• Are you that friend who deletes their social media accounts every month or after every break-up? Getting overwhelmed or disengaged with your social media community is normal and common. Because social media and technology are relatively new to our generation, our brains are still catching up with all of the information we retain every day. Whether for business or personal use, social media has found a way for altmost any kind of person to use it. There are very healthy ways to use social media without feeling like you aren’t successful or popular enough to achieve your goals. Here’s a list of ideas to have a healthier relationship with your social feeds:

  • CREATE MORNING & NIGHT ROUTINES

  • It's been reported that most people check their social media feeds as soon as they wake up. Yes, the cat's out the bag, how many of you do this? Instead of reaching for your phone when you wake up or scrolling through Instagram right before you go to bed, try this!
  • – Stretch
    – Pray/Recite mantra/Affirmation
    – Spray rose water onto face/Bed area
    – Yoga
    – Drink water
    – Make a smoothie
    – Write out daily, weekly, monthly goals
    – Read a physical book
    – Listen to a podcast (Don’t sneak over to Twitter)
    – Makeup bed/do laundry

  • DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA WHILE WORKING

  • Some jobs require phones to be absent and some jobs require phones to be present, so be responsible with your phone use. Even if you're using your phone, you don’t have to engage in the social feeds you're most attracted to. Using social media during idle time is just the same as staring at multiple pages in a book without reading, it’s not about what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it.

  • BUY A SOCIAL JOURNAL

  • Find a journal you like and label it your “social” journal. A social journal is for addressing aspects of your social life. Anything that you would post online, quotes or thoughts, place them here. This allows you to track your thoughts that you’d normally translate into social media language. Watch how often you share your opinions and if those opinions should be shared on social media or not. This will be a time to reflect on your impulse and subconscious mind.

  • CREATE A SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

  • Give yourself specific times to use social media. Doing this will make you aware of when you use social media and where you see it actually being appropriate. Maybe you don’t want to use it on specific days or during specific weeks. You might want to only use it during the day and turn it off in the evening or vice versa. Depending on your workload and lifestyle, you’ll find a healthy balance of the times you want to be active online.

  • THINK BEFORE YOU POST

  • I feel bad that I even have to say this, but unfortunately, what you’re posting can affect your employment, professionalism and social network. Whether using social media for business or art, what you post is intended to attract like-minded individuals who appreciate your perspective. Be mindful of photos you post and dictate what you see as appropriate. Even if you're an artist or model, be weary of exposing yourself, because once a photo is posted online, it can be easily owned by other entities.

  • FIND NEW APPS/HOBBIES TO REPLACE YOUR ADDICTION

  • Going cold turkey doesn’t help for most people with most addictions, and the same applies to your social media addiction. Your fingers are so used to scrolling through the 'gram, you don’t want to just end the relationship so abruptly. Find other apps or hobbies that you can find on your phone or around your home. You might come across a cool drawing app or a sketchpad you found under your bed. Find healthy substitutions to fight the urge to double tap that photo!

  • There are an endless number of things you can do to lower your social media consumption and find what hobbies and thought patterns you feel most comfortable with. It's important to be aware of how social media makes you feel about yourself and the world around you.

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