Technology is pervasive in our everyday lives – so do you ever find it a challenge to put down your phone? Maybe take a break for a couple of hours from looking at the bright screen to rest your eyes and mind. But what’s inevitably stopping you from doing so could either be that you’re afraid of missing something big online (FOMO) and wanting to be the first person to know; OR you’re anxious living in the real world and want social media to be your distraction.
Whatever the situation may be, we must all agree that being continuously online is not as healthy as society believes. Sure, you receive all the information you need, and can communicate with people from all walks of life from all over the world via a little device. But as with other things in life, too much consumption – in this case, social media – can be detrimental, especially to our mental health. This is where social media detoxing comes into play – and we know you’re probably thinking: “Social media detoxing doesn’t work.”
Well, we’re arguing that the way you’re detoxing might be the wrong way to do it. So here are 4 useful tips on how to start social media detoxing the right way to cleanse all that stress away.
Reevaluate Your Media Consumption
One of the reasons why consuming social media may be overwhelming is that endlessly scrolling through the pages of content churned out by the people and brands you follow is depleting your energy. As the saying goes, “you are what you consume,” and what you’re consuming online is negatively impacting you mentally, to the point where your mind is overloaded with so much unnecessary information. So, it’s time to unfollow certain content to fix your algorithm, so that your feed will be full of positivity.
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Don’t Go Cold Turkey
A quick PSA: Going cold turkey by deleting your social media apps won’t make your detoxing last. In fact, it’ll make you crave social media more, because you’re not mentally prepared for leaving the app so abruptly. So what we would suggest is logging out or deleting the most superficial apps on your phone first. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat, it’ll drastically reduce your media intake. Hence, informative apps such as Twitter, Google and Facebook will gain priority in your daily life.
Buy An Alarm
If you’re like us and use your phone from morning to night, you’d set your phone as an alarm to get you up for the day. While using your phone as an alarm is convenient, it will just encourage you to use your phone right away, because it’s practically in your hand. To minimise your phone usage, we recommend purchasing an alarm clock to begin your digital detox. It’s a terrific way to start your detox, since it will help you resist the impulse to browse as soon as you crack your eyes open.
Leave Your Phone Alone
It doesn’t take a genius to know that your phone is basically your lifeline. Your phone basically holds everything that’s important to you – from communication platforms to entertainment media, from audio-visual memories to important private information. But that doesn’t mean you need your phone 24/7, even in the comfort of your home. When you go out, certainly – but it won’t hurt to keep your phone in another room while you do your chores at home. Leaving your phone alone will let you realise that time passes much more quickly without exhausting your head with media overuse. After you finish your duties, your phone will still be there.
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