HEALTH + FITNESS
How to do a Social Media Detox
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Psychologists and mental health professionals all agree taking a break from social media – even if it is just for a day – can be beneficial not only for our minds, but also help increase productivity. Studies have shown the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to develop depression, or anxiety. Stars such as Nicki Minaj, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid have all taken a break from social media to help clear their heads, or when they have a busy workload, but what steps should you take when planning to unplug and just what benefits can you on hope to reap?
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, you could probably benefit from a social media break:
You find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media instead of engaging in conversation with friends and family.
You find yourself feeling irritated when reading posts and comments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You feel deflated if your posts don’t get as many likes as you had hoped.
Your ‘To Do’ list gets longer and longer, yet you feel you don’t have the time to accomplish anything because you spend so much time on social media.
You feel jealousy and envy when seeings posts from people you know who appear to have a more fun-filled life than you. Sometimes you feel as though your life is not as exciting as those around you. Remember that people are generally posting their best moments and looks to social media. Rarely are you seeing the nitty gritty monotony of daily life played out on Facebook or Instagram!
You find yourself staging certain events, or pictures during your day just to post them to social media.
You have a fear of missing out on something important if you don’t check social media.
Tips on How to Unplug
Start Small
Start by erasing social media apps from your phone for a couple of hours to start with. From there move to a day free of social media, or from posting something before taking a whole weekend to allow yourself to detox from checking Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Set a Time to Check
Allow yourself a certain time each day to check social media and stick to it. Fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the afternoon should be enough to give you your social media fix.
Seek Help From Friends
Let your good friends know you will be participating in a social media detox and to text you instead of tagging you on Facebook etc. You may be surprised to find out they want to join you in your mission!
Reward Yourself
Oftentimes we reach for social media when we are bored, so choose instead to fill your time with things you love to do. Pick out a good book to read, go for a walk, spend time with a good friend, take an art class, or try out a new restaurant.
Take a Challenge
Pinterest is full of printables you can access which break down detoxing from social media into daily challenges.
Detoxing from social media may seem tough at first, but once you conquer the initial steps you will reap the benefits of more free time, increased privacy, mood improvement and the chance to reconnect with the real world.
