Social media is addictive and can be stressful, so you may find yourself scrolling through your feed almost every 5 minutes check your notifications, update your fans, or for FOMO! If this is you then you need to go on a social media detox and here are some tips on how to do it.
The first step to a successful social media detox is acknowledging that you’re in too deep and since you’re here, you’re already doing well. Now, you’ll want to check how often you log onto social media and ask yourself what doing this is stopping you from doing. This includes you monitoring your likes, looking for inspo or just generally seeing what your followers are up to.
This is one of the most important aspects of your social media detox. That celebrity that always look flawless, that influencer who is always travelling to those amazing places, that ex-classmate who has the best job in the world… unfollow them. Too much admiration for those who appear to live an extraordinary life may be the very ones responsible for sucking up your screen time. Not that you have to give them up forever, but moving away from them for a while could make you feel less compelled to be scrolling through their feed just to see what they’re up to.
Identify the times that you are most likely to login, then limit them. We all feel like a social media binge from time to time and that’s okay, but it really isn’t necessary. And whatever you do, do not take that phone to bed with you. Ever wondered why you have such hideous eye bags in the morning? As soon as you hop in those sheets, slide it in your drawer or leave it far away from reach. If you won’t fall to sleep straight away then read a book or listen to some music on a device that doesn’t have a blaring screen (yes, they do exist).
Queue in the IPhone ding, the Samsung whistle and all other notification indicators. Turn them off! Notifications may be your biggest excitement bug with the deadly potential to turn into an anxiety one. Yikes! Notification activity is an essential part of your social media detox for the simple reason that it is your number one excuse to check your accounts.
Number 1: don’t do it for the gram. In other words, refrain from thinking of every event as an Instagram opportunity or something to share with all of your followers. If you do, you lose a bit of the enjoyment factor of doing the activity in the first place. Number 2: think before you stalk. Resist the urge to see what he/she is up to by creating a boundary and committing to it, taking it day-by-day. Replace this craving with something that you’ll enjoy.
This may be the least obvious aspect to your social media detox but there’s no better way to cut back on your screen time than to get up and go out. Living IRL is as fun as you make it and there’s so much to explore outside of the confines of your phone screen. You don’t have to delete your online life outright, just give it a break. You control it, it shouldn’t control you. Do more things that make you forget to check your phone and you will appreciate the little things in life so much more.
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