You Don’t Need a Social Media Detox, You Need Balance
5 Ways to Avoid Getting Sucked into a Social Media Rabbit Hole
One of 2018’s trends seems to be taking a social media detox, with users making announcements that they will be deleting apps like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for extended periods of time. In theory, this seems like a perfectly fine way to create some distance from the digital world an enjoy life looking up as opposed to looking down at your phone.
The issue that I see here is that if your social media habits are causing that much of a strain in your life, then a social media detox may not be the answer to your problem. A detox only opens up the possibility for a relapse, right? This is especially true if you consider social media use as a potential addiction.
What I believe to be a better, long term solution is creating balance between you and social media. The adjustments can be simple, and I’ve outlined a few adjustments I’ve made recently to help increase productivity, enjoy more conversations and expand knowledge and creativity.
Start Your Day Without Your Phone
Let me guess: your alarm is set on your phone and the first thing you do when you shut it off in the morning is instantly swipe to Instagram? If it’s not Instagram it might be Facebook. I know, I’ve been there. There are a variety of ways to avoid this, the most simple way is just go shut off your alarm and get out of bed but if you can’t do that then I’d recommend finding an alternative alarm.
One of the best gifts I received was an Amazon Echo. Before I go to bed, I simply ask Echo to set my alarm, and in the morning I ask (or demand) it to shut off — with my voice, not my hands. If you need a content fix, you can program your Echo to ‘start your day’ by reading off the news, the weather and even give you a compliment. This is a great way to get an overview of what’s going on in the world without having to handle your phone.
Put a Book in Your Bathroom
Let’s be honest for a moment: one of our favorite places to browse your social media feed is on the toilet. Trust me when I say you are not alone. Remember the good old days when we reached for the soap bottle or our favorite magazine? It’s time to revisit that and replace it with a good old fashioned book, complete with words and maybe the occasional picture.
One book I strongly recommend is Tim Ferriss’s Tribe of Mentors. Not only is the content of the book educational and motivational, but it’s formatted in such a way that you can read through it’s sections quickly, giving the reader a sense of completing a story. It’s perfect for those who can’t spend too much time reading at one time.
Consume More Audio Content
One of the reasons audio content such as podcasts have become increasingly popular over the last few years is simply because of the flexibility to get on with your day while still consuming the content.
Trading your Facebook feed for a podcast or an audio book will not only free up your mental and physical bandwidth to complete other tasks, but it will most likely make you more articulate as well. Social media content is widely dumbed down with simple headlines to keep you moving from post to post and give you the illusion of discovering new information. A great audio book may help keep your focus and allow for more creative thinking in the future.
Play the Phone Stacking Game at Dinner
First of all, being on your phone at the table might be the no-no that your mom has been nagging you about but I’m sure your friends will appreciate your attention, too. After all, dinner is a time to share stories in real life, not on Twitter.
If you haven’t played the phone stacking game, it’s simple. First, gather all your friends phones at the table, then stack them on top of each other. Whoever reachers for their phone first picks up the bill. If you’re concerned that you may not be able to handle not knowing that title to the movie that your favorite actor was in for a whole meal, I’m here to tell you that you’ll survive.
Journal Before Bedtime
This is a personal favorite of mine. Writing in a journal to reflect on your day (instead of reflecting on other’s days on social media) is an incredible way to wind down. Journaling has been shown to be a therapeutic practice, and allows for much needed ‘you time’.
Try using the 5-Minute Journal. It typically takes less than 5 minutes, and gives you to start and end your day with some positive vibes. It’s perfect for anyone who may not know what to write about, or need some structure when journaling.
I hope that making these small adjustments in your everyday life helps you find a little more balance without having to completely shut out social media. Everyone is different, and uses these platforms in different ways.