Do you find yourself reaching for your phone multiple times a day? Are you spending hours scrolling through social media without even realizing it?
Unfortunately, this is the norm for many of us.
We live in a social media culture. Approval in the form of “likes” on our posts and comments on our pictures drive a perpetual desire to be more involved online.
While it’s true that social media can be fun and keep you connected with people, it can also become an addiction. Unfortunately, increased social media usage has been linked to worsened mental health issues (See Social Media & Mental Health).
So, if you’re constantly glued to your phone or computer screen looking at Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat, what can you do? Thankfully, there are strategies you can put in place to break these addictions.
1. Delete Your Extra Social Media Accounts
Chances are you have one or two platforms you typically focus on when it comes to social media. But, you might have additional platforms/apps on your phone that you occasionally look at when you’re feeling bored.
A good place to start is by deleting the apps you don’t use regularly. Think of it as “decluttering” your phone. It might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but once it’s done, you’ll feel better and won’t feel tempted to check out those extra platforms when you’re feeling bored. Instead, you can get off your phone and do something else.
2. Set Realistic Goals for Change
If you’ve been addicted to social media for a while, it’s not realistic to think you can just give it up tomorrow. Although some people have great success with a social media "fast" - going with any social media for several days, consider this more of a lifestyle change. You want to make a change that is sustainable. Set goals for yourself, but be realistic about it. Set time limits, give yourself breaks, and work on the smaller goals before you look at larger ones.
You might choose "Time Out" zones where you block off time that you will not be on social media. Or, alternatively you could look forward to "Time In" zones where that is the only time in the day that you let yourself cruise around social media.
3. Use a Timer to Monitor Your Social Media Usage
Speaking of setting time limits, it’s a great way to make sure you’re not mindlessly scrolling. As stated above, it’s easy to lose hours of your time by getting lost just looking at what others are posting on social media.
Set a timer for yourself, so you can still get the satisfaction of being on social media, without wasting your day.
4. Turn Off “Push” Notifications
One of the reasons people tend to reach for their phone multiple times a day is because it alerts them to something.
Most social media sites offer something called “push” notifications. This will send a tone to your phone whenever someone posts a picture, writes a comment, likes a photo, etc. When you’re alerted to such things, it’s hard not to grab your phone and check it out. Unfortunately, that can often lead to more of that mindless scrolling.
You can turn off push notifications on most platforms simply by looking at the settings of your account.
5. Put Your Devices Away
The old “out of sight, out of mind” strategy actually works quite well if you have a hard time putting your phone down. Keep it out of your line of vision as much as possible. Even if that means you have to keep it in a drawer or cabinet during certain points of the day, you’re less likely to get distracted by something that isn’t right in front of you.
6. Make Plans For In-Person Activities
One great way to get away from your phone and social media addiction is to make plans with your friends in person. Get together as often as possible. Connect. Share. Before social media existed, this was how we kept friendships alive!
So, whether you go out to dinner once a week with friends or just meet up for coffee, you’ll gain so much more from face-to-face contact. Much more than you will by just looking at their social media profiles.
7. Consider a Digital Detox
If you feel as though your social media or phone addiction is negatively impacting your life, you might want to consider a digital detox. These detoxes are different for everyone. But, it would typically involve giving up your phone (and other mobile devices, computer, etc.) for a period of several days or weeks at a time.
It might sound extreme. But, it can really help to push the “reset” button on your life and make you realize that you don’t need social media to be happy.
Keep all of these strategies in mind to help kick your screen addiction. Better yet, use your screen time more productively to reach out for support. Feel free to contact me for more information, or to set up an appointment. I am here to help you start feeling less distracted, less overwhelmed, and more appreciative of the things around you in the real world.
Contact Me
I know how stressful and demanding it can be to make changes in your life, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Some of the benefits of individual therapy include:
- Having a safe, confidential space to work through life’s struggles
- Speaking openly with a highly-trained professional
- Learning to be curious about oneself and become more mindful about your choices
- Identifying relationship patterns that are helpful, or existing patterns that are interfering with your growth and well-being.
- I offer online therapy (video conference style of therapy), which provides an increased level of comfort as you could meet with me from the privacy and comfort of your own home or other location.
You can request a specific appointment time that fits your schedule. Once confirmed, you can complete all New Patient Intake paperwork online as well.
*** The tips offered in this article are for general information and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For more personalized recommendations appropriate to your individual situation, please contact us or obtain professional guidance.
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