Mr. Funk E. Dude
My mental health tips for using Mastodon...
* Turn off notifications if you're feeling overwhelmed.
* If using desktop advanced mode, keep your notifications on "Mentions" rather then "All". Check "All" periodically.
* Remember that you DO NOT have to explain yourself to anyone.
* You can not be everything to everyone. If people don't like you, remember that it's not about YOU. It's about the who they THINK you are.
What are YOUR mental health tips for using Mastodon?
Who Beefed?
if possible, go outside and make lemonade out of snow.
Baroque Mongoose
@Mrfunkedude Make sure there's something nice in your feed to help balance all the doom and gloom. I find I get plenty of cats, and they help. I've also started following @benoitmandelbot , a bot that does nothing but create pretty fractals.
RolloTreadway
@Mrfunkedude This is true of all social media, not just Mastodon: it is nobody's business but your own who you follow, and what you see in your feed.
Don't listen to anyone who says you must do this or that, you must see all the posts about whatever, etc. Your feed belongs to you alone and is your space. Make it somewhere that you're comfortable to spend time in.
ElleDawgg (She/Her)
Follow positive people who are on the right side of history! Take breaks! I miss y’all when I’m not on here though because everyone is so real and usually very nice. ❤️❤️❤️
𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓
@Mrfunkedude
I use Fedilab for Android, I tend to keep reposts turned off most of the day, checking occasionally. Then I can see fresh posts from people I'm following.
Avoiding hot button issues helps me too, I'm here for fun.
The Mo :verified_flashing:
@Mrfunkedude All very important tips! ❤️
I'd also add another! You don't have to reply to every single comment on one of your toots. You can just hit the favorite button to show the comment was acknowledged, but don't feel obligated to respond if its overwhelming for you. :blobcatheartbongo:
Chelle (she/her) ?☕
* Use filters and mute people freely. You don't owe ANYONE space in your head, no matter how righteous or good the cause.
* Use pinned columns for hashtags but don't follow them, so you can decide when to look at that column and it's not in your main feed.
* Report someone who's being a troll/breaking rules, and then block them. Don't engage. Let mods handle it.
Alex
* Social media is a facet of yourself. It is important to take time for everything.
* Notifications will be there when you are ready for them. They won't go away. You can let them build up or just ignore them until you are ready.
* Bookmarks help reduce worry about notifications. Worried someone you like said something you might miss? Bookmark it then come back and read it / unbookmark it later.
* You owe no one anything social engagement, they owe you the same thing.
Kevin
@Mrfunkedude I've found filtering problematic topics to do wonders for my blood pressure. "Problematic" being threads my brain just wants to engage in that will just end up being some kind of argument or pile-on.
👩🦯The Blind Fraggle
@Mrfunkedude I like getting notifications, myself, but I really like the third tip!
My mental health tip is, if what you're reading is bringing you down but you don't want to walk away from the site, change timelines. You've got a lot of choice here!
CB Uí Foghlú
@Mrfunkedude "* You can not be everything to everyone." - i need to remember this for both on & offline.
My tip is: follow some nice hashtags like #asstodon #ThickTrunkTuesday and #cows
Coz sometimes you just need a random toot on beauty.
And be flaithiúlach with the mute/block button
flaithiúlach (pronounciation: flah-hool-uck. Meaning: generous)
Tricia🏴🇪🇺
@Mrfunkedude If in doubt, don't use at all.
Allen Stenhaus
@kevin @Mrfunkedude This is why I'm a huge supporter of content warnings for commonly triggering social issues. It only takes a small act on our parts to save potentially thousands from being exposed to something that's unhealthy to them.
An individual's filters should be considered a last line of defense. I love content warnings, & often I'll use them as subject lines for even mundane things.
David Brent 📚
@Mrfunkedude I haven't encountered too many toxic individuals here on the tusk site. It's happened a couple of times, though, and I've come up with a phrase that I've deployed for when that happens: "I'll exit quietly through the side door" is my signal that I'm going to be the adult and just walk away from the conversation.
Having that phrase available in my back pocket is oddly comforting.
Big Worker
@Mrfunkedude my secret is not getting enough engagement to have any of these problems
Ryan Schultz
@Mrfunkedude Make liberal use of filters to avoid seeing things which trigger you. I just discovered that the Toot! iOS app now filters your Trending feed using your personal filters, and it’s the only way I look at Trending posts now.
❄️Faerie❄️
@Mrfunkedude Don't be afraid to unfollow people if they're posting things that stress you out, (eg.) people who post dark world news without a CW.
OldAndcranky
@Mrfunkedude mine is to follow @Mrfunkedude
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@OldAndCranky Oh stop! You’re too kind.
DoubleTreble 🥰🌸🌍🌹💚🐱🧶🫖
@Mrfunkedude
Nearly all my interactions have been positive in just over two months.
Follow and boost friendly folks there's lots of them! follow and boost cat people there's lots of them! Follow and boost the Art there's lots of it! Follow and boost the Crafters' and makers, you get the gist....
Brain fog ??????
