It’s no secret that social media channels are designed to have us coming back again and again, sometimes every hour.
If you feel like you’re spending more time on it than you should, you aren’t alone. Social media is engineered to keep you coming back for more, increasing your dependency on it over time. It can be particularly enticing during long lectures or study periods where you just can’t seem to focus.
Knowing you need to break away from social media and actually doing so are two different things. It can be a very difficult habit or even an addiction to break. We have some tips that may help you take that much-needed social media break and stick to it.
Decide how long you want to take a break from social media. There’s no right or wrong period of time you should spend off of social media. The choice is entirely yours. You could choose to spend 24 hours off of social media, or you might spend 30 days off social media. Don’t feel locked into the period of time you’ve decided to stay off social media. If you get to the end of your social media-free period and find you wish to continue your break, do so.
Prioritize productivity and self-care. It can be especially helpful to replace your social media use with other mood-boosting activities that don’t require your phone. Instead, focus on activities that engage your mind and body. Set up a time to hang out with friends in person, get active, learn a new skill, try meditating and journalling.
Don’t bring your phone to bed. This can help you avoid the urge to start scrolling if you can’t fall asleep.
Use social media-limiting apps. There are actual apps available that “lock” you out of social media or limit your usage according to the time you’ve set per day. This can help keep in check how often you truly are on social media networks.
It’s estimated that the average social media user is on the apps for 3 hours a day. This can change depending on demographic, but regardless that’s a lot of time to be mindlessly scrolling. It’sneficial to break up your day with mental and emotional breaks to regroup and center yourself.