HEALTH & WELL-BEING
5 Ways to Decompress from Social Media and What to Do Instead
If your social media habits are making you feel sluggish and braindead, try these options instead.
For most, social media is a way to keep up with people they know and stay abreast of the lives of those they don’t. For me, it’s a way to keep up with the companies and news agencies that interest me as I prefer to keep up with friends and family in person or over the phone. If you’re like me, you probably have an easier time putting social media to the side when taking a bit of personal time, but if social media is how you socialize, it can be a bit more difficult to put down. For most people who use it just to keep up with the Jones’, social media is addictive and it doesn’t add any value to their lives or bank accounts. It wastes precious time and dulls brain cells, yet, they can’t seem to stay away from it! Well, maybe these simple tips can help.
1. Delete Social Media Apps from Your Phone
This keeps you from having constant access to it everywhere you go. Each social media medium has a website component. You can stay signed in on your desktop or laptop if you would like.
2. Replace Social Media Apps with Betterment Apps
Once social media apps are off your phone, you will still have this incredible urge to swipe and tap. Curb that part of your addiction by replacing those apps with smarter apps, apps that can teach you something. here are some examples:
3. Call, Text, or Video Chat with Friends and Family
When you want to be social, here’s a radical idea — call, text, or video chat with someone you actually know and have a private conversation! And, you may want to sit down for this one, but when the time is right, you can actually visit the people you know and love, as well!
4. Tailor Social Media Apps Differently
When you do put the social media apps back on your phone, turn off all notifications, stop following celebrities and gossip rags, or people you really don’t’ like or care to see every day. Instead, follow people you know and institutions or news feeds that interest you. Your goal should be to learn something new, get some inspiration, keep abreast of world events, and get a few laughs. Anything else is beneath you, gorgeous.
5. Be Careful What Yo Feed Your Brain
A huge part of self-care is being cautious as to what you allow into your brain through your eyes and ears. Hateful, hurtful, and unhappy things will only darken your spirit. Gossip and useless chatter will weigh you down. Personally, I never look at such things — not on television and not on the internet. Even the nightly news is too much for my sensitive spirit most of the time. I can’t withstand all that bad news! So, I take control of what I feed my spirit by limiting what I let into my brain through my eyes and ears.
Take this same approach when coming away from social media. The problem isn’t only being on it all the time, but also what you’re taking in while you’re there. Save your socializing for phone calls, text messages, video chats, and girls' night out when possible. Use social media apps to strengthen your brain and your personal brand. Use them to gain quick access to knowledge and ways to make money. Use them for self-care tips and nutritional advice. Use them to better yourself. This strategy works well for me, and maybe it’ll work for you, too!
