Tips for a Healthy Relationship with Social Media
Social media can be pretty consuming. It seems as though we’ve come to a point where everything we do has to be documented: what I eat, what I wear, who I’m hanging out with. Recently, I’ve found myself on my phone way more often than I’d like to admit because of quarantine. For me, it was a way to still feel connected with my friends even though we have to stay apart. But endless screen time pulls away from all the experiences that real life has to offer! I took some very necessary steps to get away from my phone and I am so thankful that I did! I’ve spent more time with my family just having conversations, I’m reading books for fun, and learning some new skills (I’m crushing calligraphy right now). Most importantly I feel a new sense of inner peace. Because I’m no longer comparing myself to Instagram models, or getting roped into buying a Facebook ad, I feel so much better about myself and have more money in my pocket. Below are a few tips that will help you stay away from the screen and begin the work on becoming a better you.
Turn off notifications
My phone used to have hundreds of notifications from Facebook and Instagram every day. And this was not because I was getting millions of likes and comments on pictures. It was because my social media platforms were doing everything they could to keep me on the apps (check out The Social Dilemma on Netflix). I was getting notifications about other people like other people’s photos. That has NOTHING to do with me. So I decided to go into my phone settings and turn off notifications for my most annoying social media apps. No more red circle with all the notifications I’ve missed. I get to decide when I’m going on the apps. Not the apps deciding when I go on. With this step, I felt as though I took back control.
2. Set screen limits
This was a tough one, but good. I put 1 hour limits on my social media apps. Initially, I thought 1 hour would be more than enough time. But I would fly through that hour in what felt like a few minutes. This really opened my eyes to how time consuming social media can be. I fuss about how there’s not enough time in a day, but there wasn’t enough time because I was spending the majority of the day ON MY PHONE. I thought of all the time I wasted scrolling through Facebook when I could have been bettering myself: learning new songs, working out, writing my blog. So I took my time back. I needed to ensure that I am no longer wasting my day away on my phone.
3. Introduce new hobbies and goals
Once I turned off my notifications and set screen limits, my phone stopped constantly buzzing and I was left with huge amounts of time all to myself. And I was lost! I kept on trying to reach for that phone and scroll. To stop myself, I had to be very intentional with my time. I decided to order a calligraphy book and brush pens. Calligraphy is something I’ve always been interested in but thought I never had the time. But it turns out I’ve always had the time, I was just wasting it on social media. So instead of scrolling, I learned a new skill. I also grabbed some books from online and my library and began reading. Reading in college was such a chore because it was always for class, never for fun. So it took me some time to really allow reading to be fun for me. I also continued to work on getting better at theatre and music. One my professors told me before graduating that I should be spending at least 1 hour on my craft. A day. And let me tell you, two years out I was not doing that. But I now found the time! I started finding new songs, recording self tapes, and applying to talent agents in my area. These are all things that giving up social media gave me the space to do.
Trust me, breaking away from social media is not easy. But I believe breaks and changes from the obsession we have with the apps will allow for so much growth. It did for me! And there’s no reason to just completely get rid of the apps. I know these apps are a business for alot of people, including myself. But it’s more about being in control on the apps, rather than the apps having control over you. Comment below how you are planning to take control of your life!