Been scrolling through your social media apps endlessly throughout the day and feeling unproductive AF now? Well, time flies away quickly when you enter the world of Instagram reels and cute dog videos. But now that you have spent the whole day doing nothing but doom scrolling, you aren’t feeling great. And what’s worse is that you feel that you could have utilised the day better, but you still end up scrolling without thinking. So, how do you really break the loop of spending endless hours staring at your screen and ending up feeling dissatisfied and unproductive? You need a social media detox because doom scrolling could be messing with your mental health and you deserve a break. So, here are some social media detox tips to get you back on track.
What is social media detox?
Taking a break from all your social media apps for a set period of time is a social media detox. It can depend from person to person and is done to break the habit of doom scrolling. This is also a helpful way to cut excess time spent on the internet and give yourself a break mentally. So, you can either disappear from social media completely or take intervals and timed breaks to avoid too much consumption.
How to take a break from the social fever
Now that you know why it is a good idea to slam the brakes on your relationship with social media, you’ve got to understand the correct way to do it. Here are some really helpful social media detox tips to get you started.
1. Which apps do you use the most?
The first step to getting a clean break is to identify which apps take up most of your time. Use a third-party app, or if you’re an iPhone user, you can check your screen time. This will help you understand where you need to cut down.
2. Deactivate or delete apps
Once you’ve figured out which apps take up your time the most, the next step is to either delete the apps or deactivate your account temporarily. You can simply start with a 12-hour period and reinstall them when you feel a genuine need for them. You can also deactivate and disappear for the same period and keep increasing your time off as you go. This will help you get rid of the habit of sticking to your screens all day long and spend time on other, more fruitful things.
3. Do the detox with a friend
To make things easier and more fun, you can ask a close friend or your best buddy to do a social media detox with you. This will motivate you to challenge yourself to go a little further than you would otherwise. So, to make your break more effective, follow this social media detox tip and thank us later!
4. Find better things to utilise your time
Now that you’ll be staying away from your phone, you’ll need to find things to utilise your time. This is the perfect chance to get back to your old hobbies or try some new ones. Keeping yourself distracted will make you cut back on your screen time which is great for both your mental and physical health.
5. Let people know you’re detoxing
Letting your close ones know that you are taking a break from the regular apps is a great social media detox tip. Keeping people in the loop will ensure accountability and will also help them monitor your break. So, the next time they spot you online, they can send you a reminder to log off.
6. Catch up with the people around you
While you’re detoxing, connect with the people around you. They might help you understand any patterns that they might have noticed and that can help you be more mindful if and when you decide to go back to social media.
What are the benefits of a social cleanse?
Social cleansing, or taking a break from your favourite apps, can have some really good benefits for you. From mental to physical, here are some benefits that can make you consider taking the break seriously.
1. A boost in self-esteem
Once you take a break from social media, you realise that you are enough. You don’t need to constantly compare your life to people out there. Everyone puts up a great show on the ‘gram but that doesn’t mean your life or you need to constantly upgrade. So, in a way, it helps boost your self-esteem and keeps you closer to the real world than the virtual world.
2. Better social life
Yeah, it might sound funny but being on apps all the time doesn’t really contribute to your social life. Being around like-minded people or meeting new ones and socialising with them is actually what your social life is. Once you cut ties with virtual reality, you get plenty of time to meet and interact with people in person. This improves your social life and expands your network.
3. Less stress and anxiety
You’ll have to agree that being online constantly can make one feel stressed and anxious. You’re always questioning yourself and making yourself feel less in comparison to others. So, one of the best social media detox benefits is that you don’t just cut down on your screen time, you also cut down on the stress and anxiety it brings along.
4. Better physical and mental health
Taking a break from your screen is good for both your mental and physical health. It gives you time to get involved in other activities that make better use of your time physically and mentally. This also means less strain on your eyes, fewer headaches, and improved health in general.
5. Improved lifestyle habits
One of the best benefits of social cleansing is that you get the chance to improve your lifestyle habits and focus on being more mindful. Try limiting your screen time before you go to bed and after you wake up as it can really boost your productivity throughout the day. Similarly, you can follow other habits that could contribute to a healthy change.
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