In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of our lives. It conveniently allows us to stay connected with friends, family, and the world around us. However, it’s important to acknowledge that while social media has its benefits, it can also have negative impacts on our mental well-being.
Social media is addicting and has been linked to anxiety, depression, and even sleep-deprivation in teens. Creating a positive relationship with social media can be difficult at first, but luckily there are 6 simple tips to consider. Here’s how you can have a better relationship with social media and stay connected without sacrificing your mental well-being.
1) Limit Your Screen Time Creating a positive relationship with social media starts with being mindful of our screen time. It’s easy to get caught up in endless scrolling and lose track of time. By setting limits on the amount of time we spend on social media each day, we can ensure that it doesn’t consume our lives and interfere with other important aspects.
2) Be Intentional Unfollowing or blocking accounts that don’t make us feel good is another important step towards cultivating a positive relationship with social media. If the content that you’re consuming is making you feel inadequate or triggers negative emotions, then it’s best to remove them from your feed. Surrounding yourself with uplifting and inspiring content will contribute to a healthier mindset.
People tend to post about their successes rather than their failures, and it can seem like everyone is killing it at work and in their relationships. Since our phones are practically attached to our hands, we’re also able to get a glimpse at other people’s lives 24/7—meaning we have way more opportunities to check in and compare (and feel inadequate) than we did pre-Instagram.
self.com, how to stop comparing yourself…
3) Stop Comparing Social media is a place where people tend to showcase the highlights of their lives, which creates an illusion of perfection. What we see on social media is often curated and heavily filtered, which doesn’t reflect the full reality. Instead of comparing ourselves to a fake reality, let’s focus on our own journey and celebrate our achievements.
4) Forget the Numbers Another aspect of social media that can be dangerously addicting is obsessing over numbers, such as the likes, retweets, saves, or follows. A few years ago, Instagram started allowing users to hide the number of likes on a photo, which many have stated that this feature has made their experience more positive. It reminds people to focus on the quality of the content, rather than the numbers.
When Instagram users cannot see the number of likes on other people’s posts, it could open up more creative thinking. The idea here is to shift users’ focus from the number of likes to the quality of the content, like images and captions – rather than thinking about what works and not solely based on the number of likes.
statusbrew.com, how to hide likes on instagram…
5) Take a Break I know how difficult it can be to take a break, especially if you’re using social media for business purposes, but taking breaks is crucial towards establishing a positive relationship. Create a routine that allows you to interact with your audience, such as 15 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening, and perhaps take a break on the weekends. Find a routine that works with your schedule to create a healthy balance.
6) Make Plans Plan activities that will encourage you to reduce your screen time. Whether it’s reading, visiting a friend, going for a walk, or running errands. I personally enjoy practicing mindfulness in nature. Activities such as grounding or observing your surroundings encourage you to be present in the moment, so you won’t be tempted to look at your screen.
By implementing these simple yet effective strategies, we can create a positive relationship with social media that enhances rather than hinders our well-being. Let’s embrace the convenience it offers while prioritizing self-care and maintaining a healthy balance in our digital lives. How do you create a positive relationship with social media? I’d love to hear your thoughts. For more posts relating to wellness, visit my tag here.
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I think that it is critical to be deliberate about who you follow on social media. Thank you for doing so!
https://www.intellectfolks.com/ideas-to-decorate-hallways-in-schools/
Absolutely! It makes a huge difference to create an online space that’s positive. Thank you for reading!
I agree that it is so important to be intentional with who you are following on social media. Thank you for sharing this!
melissakacar.com
Absolutely, it makes a huge difference. Thank you for reading Melissa!
These are all such fantastic tips! And you’re right… limiting screen time is a game changer. We really aren’t missing out on anything too important. 🙂
Absolutely! Enjoying the present moment is what matters. Thank you for reading Heidi!
I know so many people who find SM a drain, and I never have. I haven’t ever been able to articulate what I’m doing differently, but I think this highlights it! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear this! I think it’s so wonderful that you’ve been able to find a good balance. Thank you for reading!
I love these tips and know for me I need to be more mindful when I use social media as I tend to scroll but don’t actually think of how much time its wasting.
Lisa
http://www.lovefromlisa.com
I agree, it’s crazy how time flies when we’re busy scrolling. Thank you for reading Lisa!
These are some great tips. I try to make sure I take time away from social media so I am not overwhelmed by it all. Thank you for sharing your tips.
Lauren – Bournemouth Girl
That’s great Lauren! Taking time off is super important. Thank you for reading!
Love this! It’s so important to use social media intentionally and be aware of what’s going on. There’s so much fake stuff going around, and if someone or something doesn’t make us feel good: BLOCK. It’s that easy, and nothing personal. I stopped caring too much about numbers a while ago, and it’s made my life as a content creator easier for sure.
Love,
Krissi of the marquise diamond
https://www.themarquisediamond.de
Yes to all of this! It makes creating so much easier when you’re focused on the quality vs the numbers. Thank you for reading Krissi!
This is great and things we need to work on it. I do these as well but still working on it. Thank you for sharing!
Me too, it definitely requires some practice! Thank you for reading Fransic!
These are all great tips! I hide my likes and views on Instagram, and I limit my time on there so I can do other things such as important housework, organizing, etc. I find that I prefer taking one of my cameras out if I have a trip (my G7X is my prime choice) because it saves battery life on my phone and I’m not tempted to upload the photo right away, and get sad when it doesn’t perform as well as I’d hoped.
That’s such a great tip Winnie! I haven’t travelled with a camera in years, but I’ve been looking to bring one for that exact reason. It’s so tempting to edit and upload an image right away, and it takes away from actually enjoying your trip. Thank you for reading!
I love these ways to create a positive relationship with social media. Taking a break when you need to is definitely important, especially if it’s getting all too much for you x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Absolutely, it’s important to take breaks for our wellbeing. Thank you for reading Lucy!
There are definitely times when social media becomes a bit too much and you have to take a break. Love these useful tips for having a healthy relationship with social media.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Agreed, taking breaks often is very beneficial. Thank you for reading Radi!
These are all great tips Winnie! I have decreased my time on social media recently and feel better for it. You make a great point in only following accounts that bring me joy and don’t leave me feeling bad about myself.
I’m glad reducing screen time has been helpful! Creating a positive space for yourself online is super important. Thank you for reading Jodie!