If social media is making you feel mad, sad or bad it might be time to take a long hard look at who you’re following. A little tweaking could add some amazing women in your life who will inspire, uplift and make you laugh. That’s exactly what I did.

I don’t know about you, but my mindless Instagram scrolling has only gotten worse since the whole pandemic thing. Sometimes, when I just can’t take any more real information I turn to reels to soothe my mind and quiet my increasingly panicked thoughts. In an effort though to not feel like an ancient witch full of anger I have somewhat curated my feed to contain more women around my own age, with real lives – albeit fabulous ones – that I enjoy watching and consider my online friends, even though I may never have met them and probably never will. It’s amazing the difference this has made to my attitude towards social media. I’ve cut down on the amount of people I thought I should be following and actually take pride in not knowing the latest social media drama or gossip. When I find someone new that I like I forensically go through their stories and feed to see who they like and try them on for size too. In recent months I’ve gone out of my way to make sure that my feed isn’t an all-white, all middle class, all Dublin echo chamber so that I can see different opinions and experiences. Sure we all exist inside a bubble the algorithm has made for us with like-minded people, who look like us and think like us but with a tiny bit of tweaking, you can make your corner of the internet a happier, more colourful, more age-appropriate, more diverse place to be.

Here are some of my current favourites both in Ireland and further afield…

Tamu McPherson @tamumcpherson
A former editor of Grazia Italia, Tamu lives in Milan but comes via new York via Jamaica. She is incredibly stylish, has given me the Italian holiday fix that I really missed in 2020 and has the most stunning apartment I think I’ve ever seen. She also asks ‘how are you keeping fit today’ which has almost motivated me to start running. Almost.

Terri Cooper @thestylecoop
Terri lives with her husband and two children in the most stunning house in Ranelagh but that’s not what I’m here for. I love her quirky sense of style, her use of colour and the fact that she poses for outfit pics without looking like a broken-down doll. Yes!

Elaine Cruz @1misscruz
Make-up artist Elaine is a woman I want to go for a drink with. She tells it how it is whether that’s online dating at nearly 40 during a pandemic or watching a woman step in a dead pigeon in St Stephen’s Green. In flip flops. Ugh. A dose of reality that always makes me laugh.

Tamso Doyle Cox @tamso
Working mum Tamso lives on a stud farm in Kildare with her two gorgeous daughters and her husband. Her feed is full of food, flowers and champagne that’s exactly what I’m looking for in my own life to be quite honest!

Trish Deseine @trishdeseinencore
I have her books, I want to wander around French markets with her and I did a little yelp of happiness when she spoke about her new boyfriend on Insta. Having moved from Northern Ireland to Paris, back to Cork and back to France again I love her take on both life and food.

Jamie Beck @jamiebeck.co
Jamie is a New York artist and photographer who four years ago upped sticks and moved with her husband to Provence. A couple of years later her darling daughter Eloise arrived and she lives an idyllic life creating art and shopping for cheese at markets in the south of France, basically my dream. Following her Instagram is a salve for the soul and is like walking through an online gallery updated every day.

Eva Chen @evachen212
Head of global fashion partnerships at Instagram is a big job title and you could expect the owner to be a terrifyingly stylish ice queen. Instead, Eva Chen is funny, friendly and family-oriented. She’s navigating working from home with two small children in New York City while renovating a cabin upstate. Oh, and in her spare time, she writes brilliant children’s book. Spare time? How?!

Trinny Woodall @trinnywoodall
Come for the makeup and skincare advice and stay for the age-appropriate guided tours around Zara. Here is a woman who will help you navigate one of the most frustrating shops on the planet, finding beautiful things you want to wear while avoiding the baffling crop tops that only look good on 16-year-olds online. She’s mad as a brush and that’s why I love her.

Sophie Ellis Bextor @sophieellisbextor
If you weren’t watching Sophie’s Friday night discos during lockdown what were you doing (if it was crying into a large glass of wine, that’s just fine)? She was a beacon of fun when everything was miserable and her podcast Spinning Plates is a fascinating look inside interesting women’s lives. She has a Kitchen Disco album coming out and I will be first in line to buy it!

Jennifer Houghtan @turtlecreeklane
If you like decorating for Halloween or Christmas you have to follow this account. Jen is a mother of five based in Dallas, Texas and actually has a warehouse where she stores all her seasonal decorations. Her creations are insane and completely unachievable for regular people but I guarantee you’ll be fascinated and she’ll make you smile!

Candice Brathwaite @candicebrathwaite
Mum of two Candice is the best-selling author I Am Not Your Baby Mother, the curator of @makemotherhooddiverse, a presenter on the Lorraine show and best of all is teaching herself to roller skate! She is a straight-talking, fun, colourful mum whose stories I always want to watch.

Sarah Rickard Lantry @sara_rickard_stylist
Stylist Sarah is a breath of fresh air when it comes to fashion on social media. She does a weekly Try-On Tuesday where she shows outfits that are stylish, practical and over 35 appropriate. Hallelujah! One week she might be trying the most fabulous dresses and the next she’ll have coats that will look great, even when thrown over PJs, at the school gate. She’s a fresh, funny voice in fashion and she’ll be responsible for bankrupting me!

Jennifer Stevens, September 2020.

Who do you love to follow on social? Share them in the comments below!