It’s fair to say that change is a-foot on social media.
From the de-influencing trend that teaches us to curb our consumerism, to TikTok encouraging users to upload longer videos, the internet seems to be turning it’s back on flashy, highly-edited content, and is slowing down instead.
So it’s perhaps no surprise then that ‘day dumping’ is currently all over your social media feeds.
Using either TikTok or Instagram’s carousel features, day dumping is all about uploading a set of lovely, but fairly average, pictures that catalogue the day’s events.
We’re not talking big days out, with pre-planned outfits in ‘Instagrammable’ locations.
No, classic day dumping fodder includes making the bed, drinking a coffee, browsing a bookshop, watering the plants – you get the idea.
target + ice cream + nails 💗 #dayinmylife #dailyvlog #videodiary #minivlog #satisfying #productivity #sounds #morningroutine #dailyroutine
If you’re old enough to remember the daily vlog era of YouTube that saw Zoella et al document the mundane of their day to day lives, you’ll understand how weirdly relaxing it is to watch someone potter about, enjoying a day not dissimilar to your own.
And day dumping is oh-so-important when it feels like everything – from the cost of living to the climate – is in crisis.
‘In a world where there’s a constant stream of negativity, the antidote to that is making your world smaller and noticing the positivity,’ says psychologist, Emma Kenny.
‘The more that you have the presence to do that, the less anxious, stressed and panic-stricken you’re likely to feel.’
‘It’s all about gratitude. Taking a picture that’s more natural, more momentary, captures a mini miracle in your world, and shares that with other people.
‘We’ve got to remember that our brain is constantly being reconditioned. What you think and do creates how you feel and act.
‘The more you can create positive rituals in your life, and the more you can frame positivity in your life, the more positive thoughts you will have.
And day dumping has a ‘paying it forward’ aspect too.
‘You’re documenting small things that you can take for granted,’ says Emma. ‘For example, you might be eating a delicious lunch and feel grateful that you get to enjoy it.
‘When you take a snap and share it with other people, it reminds them to be grateful of their delicious lunch too.
‘It’s a chance to focus on the things we often ignore.’
And Emma says day dumping can have a genuine impact on your mental health.
‘It beds us in the present, and notices how we feel in it, and acknowledges that this present is a gift.
‘Even thought things can be a wider struggle for you, there are still those positive moments. Taking time to internalise that reality is going to shift the way that you feel.
‘Gratitude is embedded in science. When we think more positively, it influences everything around us, so we should harness that power for our own good.’
And if day dumping isn’t your thing, there are other ways you inject some positivity into your life too.
‘Practicing gratitude is something you can do in a wealth of ways,’ says Emma.
‘Try writing down three things you feel grateful for every day, including one thing you struggled with, that you worked through. You might be surprised by the impact it has on your day-to-day.’
Excuse us while we take some photos our breakfast.
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