Allen Stenhaus
@jperlow @kevin @Mrfunkedude Nobody is asking you to predict every little thing that may be triggering to everyone on the planet. It's about making a reasonable effort. Obviously, following the rules of your instance is priority one, but beyond that is the general social contract. Most people expect CWs for violence, sexually explicit material, etc. With other stuff, simply be courteous. You can't forsee everything, but a tiny bit of effort goes far.
Jason Perlow 🇮🇱
@allenstenhaus @kevin @Mrfunkedude I very rarely use them. Anything can be perceived as being triggering even the most innocuous — dietary habits, etc. I’m not going to worry about every possible permutation of who is going to take issue with my content.
Ecosaurian 🏴 :ir:
Remove the app from your desktop/screen to break habit of casually returning to surf every 20 minutes - the extra step of having to look for the app to launch it means it's a choice.
Block/mute anyone who upsets you with no guilt.
Take a break of a couple of days (or more) if things feel like they're getting too much.
chihuamaranian
This might sound odd, but when my timeline has a wave of German speakers wishing everyone a "Guten Morgen" I know its well past my bedtime and I should put my phone down.
Teedi P.
Don't let the "federated" feed freak you out. Yes, the feed is updating at the speed of light. If you're on computer, just randomly scroll down a bit to stop the page from jumping and go take a slow browse to find what you want to read.
Think of it like walking into a coffee shop and joining some random discussions with other folks you might know, make new friends. You don't have to read EVERYTHING!!!
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@jperlow @allenstenhaus @kevin I use a CW for food to help those who may be dealing with different types of food issues. It’s the same reason I put a CW when I discuss my cannabis use. I just see it as a simple kindness to those who may be struggling.
Jason Perlow 🇮🇱
@allenstenhaus @kevin @Mrfunkedude sure, I get that, but I mostly post about technology and food. I don't worry about the vegans when I post burger pictures or the hardcore Free Software or die folks when I write about Apple or Microsoft, though.
Sean
@Mrfunkedude Don’t take anything seriously. It’s only the internet.
tcduff
@Mrfunkedude Schedule finite time frames to check your feed and stick to them.
MizFidd
@Mrfunkedude @inoneear If you have the Toot app, there is a “relax” option. Drops my heart rate.
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@yoguiignacio I like to think of it as the act of being mindful of ones path.
YOGA~ZEN 🙏
@Mrfunkedude Sorry... What is mental health?
Sören
• Masto offers auto-deletion of old posts. If you’re worried about people piling on and dragging you for something you said 17 years ago, this may help.
• Masto offers auto-expiring filters. Some people talk about Sporting Event or Politics Event a lot for a day? Mute the people and/or keywords for a while!
• Be liberal in muting and blocking.
• Timeline too big but don’t want to unfollow? Make a list, add the most important people, and make that your new timeline!
annaraven
@Mrfunkedude @OldAndCranky Not at all, I agree that following you was one of my best choices when I started on mastodon
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@annaraven @OldAndCranky I am honored and privileged to have such wonderful followers. Thank you.
cobalt
@Mrfunkedude actually I’ve found my mental health steadily improving since getting more active with Mastodon. I did drop the notifications which I used for a month to be sure when I was adding a lot of people I could keep track. Had to stop notifications in Mastodon and then I figured out they also were coming through my iPhone settings.
tarasis
@Mrfunkedude Good point on “can’t be everything to everyone”, this was something that stopped me posting on Twitter for ages. I had people following me in the iOS/macOS world, but also people from Geek&Sundry / Critical Role streaming world following. I felt posting about X would annoy Y or be uninteresting, so I went through a while of only really replying. In the end I stopped caring :)
It sucks seeing people unfollow, but I’ve learnt to just not look at follower count now
Patricklee
@Mrfunkedude animal pictures.
Here’s my Luna.
Queen Of Coffee
@Mrfunkedude
1. block anyone with no sense of humor who feels the need to respond seriously when you post a joke
2. Don't just blindly follow back. There's no algorithm here. Follow people and hashtags you genuinely find interesting
Mark Asser
@Mrfunkedude That's a good list. I've turned notifications off, not because I'm overwhelmed or even underwhelmed, but because nothing's that important. I check what's going on when the urge strikes me, not when my phone says I should.
StrohMaestroh
@Mrfunkedude choosing Mastodon over the other site is a step in the right direction. From there, it's gravy :)
LucyWildboots 🏳️🌈
@QueenOfCoffee well #1 will certainly take out the #actuallyautistic who dont always understand some forms of humour. :ablobcatgrumpy:
R. L. Dane :debian: :openbsd:
* Unfollow, mute, and even block people and entire instances with impunity. It's YOUR Mastodon experience.
* Use filters to cut down on cruft
* Gather your favorite posters into lists, so you can always get to the GOOD stuff quickly.
kcarruthers
@Mrfunkedude who’s got notifications on? ?
Onidotmoe
@Mrfunkedude
Like all other places on the internet, don't be afraid to mute or block people.
General tip for online chatting is that you don't have to continue a conversation if it's going downhill, just stop and move on for the day, call is de-escalation, which is something many people don't do online.
