live

A post shared by The WELLtherapist™️ (@thewelltherapist) on

@WesleyAnneLittle

Wesley is a licensed marriage and family therapist who works primarily with couples. In addition to her Instagram, her website also has useful videos, articles, and other resources if you’re looking to boost your relationship or work through a particular issue.

Why you should follow her: Undoubtedly, the current state of the world is impacting your relationships in some way. Wesley’s Instagram feed is filled with questions to consider and quick tips that can help keep your connection healthy, no matter what’s going on around you. Her presence is soothing, so though her videos tackle tough subjects, you feel like you’re hearing the information from a friend who has your best interests in mind.

On mental health and social media: “On one hand, I don’t want people to think that healing is as easy as following steps and quick tips. On the other hand, I think that having reminders and bite-sized information that helps you choose a healthier path can be really helpful for all of us. Just like healthy eating, relational health is a lifestyle and something that takes a lot of small, better decisions.”

View this post on Instagram

Try not to read this as right or wrong, but more as a chance to get more clear. My go-to is to get playful or silly to get attention from my husband. Sometimes this works, sometimes this is too indirect and unclear about what I need. Sometimes guarded conversations are fine if they are direct, sometimes they are too lacking in vulnerability to be clear about the depth of how much something affects us. Does my quadrant help you think about this differently? I am not sure it will be totally clear going from my head to the visual!

A post shared by Wesley Little, LPC (@wesleyannelittle) on

@Rwenshaun

Rwenshaun Miller is a licensed psychotherapist. He’s open about his journey with bipolar disorder, and can speak both as a mental health professional and someone who’s intimately familiar with the challenges his clients may face. Rwenshaun’s created a journal to help others understand the triggers and situations that contribute to the ebb and flow of their own mental health.

Why you should follow him: His vulnerability is empowering, and his account is filled with prompts and tips to help you improve your daily mental health.

On mental health and social media: “This content is necessary to display as a Black man in order to showcase that although we tend to shy away from the conversation on mental health, it’s important to address.”

View this post on Instagram

I am still working on this lesson. What will you say no to today? This week? #WhyEustressin

A post shared by Rwenshaun (@rwenshaun) on

@Rachel_Tenny

Rachel is an artist and a therapist who creates work that packs a meaningful punch aimed at helping her followers prioritize their worth and mental health.

Why you should follow her: Her mixture of cheery art and day-brightening posts are a much-needed break from the doomscrolling you’ve been doing lately.

On mental health and social media: “My hope in sharing what I do is that it reminds others that they aren’t alone. Their mental well-being matters just as much as their physical well-being. I share a mix of art and therapy tidbits to bring awareness and support to people who may not be able to access therapy, or may find it intimidating to do so.”

View this post on Instagram

You are pure magic, my friends! . This week, I’ve been inspired by all the bright colors to create some new prints and mugs! Coming soon.💕 #youarepuremagic #racheltenny

A post shared by Rachel Phillips Tenny (@rachel_tenny) on