In my recent effort to stay present, I’ve noticed how much social media distracts me and how it gets in between me and the present moment. I’ve contemplated countless times deleting all of my social media accounts but have found myself hesitant with my “need” for them. Having social media doesn’t mean that I can’t be present; sometimes all we need to do is reduce how much we’re using it. Here are some little things that have helped me reduce my social media use… you can do it, too!
Set time limits on your phone
I found out that with the new iOS update, you can set time limits on certain apps. I am currently limiting apps such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat to a cumulative thirty minutes a day. If for some reason you need to exceed your limit, you’re allowed to. I’ve found it helpful to have that reminder that I could be doing something better with my time.
Put your phone away while doing homework with friends
Whenever I do homework, I turn off my phone and put it in a drawer on the opposite side of my room. This may seem a little extreme, but it limits so much distraction and I get so much more done. When I’m with my friends, I try not to use my phone as much. I’ve found that makes those moments so much more engaging and better for my mental health when I’m not distracted from who I care about.
Let yourself enjoy free time…without using social media
Take some time to relax every day, and without your phone. “Relaxing” to me used to be laying in my bed on my phone. Forcing myself to put my phone away for a little bit of quiet time has been so beneficial to my mental health and has allowed me to be overall present.
Give yourself a designated amount of time per day to “check in”
You don’t have to rid yourself of social media completely. If you find that you still want to use your social media, just set aside fifteen minutes or so a day to check into all of your social media accounts. This allows you to be present, but also have your social media presence as well.
If you find yourself using it to procrastinate, remind yourself what you should be doing.
If you’re like me, you use your phone the most when there’s something else you should be doing but don’t quite feel like it. If I’m checking my phone when I should be writing a paper or something like that, I remind myself what needs to be done and tell myself that I can’t check my phone or social media until after it’s done.
Hopefully these tips can help you cut down on your social media usage – let me know if you have any other tips and how it goes!