Chantel McAlister wakes up next to her husband Jason and tends to her son Travis, before greeting an intimate group of friends: her 10,800 Instagram followers.

For the photography teacher and wool advocate — known online as "the girl who photographs sheep", thanks to the family shearing business — social media is providing catharsis.

The 35-year-old suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, which intensified after experiencing a miscarriage and the death of her much-loved dog.

But help isn't always easy to find when you spend 11 months a year on the road, travelling to woolsheds in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

"I felt incredibly alone because we were travelling and I'd be out on these stations and I'd have panic attacks and didn't know what to do," Chantel said.

Chantel McAlister uses social media to tell her audience which town she's travelling to next ahead of her photography workshops. ( Supplied: Chantel McAlister )

"It's like you want to escape your own skin. Like you can't even relate to yourself. It's happening to you, you're experiencing it and you can't stop anything.

"Thinking about photography, finding that beauty and setting your camera up... it stops your world."

'I get a lot of strength from there'

While many urban city dwellers are trying to curb their excessive screen time, it's a different story for those in rural and remote communities, where social media can sometimes be the only way to stay connected.

Initially, Chantel posted her photography to her personal Facebook page where friends would encourage her to sell her work as prints.

Chantel McAlister said sharing her work online was just as beneficial as taking photos. ( Supplied: Chantel McAlister )

But when Instagram launched, its image-only approach and ability to follow interests quickly saw her garner a virtual support network.

She now draws strength from the sense of community she has found online through her pictures, which she says has helped her to "survive".

"We're always just randomly writing to each other saying 'I see you did this today, that's fantastic and I know it wouldn't have been easy'," she said.

"I get a lot of strength from there too, being able to share my wins.

"I just love it so much that I can run my business, I can support my family, and at the same time it's such a personal thing for me as well. I can... I can survive."

It's a sentiment echoed by Trina Patterson, 50, a grazier from Rollerston in Central Queensland.

Trina Patterson started taking photos after she was gifted a camera for Christmas five years ago. ( Supplied: Trina Patterson )

Her husband Tim, 54, gifted her a camera for Christmas five years ago — and she's been taking photos ever since.

"It's just been the best thing for me, for my mental health," she said.

"By putting the photos on Instagram, I can share how we live and where we live and show off that little bit of beauty as well."

A sense of connection

According to Dr Grant Blashki, a psychologist from Beyond Blue, social media can be a useful tool for managing feelings of social isolation.

While those in rural and remote communities may find themselves interacting with fewer people, they're also saddled with the extra burden of lacking mental health services.

Trina Patterson said moments of beauty helped her stay positive through tough times. ( Supplied: Trina Patterson )

Suicide rates in rural areas are now 40 per cent higher than in major cities, and in remote areas, the rate is almost double.

"What I've observed over 25 years as a GP is those people who are absorbed in a creative process have a sense of purpose, a sense of achievement, have better mental health and there's lots of benefits from it," Dr Blashki said.

"It can have a calming impact. I think there's a lot of value in overcoming isolation by sharing those pictures and getting feedback from people."

But there's a flipside...

However, social media can also be a double-edged sword.

According to Dr Amber Marshall from the Queensland University of Technology's Digital Media Research Centre, who advocates for digital inclusion in the bush, rural and urban settings can have different interpretations of what constitutes a "normal and humane" practice.

"Being able to send images from the outback to the city in this kind of instantaneous way is positive and in some ways educating people on what it's like to live in these areas," Dr Marshall said, referencing the images of thousands of perished cattle as a result of the North Queensland floods.

"But the flip side of that is, images that come from the bush where things like slaughter of animals for meat and things are part and parcel of life can be taken out of context.

"What might be a normal and humane, acceptable practice in the context in which the picture or video was taken, may be interpreted differently by someone in an urban setting."

For Trina, she hopes her photography lets others see her world through a different lens.

There are multiple benefits to having a creative outlet. ( Supplied: Trina Patterson )

She said the world of social media allowed those in the city to experience what goes on in the bush.

"Having connections with other people makes you see the world, and you see yourself from a different perspective," she said.

"I think that makes for a much better, progressive world all round if we all have an understanding of how others work."