Written by Lewis Donaldson
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s no surprise that social media has woven itself into the fabric of our daily routines. With endless notifications and a constant flow of content, it’s easy to lose track of time and find yourself mindlessly scrolling.
If you’re ready to change your social media habits and eager to claw back control of your life, you’ve come to the right place!
This post will share practical tips to help you break your social media habits, reduce your dependency on those pesky apps and ultimately reclaim your time and energy.
Understand your usage
To get started, first observe how often you pick up your phone for social media. How regular is it? Is it at a certain time of day? When you’re in a certain place? When you’re feeling bored.
Recognising the triggers for why you pick up the phone is crucial to making a change. You’ll be able to see just how much time you spend on your phone if you navigate to your phone’s
settings.
Understandably, one of the biggest triggers is notifications. Turn them off completely for the apps you want to stay away from and you’ll already be looking at your phone less.
Set time limits
As you’re probably aware, you can set time limits for how long you wish to use apps. These restrictions and reminders will help prompt you to put down the phone.
If this doesn’t work, try apps like Minimalist, which takes control of your phone’s look. I’ve found this app incredibly effective as a deterrent by making your phone’s design less appealing and making it harder to find the apps that cause you grief.
If you’re still struggling, you can go the extreme of locking your device away in a timed lock
box!
Take control of your algorithm
Social media is designed to keep you scrolling for as long as possible. Fortunately, you can beat the system by intentionally choosing what you want to see – now thanks in part to Instagram’s recent feature of the algorithm reset!
Additionally, you can:
- Remove the accounts you no longer want to see
- Opt to ‘hide’ content as you see it in your feed
- Follow motivational accounts that encourage/ scare you to get off social media
Embrace digital detox days
Sometimes, a complete break is the way to go! Schedule regular digital detox days – your cue to avoid social media entirely.
Consider dedicating a weekend to this practice. Use the time instead to read a book, spend time with family, exercise, learn a language or pursue another offline activity. You’ll soon realise the benefits!
Don’t want to lose contact with your friends by limiting your time on social media? Revert back to an app like your phone’s default messaging service. By doing this you can completely avoid the temptation to scroll in apps like Instagram, Facebook and even Snapchat.
Keep yourself accountable
Having support can significantly help you make a change. Share your goal of reducing social media usage with friends or family members. Schedule regular check-ins, engage in screen-free activities together, or if you’re still struggling, you can hand your device to a trusted friend or family member who’ll return it at an agreed time.
Celebrate your progress
Remember to take time to acknowledge your victories, however small. Any positive reinforcement about your progress or rewards will motivate you further on your path to change.
Now just think what you could do with all that time not spent scrolling social media!
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
