How are you feeling in yourself generally? Do you feel like you are running a little quick, feeling a tad anxious, not feeling complete? Is life running at a pace that is becoming just too difficult to keep up with? When you get a moment in the day sitting at a bus stop, waiting for a friend or an appointment does your hand naturally just slide into your phone and start scrolling? Are you managing social media?
The time aspect of Managing Social Media
How much time each day do you spend on social media each day? 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 2hours, more? Is this time of any real benefit? How much time do you spend on social media just killing time?
It sure of your usage then check out one of these social media time tracking apps to get a clear picture.
Antisocial
Quality Time
Reality Check
Take a moment to think about what we did (if you remember) before social media blasted into our worlds. How much time did you spend on your phone?
Can Social Media Harm You?
There is some suggestion that excess social media use can potentially lead to self esteem issues, depression and anxiety. Read more here.
Some suggest it is due to dopamine addiction where as others claim it is more opioid related and perhaps a little more complex. Read more here.
Regardless of the reason one thing is patently clear. Too much time on social media is just plain old unhealthy. The more we use the more we feel unsatisfied with less useage and the more we feel compelled to keep ‘checking in’. For some of you it may not even seem like an issue.
Managing Social Media Addiction
Try this. Remove yourself from social media activity completely for 72 hours. What??? If you have a problem with this concept then you definitely have a social media addiction issue. And if you claim you have business pages that need managing then I have 2 and if I can do it so can you.
If you feel okay about the idea then do it. Start right now, this very instant. Feel any discomfort? Why? Perhaps you are involved in a conversation that you feel compelled to complete before signing off. Does that conversation really matter in the grand scheme of things? Or is that sneaky little addiction something that’s less conscious than you realised.
On your way into your 72 hours notice how you feel. Do you have a tendency to automatically engage that up until now has been subconscious? Also observe how you may start web surfing as a replacement. Avoid this as an alternative. Try to fill the void of no social media with some quiet simple activity. Observe yourself over the 72 hours and notice how gradually the anxiety starts to settle. Also notice how the world did not end, no major catastrophe occurred and while yes you may have missed out on something your life would not have actually been any richer for it.
What do I do now? Tips to Managing Social Media
Social media and our reliance on technology has invaded our lives to such a point that in many cases we no longer feel comfortable sitting on a bus staring out the window or having a coffee with our partner without active phone or tablet use.
Try this:
- Go on a social media diet
Give the 72 hour social media diet a go. - Switch off from social media.
Have regular times throughout the year where you disengage for a week or more. - Remove social media apps
By disconnecting of devices like phones and tablets you don’t have the option to use them as frequently. I know it’s radical but I have to say since doing this I have gotten used to it and my life has certainly gotten better not worse. - Get a social media tracking app that limits your social media usage.
- Set time limits for social media use
Limit your usage each day. For me I use social media a lot for my businesses however most days I can limit my usage to 30 minutes or less. - Have set check in times
This will enable you to deal with any comments, tags, shares or posts that are relevant to you. This prevents you from constantly stopping mid task and then having to start again saving you time and reducing your stress. - Set a start time for social media.
And no first thing in the morning is not it. We have an 8am rule in our house and it means that we start the day slowly and more relaxed keeping our nervous systems in better health for the day to come. Next year we are aiming for 9am. - Create an end of the day point
Set a finish time for any technology. In our house we have a no technology after 7pm rule that means no internet TV, no social media, no web surfing and no emails. By doing this you allow your nervous system to gradually unwind before going to sleep meaning you get better quality more revitalising sleep.
Find any of these ideas challenging? It is natural to struggle with any change of habit. If you do then implement one of these ideas at a time. You may also feel that some of them are a little over the top. That’s fine. But some of them are also important to help you control social media rather than it control you.
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