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Warkworth’s Matilda Green has written a self-help guide that aims to be an antidote for anxiety and FOMO (fear of missing out) for the social media generation.
Matilda rose to fame after appearing on The Bachelor television programme in 2015. She says since her life has been cast into the spotlight, she has noticed that social media has a tendency to warp people’s perception of everyday life.
“I was thrown into the Instagram world and I know it can really affect self-esteem,” Matilda says.
“We’re so inundated with everyone’s best angles, lush holidays and their happiest moments. It becomes increasingly easy to forget that everyone has problems.”
The book is an introduction to a number of popular health topics, including gratitude, mindfulness, meditation and nutrition.
It begins with a chapter on self-esteem and taking the time to appreciate life without comparing yourself to others.
“Happiness is a mindset, not a destination. It’s not about a new car or a promotion, but about being unapologetic in your own skin.”
Each topic ends with a list of small but practical steps that readers can use to get their self-growth journey started, including limiting exposure to social media after 6pm.
“I wanted to give readers things they could do straight away without feeling like they needed to overhaul their lives.
“It’s things like breathing techniques. It may sound simple but breathing got me through labour without drugs.”
Matilda says she is increasingly conscious of the effect that social media has on young minds now that she has four-month-old son.
“My generation was the first to experience social media, and subsequent generations have had it even worse and are plugged in for hours a day. It’s designed to be addictive.
“Even Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) doesn’t let his children use social media.
“We need to be able to make use of the positive aspects of social media such as community connection and social causes, but there has to be a balance.”
The Feel Good Guide by Matilda Green is available from Paper Plus in Warkworth.
Mahurangi Matters has a copy of The Feel Good Guide to give away – send us a sentence about something you’re grateful for to news@localmatters.co.nz with ‘feel good’ in the subject line.
