Social media was meant to be a healthy dose of entertainment, information, and business for us, but it has ended up being the only source of entertainment for most people. Instead of us controlling what we view, post, like or dislike – social media controls us. The increased influence of social media in our lives has led to a rise in mental health problems like social anxiety, depression, etc.
As you tick off days to 2020, make a change towards good health and detox from social media!
Take Time Out
Social media detox isn’t about getting it out of your system completely – it is about managing your social media use effectively for it to not overwhelm you. The best way to begin it is to take time out. Rather than spending hours checking on people and their new year plans on Facebook, Instagram or twitter, get real and make one for yourself. Cut down the need to be on the internet and connect with the real people in your life to create memories. Be it a get together with your friends or a short holiday to celebrate New Year's Eve – take time off social media!
Daily Detox
If you aren’t the kind who can leave social media for a weekend or even entirely, taking a mini detox can be the best thing to do. Every day take at least 15-20 minutes to leave your phone alone and spend some time in isolation. Cut back the urge to scroll through the feed. A mini detox can be a meditative time for you to clear your mind and feel fresh.
Resolve to Control Social Media Usage
Resolutions fail because we dive into extreme practices too soon and stress ourselves out. Taking extreme steps to build discipline doesn’t sit well with all of us. Resolve to take a conscious step towards a better life. Schedule your social media usage and limit the unnecessary time spent browsing through irrelevant content on websites and applications. Track your social media usage and cut it down consciously to bring it to a healthy range.
A weekly Detox Day
Just like you take a weekly day off from your work to relax and rejuvenate, give yourself a social media break too! Once a week stop social media usage completely by spending an entire day without your phone. Log out of the social media applications, or delete apps to stay free from liking or retweeting posts. As you disconnect from the internet - you connect back to life!
Digital Detox Getaway Once a Quarter
From intrusive email alerts to constant social media sharing, technology is an ever-present guest in our daily life. It’s even snuck its way into experiences meant to be relaxing and revitalizing, like vacations. While electronic devices can certainly help ease some travel troubles, it can also be a relief to step away from your phone or computer. The best way to do so is to plan a digital detox getaway once a quarter. One of the best bets is to intentionally choose Wi-Fi-free hotels or pockets of the country with no intrusive phone signal.
Reconnect with Yourself
The constant buzz of social media wears you down without you noticing it. Somewhere between increasing our fan base, creating indulging content and increasing likes we forget to nurture our feelings, build relationships and stay fit. The never-ending competition run across the world through social media has become a reason for people to compare themselves to others, feel left out, experience anxiety, and raise self-doubts. Social media detox allows you to reflect on your habits, wellness, and health and to reconnect with yourself.
Falling prey to attention-grabbing hashtags and influential posts can be easy, but as you move forward towards building a better life – cutting down on social media is a need!