Are You Spiritually Bypassing or Honoring Your Mental Health?

This is a question I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to answer honestly. I deactivated my Facebook and Twitter accounts for a bit because I realized both platforms had become too emotionally draining and time consuming – for me.

It felt liberating to finally do what I knew I needed to for my mental health. These platforms simply weren’t serving my growth or my mental health in any capacity. They hadn’t been for most of 2020.

I was surprised, but open to receiving, a message from one of my friends on Instagram (a platform that I’m choosing to stay active on, because it does add value), kindly suggesting that I consider if I’m spiritually bypassing by deleting these apps and channeling “good vibes only.”

I wouldn’t say this triggered me into defense mode but it definitely got me thinking more about spiritual bypassing, mental health, my own struggle with “perfectionism,” and, with that, my privilege – this is a lot to unload here but important self-inquiry that cannot be avoided if I’m seriously committed to my yoga:

Yoga means: to engage, to get involved, to participate, and to connect. Yoga is a process. It’s active. It’s the way you (or I) engage with the world to create harmony. Yoga is how we participate and create relationship.

I think this is my first real acknowledgement that I have subconsciously and unknowingly been a part of a larger problem around using the tool of perfectionism against others. I’m committed to unpacking that uncomfortable realization – which is going to take some time.

That said, I don’t think deciding not to exert my energy on toxic social media platforms is spiritual bypassing when the intention is genuine and simple: to take a mental health break from engaging with almighty keyboard warriors and reading posts about wishing illness and death on other human beings.

I want to be clear: I don’t think Facebook is bad. Some of my more controversial posts have taught me a lot about how much I don’t know about certain issues and topics and have sparked meaningful “offline” conversations with people who care about my personal growth; and vice versa.

Still, I noticed a shift on my Facebook and Twitter timelines in the last few months that was just too much for my mental health; I needed a break. My energy is best spent elsewhere – not avoiding the realities of our world, but rather having real discussions, getting deeper into self-inquiry, and yes, doing research. None of that is happening when my energy is drained from scrolling, getting caught up in petty comments and tweets that aren’t intended to be conversational, but instead posted to spark conflict or worse, bring out the worse in another human being.

I’m not a stand for that; that’s low vibrational energy whatever way you want to try and spin it. And that’s not me saying that I’m for good vibes only (though I do like the intention behind that phrase). That’s me having boundaries. That’s me deciding to invest my time and energy elsewhere – where I know I’ll make an impact.

In short: in life, especially, during the year of 2020, it can be quite challenging to differentiate between spiritually bypassing and practicing mental health. It’s ultimately up to you to dig deeper into your self-inquiry; only you can truly know.

And I thank my friend who reached out to me and actually helped me to get unpacking a larger issue I had been avoiding — one that is so important. It’s a good sign that I’m surrounding myself with the right people, focusing my energy on platforms, which I’m learning from and evolving with.

Take care of yourself this week; do what you need to do maintain your sanity including giving yourself the freedom to get off Facebook or any other social platform that isn’t filling your cup.