How Social Media Fuels Holiday Loneliness—and Ways Anxiety Therapy in Orlando Can Help

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You’re at home, too worn out to do anything after a long day of juggling your job, personal or family responsibilities, holiday gift shopping, and everything else on your plate. You sink deeper and deeper into your sofa, scrolling through social media, and it feels like you're sinking into your soul, too. Post after post, it all looks the same—happy people who somehow seem to have it all together. Glowing faces, expensive outfits, glasses raised in celebration, and the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the background. The weight in your chest seems to grow heavier. You can’t seem to shake the feeling of unease—that sense of being on the outside, as if all the best things are happening to someone else.

If you've ever caught yourself comparing your real life to those polished posts and feeling like you're falling short, you're not alone. As an anxiety therapist in Orlando, I often seek out helpful resources for my clients who deal with anxiety. Right now, I'm reading a fantastic book called "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt. It discusses how social media can be particularly damaging to teenage girls. I've been thinking about how social media can intensify feelings of anxiety and loneliness, so I wanted to share some ideas on that and what we can do to deal with it.

10 New Year's Resolutions to Help Ease Anxiety: Tips from an Orlando Therapist

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

If you experience anxiety, even thinking about setting a New Year's resolution may add another layer of stress, making you doubt your willpower, persistence, and abilities, wondering whether you're setting yourself up for failure. You may feel overwhelmed by the pressure to “be more” or "do better." You might feel paralyzed by the fear of not living up to your standards, especially if past attempts to meet similar goals didn't go as planned. These thoughts can create a cycle of anxiety. So, you might give up before you've even tried.

But what if you were to reframe your New Year's resolutions so they are not about perfection or drastic changes?

Anxiety Therapist Shares: 4-7-8 Breathing

In our previous blog, we explored the box breathing technique—a simple yet effective tool for managing anxiety and grounding yourself in moments of stress. Now, we’re diving into another transformative breathing technique: 4-7-8 breathing.