Do you want to cultivate a healthier relationship with social media?
With more than three billion social media users worldwide, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to prioritize their time usage while scrolling along. As a result, hours pass and less gets done. This hurts your overall productivity and motivation.
While social media can be a great thing, it’s important to understand how to use it properly. Without limits, it’s easy to succumb to endless hours of learning about other people’s lives instead of focusing on and improving your own.
It’s time to change that. If you want to develop a healthier relationship with your favorite social platforms, here are 4 ways to get started.
Follow the Right People
How do you feel when you scroll through your social feeds? Do you see posts from people you have no connections to and don’t care about? Are you still following people who have hurt you or who post negative content?
All of these things add up when you spend a lot of time on social platforms. If you constantly see what other people are doing, especially people you aren’t on good terms with, it could affect your whole day. Along with impacting your mood, it can also hurt your ability to finish your to-do list.
Make life easier for yourself by following the right people on your accounts. Refuse to engage with or follow people who put you down or make you feel bad about yourself. It doesn’t do you any good and won’t help you improve your life.
Set a Limit
If you spend too much time on social media, then it’s crucial to set limits so you don’t overdo it. Too much time on these platforms can distort your reality, make you compare yourself to others, and simply waste your time.
So, set a time limit for your social media usage. If you’d like, set a goal for the amount of time you want to spend on it. You can set a timer so you know when you’ve reached your limit. Most settings allow you to set this up right in your phone. You can also turn off app notifications so you feel less tempted to check your phone.
Setting a time limit for how much you scroll through your social apps allows you to set a healthy boundary. Instead of these platforms taking up most of your time throughout the day, you’re more mindful of how you use them. It’s easier to point out these negative patterns when you step away from them and give yourself space to breathe.
Form Genuine Connections
It’s easy to list the negatives of being on social media, but what about the positives? Social media makes it easy to keep up with loved ones, interact regularly, and stay informed about certain life events. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded people with similar interests.
Use your social platforms to build successful relationships with people. It does no good to dwell on the wrong things or the wrong people. You can use social media to feel good about yourself by reaching out to friends and family and staying connected.
Refocus on the Present
At the end of the day, you might realize that what you really needed all along was a break from social media. You might also realize that it’s taken up so much of your time that you’ve barely paid attention to what’s in front of you.
It’s easy to get lost in other people’s lives when you scroll through social platforms. Even complete strangers can become people you feel close to if you’re engaged enough in their content. But this distracts you from leading a fulfilling life with its own special moments and people.
You don’t want to look back on your life and regret not using your time wisely. Life passes by quickly, especially when you’re looking down constantly. Don’t let your phone and other things distract you from what’s important in your life. Have a conversation with an old friend, reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to, and say the things you’ve been meaning to say.
Over to You
If you struggle to manage your time on social media, know you aren’t the only one. Many people have trouble setting boundaries around their phone usage. But with enough practice and persistence, you can learn to form healthier habits around social platforms. How will you cultivate a healthy relationship with social media?