These days it can be super overwhelming to pick up your phone and scroll through your news apps (or even Instagram!) with everything that’s currently going on in the world. Social media and technology are so great for the way they connect us all, but sometimes it’s completely necessary to just take a step back and take a break from it all for a while, so today’s post will be all about how to do a social media detox AND why you should do one!

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Why Should You Do A Social Media Detox?

Checking social media a few times a day is one thing, but if you find yourself obsessively opening your social media apps every single time you pick up your phone, then you probably need to do a detox.

These are a few reasons why you should think about doing a social media detox:

• To take back control of your time and your life

• To do more productive things with the time you were spending on social media

• To stop comparing yourself to other people and their lives

• To live more in the moment and experience things in the present

If you think about it, these apps literally hire scientists and psychologists to design an addictive user interface that keeps you checking your notifications and feed ALL. DAY. LONG. An awesome documentary to watch on this subject that is super popular on Netflix is The Social Dilemma – it’s a super fascinating look at how social media has taken over our society and lives.

 

How To Do A Social Media Detox

 

1. Create A Solid Plan For How You’ll Spend Your Free Time

Since humans are creatures of habit, you’re going to feel weird when you first stop using social media. If your first instinct when you wake up in the morning is to grab your phone and start scrolling, you’re definitely not alone, but it’s time to start using that time you would normally spend scrolling on something that’s actually productive.

A few things you can do when you have more free time without social media:

• Work out more

• Read a book

• Spend time with family or friends

• Take a class

• Start a blog!

• Spend more time outside

 

2. Delete Your Social Media Apps From Your Phone

This is a big step to take and it can definitely feel uncomfortable and make you nervous – but those are both just signs that you really need to do it!

Go ahead and delete any apps that you’re overusing, and remember that you can download them again at any time for free so that you’re not stressed about deleting them in the first place.

 

3. Invest In A Real Alarm Clock (That’s Not Your Phone)

Why? Because if you’re using your phone as an alarm like almost all of us do, then that means that you’re sleeping with it somewhere near your immediate reach and therefore it’s all the more tempting to just grab it and start scrolling first thing when you wake up.

If you get an actual alarm clock like this cute one, you won’t need to even sleep with your phone in the same room as you. And, it has extra features like charging ports for your phone that you can use whenever you’re not sleeping!

 

4. Turn Off Your Notifications

If you’re not ready to completely delete your social media apps from your phone, then a great step to take is to just turn off your notifications for all of your social media apps in your phone’s settings. Without those notifications popping up, you’ll be way less tempted to pick up your phone in the first place, and it’ll be easier to stay off of social media if you’re not getting them.

 

5. Have Someone Hold You Accountable

This one works well if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, etc that can help you out. Have them hold you accountable with your social media detox and keep you on your A game to make sure you’re actually following through!

If you’re single, try doing a social media detox with a friend who can help you through it! Challenge each other to come up with different (productive) activities to fill up all your extra time that you’re not devoting to endless social media scrolling anymore.

 

These are a few quick tips that you can implement starting today if you’re interesting in trying out a social media detox. But remember, you have to work on your willpower just as much as putting these tips into practice

 

Related Posts:

• How To Get The Most Out Of Life

• Steps To Practice Better Self Care

• Healthy Self Improvement + Wellness Tips

 

Thank you so much for reading this post on how to do a social media detox and the reasons why you should! Have you done a social media detox before, or are you thinking about doing one soon? Let me know in the comment section below, and if you liked this post remember you can definitely share it on Pinterest, or follow me on Instagram for tons of similar content!

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