In just a short time, social media has become pivotal to most people’s personal, professional, and social lives. There are significant benefits to using social media for various tasks, but the adverse effects are pretty pronounced and hard to ignore at the same time. In fact, it might be a good idea to take a break now and again, called a social media detox. Let’s discuss how you can make this break work for you so that you can return to enjoying your accounts after the detox.
How a Social Media Detox Works
Cutting out social media has been proven to decrease stress levels and improve focus and time management, so it’s worth considering taking a break from it, even if only for a little while.
Here are some ways to ensure your social media detox is effective.
Don’t Immediately Cut Yourself Off
It’s not always possible to eliminate social media from your routine entirely, and you shouldn’t jump head-first into a detox if you can’t follow through with it. Instead, we recommend slowly decreasing your time on social media and setting sensible limits. You can also schedule time to check your profiles once your detox is over.
Utilize Your Phone’s Time-Limiting Features
Most modern smartphones have features that can keep you from spending too much time on specific applications. If you use this in conjunction with the previous point, you can gradually cut down on time spent in various applications that are known time-wasters.
Remove Your Apps
After you have reached a point of complete detox, you can remove the apps from your phone, either forever or temporarily. Be sure to consider if you really need them before reinstalling them.
Consider the Draw of Social Media
While working through your detox, consider the things you like about social media and whether or not you can get the same thing from other sources. For example, maybe you like it because it’s an easy way to keep up with family, but perhaps that same family would appreciate getting a phone call or meeting up in person instead.
Work Together
Accountability goes a long way toward helping you achieve any goal, especially a social media detox. Simply telling people that you are not checking your accounts can be incredibly empowering because it makes your goals real and tells them that they shouldn’t try to contact you on the apps until further notice, thus reinforcing your attempts. If they also jump on board your detox, well, all the better; you might have someone to do things with to get your mind off your online accounts.
Moderation is Key
Of course, technology can enrich our lives, but it’s essential to do so in moderation. Managing your use of technology and social media is incredibly important. Hopefully, you find this detox guide helpful.