Avoid personal attacks or retaliations to personal attacks, here is a good point to just stop and not continue the talk with the other party
people will assume things it's beyond your control
John Colagioia
Tips that I apply to all social media.
* You don't need to be here all the time. Show up a couple of times a day and everybody'll still be fine. The Fediverse doesn't care how "engaged" you are with the content.
* The previous idea will take too long? Add your favorite users to a list and (in the advanced interface) pin that list. Now you can skip the bots and people who are decent follows, but also send out too much noise if you're busy.
Maltita
@Mrfunkedude use temporary mute a lot
jasmin, gay mess
@Mrfunkedude setting up filters in advance. I know that sometimes it can be hard for me to read about certain topics. I have a lot of filters, sometimes they are forever, sometimes temporarily.
What they all have in common is: the filter the content completely. Not without the „warning“, no, completely.
With the warning I’m too tempted to click on it. But if I don’t know that it’s there, I can recover.
Oh, I also recommend to set the filters longer than anticipated. Set it to a day, a week even. Recovering takes time and you won’t miss anything important, I promise.
schratze
@Mrfunkedude my one tip is: if the vibes are bad, block, report and move on with your life. Don't waste your time on online drama.
I should take my own advice more often lol
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@RL_Dane @valiumnation @wtwagg yeah I'm scratching my head on that one too. What kind of lists are you worried about on Mastodon??
R. L. Dane :debian: :openbsd:
@valiumnation @Mrfunkedude @wtwagg
I can't imagine any nefarious purposes, unless you just kept a list of people you hate, but why bother?
Michael
@RL_Dane @Mrfunkedude @wtwagg So, Lists aren't the evil they are elsewhere?
Michael
@RL_Dane @Mrfunkedude @wtwagg I just know on the bird everyone was always checking to see if they were on a list and blocking that account as it was generally a troll with list names like "Libtard" or some such. And DM's were general frowned on. Still getting used to this place. Haven't punched the monitor all week so that's good!
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@valiumnation @RL_Dane @wtwagg That's a "block list" that you are referring to. Lists on Mastodon are just people that you want to make sure you don't miss.
Michael
@Mrfunkedude @RL_Dane @wtwagg No. A block/mute list is different. My block list was almost 6K while I was only ever on a couple of lists. Lists at both platforms are just what you said they are, people you want to keep track of. Not block. I guess I'm still paranoid and pugilistic. Lists were shared among RW trolls accounts and bots to swarm a account with reports and get them suspended. There are 2 victims of that tactic that joined here recently.
Michael
@wtwagg @RL_Dane @Mrfunkedude They are what one wants them to be. Mastodon is a very different experience for me.
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@valiumnation @wtwagg @RL_Dane Give it time and you'll wonder what took you so long to get here.?
Todd on :mastodon: ain
@valiumnation @RL_Dane @Mrfunkedude I have always used lists just to simplify finding different interests. For example, I have a list for Linux, News, and FLOSS.
They are getting pretty old though. I need to do some pruning.
Michael
@Mrfunkedude @wtwagg @RL_Dane It was a crooked path. CS is not to my taste and I only lasted 3 days at Spoutible. Post and others, not for me. This seems ok!
GulfCoastJake
* Don't worry about getting "caught up" every time you log on. If there's someone you really want to see all of, put them on a list, but keep that list small.
* Follow new people freely to build up a diverse timeline, but also unfollow, mute, block, and hide boosts and replies as needed to keep out the things you don't want to see.
* Curate your timeline with what you actually want to see. If someone is offended that you didn't follow back, that's on them.
Spocko
@Mrfunkedude I like #4. My tip? Read the posts of people who reboosted your post.
I joined an instance in Germany, but don't read or speak German. But I click on the translate button and voila! I can read in English! I'm now following & getting into conversations with people in Germany about topics I'm interested in, like regulation of Social Media. It has been mind expanding. I've learned many important things.
Suzanne she/her
@Mrfunkedude Most importantly: block early and often!
Stella
@Mrfunkedude Cats. Go to #CatsOfMastodon and find the joy in the day.
Seriously though, sometimes I try to enjoy the art photos, crafts, book reviews, music. I like it here because I find those things. The politics and social issues, listening to different points of view, are necessary for being a better human but that is work so sometimes it’s just about the cats. ?
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@hozhoogoo @spocko most browsers have translation extensions that you can download.
If you're on mobile, some Mastodon apps have it as a feature.
Russian warship go **** yourself :verified_trans:
@Mrfunkedude @spocko whoa, which client do you use that has a translate button?
The Flight Attendant
@stellina @Mrfunkedude I only recently joined here, but so far my favorite thing here has been following hashtags. There is such a different vibe on Mastodon and I am already feeling much happier and more creative than when I was addicted to Twitter!
Stella
@flightbomb @Mrfunkedude me too. It’s just pleasant and there are such creative and interesting posts and people. ?
neoczo
@Mrfunkedude Mastodon is a much pleasant place than the bird we should not name. My mental health tip is to enjoy it.
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