Which social media site do you check the most? Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc
Whenever you have even a second of free time, do you immediately have an urge to check social media?
Yes, social media is a wonderful way to stay connected with the people you care about.
But it can also be very damaging to your relationships, productivity, and even your wellness!
The key to using social media is to make sure that YOU are the one in charge and that your usage doesn’t turn in to an unhealthy addiction.
It is so easy to go on Instagram or Facebook for “a few minutes” and find yourself mindlessly scrolling for hours.
If you can identify some time-wasting habits in your own life, use the 9 tips below to stop wasting time on social media.
1.) Clean Out Your Friends’ List
It is time to be selective with who you allow to take up your time and attention on social media!
Girl, you need to go on a nice, long deleting spree!
Go through your friends’ list 2 times.
First, delete the people you don’t personally know or stay connected with.
On your second time through your friend’s list, stop on each person and ask, “Is this relationship real and meaningful?” “Is this a relationship I should care about and work on?”
If the answer to these questions is, “No”, delete them.
Social media should be a place that you can stay connected with those you love and care about.
It should NOT be a place that brings you guilt, sadness, anger, or discontentment.
If Bragging Britney, Judgmental Jenny, and Arguing Abby are ruining your social media experience, it’s time to say, “Bye!”
P.S. It will make you a lot less judgmental and jealous, too.
2.) Turn off the notifications
*Bing* *Ding* *Ring*
If your notifications are ON, your whole day will be filled with distracting social media alerts.
“Oh I wonder what that is! Hmmm, it will only take me a moment to look.”
Every “alert sound” you check is another precious moment taken out of your day focused on something that probably does not matter!
Take a moment to go to the settings on your phone or social media app and turn off all the notification sounds.
Taking away this distraction will help to keep you focused on the things that really matter during your day.
3.) Set Time Restrictions on Your Social Media Usage
Did you know there were social media apps that keep track of your social media usage for you?
Once you spend a specified amount of time on social media each day, the app will disable your ability to click into the app again!
This might sound intense, but it is a huge help for people who have the bad habit of unconsciously clicking into social media to “burn a few minutes”.
You will find yourself being much more productive, while also helping to curb your “possible” social media addiction.
4.) Turn Your Phone Off When You Are With People
Unless you are waiting for a life-changing phonecall, there is no need for you to have your phone ON at all times.
How do you think people did it 20 years ago? Most people say that they actually enjoyed the freedom of not being able to be contacted 24/7.
When you are with the people you care about, give 100% of your attention to them. Turn off your phone and leave it out of sight.
As the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
This is not only the respectful thing to do, it will also show those around you that THEY are your priority.
Related Article: 7 Tips to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
5.) Delete Your Apps For A While
Perhaps you want to go on a day trip or simply spend a day (or a few weeks) focused on self care.
If social media is a problem for you, delete your immediate access to it!
You are far less likely to spend time on social media if it isn’t at your immediate fingertips.
You will have to consciously make the decision to re-install the app or manually log into it through your internet browser.
Taking away the convenience of the app just may give you a few days of peace and also help you curb your habit!
6.) Stop Checking it In the Morning & At Night
It is very unhealthy for you to check your social media first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
This shows a very unhealthy addiction to social media and a dependency on the entertainment it provides.
Perhaps you should make a promise to yourself to not check your social media until after lunch?
And maybe you should stop checking social media after 8:00 at night!
Your mind should not be bombarded with social media first-thing every day. It wasn’t created for that!
And if you lay in bed scrolling through social media, this will scientifically mess with your sleep patterns.
7.) Take a Break Every Weekend
Each weekend, try to take at least a 24 hour break from social media to focus on your own life, your family, and your friends.
Having no online distractions is key to having a happy, meaningful weekend!
This means no scrolling, posting, checking notifications, or commenting/DMing.
Just you and the people who are in your immediate life.
8.) Deactivate All Your Accounts For A While
If you can identify any of the signs of social media addiction in this article, you need to take a social media break!
If you identify that social media makes you feel jealous, discontented, judgmental, and lonely, it may be time for you and your app to BREAK UP for a while!
This is called a social media detox!
Make yourself a promise to spend a certain amount of time off social media.
2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, etc.
Use this time to focus on your relationships with family and friends, some hobbies or a side-hustle you always thought about doing!
And don’t forget to spend some much-needed time outdoors!
In all seriousness, this is a rehabilitation period to help you break your social media addiction. Quitting cold turkey is often the only way to do it!
It will probably take 3-7 days for you to stop mindlessly clicking in the place where your social media app used to be. Why? Because you are breaking a bad habit – social media addiction.
Whatever you do, don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) draw you back in. You aren’t missing out on anything that one of your friends can’t text you about.
After several weeks off social media, you may find yourself not missing it as much.
You may even find that you enjoy this new version of yourself, free from the opinions and distractions of social media
Related Article: 5 Serious Signs You Need a Social Media Break
9.) Only Keep One Social Media Account With Minimal Connections
Which social media site do you like the best?
Choose your favorite one and delete all the rest.
Curate your social media account to only include people who add meaning to your life! No negativity!
Less people = less drama = less negativity = happy social media experience.
Don’t let social media rule your life.
For more assistance in this area, read 5 Serious Signs You Need a Social Media Break.
