5 Habits to Help You Break Up with Your Screen Time
Social media is an iconic aspect to our everyday lives by gifting us the ability to stay connected to loved ones, network through business, and keep up with E-news! On the flip side, too much social media can take away precious time, deter your productivity, and may cause stress. Here are 5 ways to reduce your social time and jump start living your reality!
1. Be aware!
The first step to making any changes in your life is to identify the beginning. Being aware of how much time you’re spending on social media is the first and easiest step to quantifying how much of your time is going into a screen. If your phone has a tracking tool for time usage, look at those numbers to put it into perspective. For example, if you spent three hours total on Monday, was the biggest portion of that from scrolling through Facebook on your break? What could you have spent those three hours doing instead that would make you even more fulfilled?
2. Don’t pick up your phone until 10am
Our little pocket buddies have replaced morning newspapers. Many of us immediately start scrolling through our timelines once we wake up as if it’s second nature. Rather than setting the tone for what you are doing with YOUR life, starting your morning off catching up on TikToks gives priority to what others are doing with their lives.
Give yourself a chance to get your day off to a good start that’s all about YOU. Whether that’s waiting until a specific time to check your phone or waiting an hour after you arise. There’s also options for limiting phone time. Try not checking that device until your morning routine is complete!
3. Walk Away!
Leaving your phone in another room or don’t take it out at the table will add more to your in-person times with friends and family. Looks like mom was right, huh? If you really want to challenge yourself, leave your phone at home when stepping out of the house for a walk or running an errand. It will feel scary at first, as if you’re missing apart of you, but it will reduce excessive online time.
4. Get a buddy for accountability
Do you have trouble holding yourself accountable and keeping up with habits you really want to start? The secret is having someone there to hold you accountable. Find a pal that shares the same ideals and goals as you (in this case, social media deduction) and get to work! Knowing that someone else is aware of your goals and is also striving towards the same goal might be enough to cut off that addiction once and for all
5. Communicate more (in person) (update: or via phone call)
Remember the days when we would print out directions from MapQuest to get to a new place? Yeah… it’s tough to! We have become so accustomed to Siri giving us directons, making reservations, and getting all the help we could possibly ask for via buttons on touchscreen devices. The best way to reduce social media dependency is by practicing in-person communication!
So tell us, how do you manage your screen time?
.
