https://enduranceplanet.com/atc-338-dealing-with-online-trolls-maf-and-or-intensity-for-ironman-minimalist-snow-boots-and-counting-down-to-im-st-george/

Anonymous asks:

Dealing with online trolls

Hi, How do you or would you guys deal with hateful comments and trolls on social media (or maybe your podcast)? I am a female runner in my 30s and I enjoy posting about my journey training for marathons and other events. Usually it’s all good, and I don’t have loads of followers but most who do follow are supportive and kind. However, every now and then I get a troll who is just mean for no reason—I had one guy say I look nothing like an athlete, and I’m chubby and slow for how much I “train” and I should find another hobby. Someone else commented on my nutrition choices saying “what a joke.” Someone else told me all I care about is how I look in photos but I fail to hide “the ugly.” There have been more of these one-off type comments, but these are a few examples—I immediately block the trolls. I know I should let things like this roll off me, this is just how bullies are, but I can’t. It sticks with me, and makes me want to quit social sometimes and question my self worth. It’s like, I could have 100 nice comments and 1 mean one, and that one is the one that bothers me endlessly. Even the idea of a mean or judgey comment before posting something gets me anxious sometimes. How can I better deal with this stuff and still get joy from social media—so I connect with the community and good people— and not let it be constantly triggering for me?

What the coaches say:

It’s often not about you the subject of the mean comments, but rather, it’s the person leaving the mean comments who is in turmoil. These “trolls” are suffering and in a weird way we can find a place to hold sympathy for that.

If you must, it’s ok to take a break from social to work on yourself to the point where mean comments can roll off you and not affect your emotional state.

Some of us are extra sensitive to hateful comments, that’s ok.

Often, these things sting really bad at first but their impact fades with time.

Using a negative comment to fuel you to post more, and use social media even more for the purpose you intended.

Don’t engage: Blocking the troll and not responding to the comment(s) are key to getting past this! Even if you want to say something and defend yourself, it won’t change the person’s mind and their intention to hurt.

You’re not alone, a lot of us deal with hateful trolls. The thing is, they don’t know you, the context, or anything about it… the people who do know you and support you, those are the ones to focus on; those are the people who matter!

Put yourself first! Find a place of self-love, where you share your story authentically and without shame.

Get to a place where you let the troll motivate you to just be you regardless of the jerks out there.

Don’t forget, social media will always be a “highlight reel” of sorts.

Don’t let the trolls harden you.

As athletes we want to be accepted, let’s face it, and let’s evaluate our relationship with how important performance, time and our body image is. Athletes come in all shapes and sizes, and different speeds.