Put The Phone Down: 3 Ways To Use Social Media Less

Is your phone the last thing you put down before sleep or the first thing you pick up in the morning? I know that feeling of constantly flipping through apps, and watching your day go by. We’re sometimes so glued to our phones that life just passes by and we realize we’ve done nothing productive for the day.

Social media detoxing is so important for your mental health, and you can detox your mind just like your body. Sometimes we simply need to log off, and while that can be difficult, here are 3 ways to use social media less.

Track Your Time:

It is easy to get caught up on social media and spend your whole day doing absolutely nothing. While cutting social media off cold turkey can be difficult, tracking your time on social media and giving yourself a time limit to using it can be the perfect way to start limiting yourself.

If you normally spend 8-12 hours on social media daily, try doing half of that. You can give yourself a set number of hours to use social media. Self-discipline becomes really important because you have to make sure you disconnect when those hours are met.

To keep your mind off social media, fill up that time with activities. Read a book, grab lunch with a friend, or spend time with yourself. 9 times out of 10, you are on social media due to boredom. If you keep yourself busy, it makes it so much easier to stay off.

Turn Off Notifications / Log Off

FOMO or fear of missing out drives us to use social media because we don’t want to miss the next trend while it’s hot or the newest drama update. So we turn on those notifications to alert us immediately when something happens. Switching off notifications can truly help with managing your time on social media. Social media presents a very artificial life and sometimes we get so caught up in it, we compare our lives to others. When you turn off your notifications or log off, you can use the apps on your own terms. This way, you won’t feel constantly pressured to be on social media.

Take a Detox Day / Delete the App 

Detox days are so important. Take a detox day or week, or even challenge yourself to a 30-day social media detox. My detox day used to be Sundays and I would sign out of everything or even delete the app and simply spend the day with friends and family.

Try taking the day off to reconnect with nature, or have a self-care day. Enjoy a media-free day where your mind is not moving 100 miles per hour. A detox will allow you to find calm by connecting with yourself.

Benefits of Logging Off

There are so many reasons to log off and use social media less. One: you’ll make time for others and for yourself. In this judgment-free zone, there is no comparison and you won’t be coerced into marching to everyone else’s drum. Social media can be so toxic at times, but logging off every now and then can improve your mental health and help you replenish your emotional wellbeing.