As the world continues to reset, it’s always great to detox from alcohol, coffee, sweets, carbs and social media. Burn out is inevitable as people mindlessly scroll in the lulls of life. To avoid this feeling, a social media break is extremely helpful during the beginning of the year.
Whether for a week or longer, a social media break creates breathing room. As you refresh your timeline and re-enter into the social media sphere after a hiatus, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed or sink into old habits. Here’s how to reintegrate and get back online in a healthy way after a social media break.
Assess Your Relationship With Social Media
Everyone’s relationship with social media and their motivation behind it is unique. Before you reemerge on your channels after your social media break, take time to assess how and why you use them. Being honest about your motivations will allow you to self-reflect and find alternatives that allow you to click on apps less frequently.
Unfollow People Who Don’t Bring You Joy
Say goodbye to the influencers, pages and people who do not bring you joy. It’s your social media account, so you get to curate and tailor it to best fit your life. One helpful tool is to create a list of criteria for accounts to follow. Whatever your criteria, stick to it, and never feel guilty for not following someone and protecting your mental space.
Download Apps to Monitor Your Usage
To establish healthier habits after your social media break, there are a plethora of apps to help you monitor your time. The goal is to increase your awareness of how often you are swiping and scrolling. Some apps allow you to block apps after a certain time of day or after you’ve reached a certain amount of time on the app.
Don’t Keep Track of Your Followers
Nothing will mess with your head more than keeping a steady eye on your follower count. As you reintroduce social media into your life, you’ll drive yourself mad if you closely monitor who follows you and who doesn’t. Instead of fixating on your follower count and the number of likes, create a habit of not tallying numbers. You can even hide your like count on your posts.
Prioritize Your Time on IRL Activities
As you seek to get back online in a healthy way after a social media break, choose to prioritize offline activities. Whether that’s exercise, journaling, reading, volunteering or going for walks, create a routine that prioritizes activities away from your screens.