Ways To Detox From Social Media

Keeping in touch with those who matter in our lives is great. But, when we let those social media moments become toxic time takers, we need a social media detox. Staying in the know with old friends, seeing people’s children grow up right before our eyes, and even just sharing some pop culture or political banter can be fun. It can be so much “fun” that it, literally, claims hours and hours of our day without us even realizing it!

Life Before Social Media

What did we do before we had social media? Many of us often find ourselves wondering how we got through life without being totally connected to everyone we have ever known. We wonder how we spent our time and we marvel at how productive we had been in the past. However, despite all of that, we almost never want to admit that we have become somewhat “dependent” on social media. We can reclaim our time and our lives when we make a commitment to keeping social media in its place, instead of making it our lives. A social media detox will help you to make that happen, sooner rather than later.

Social Media Detox Tips That Work

Break free from the bondage of social media by trying some of these ways to detox from social media:

Create a list of your daily activities.

Physically do this so that you can see for yourself how much of a distraction social media can be. One of the hardest parts of dealing with a dependence on something is realizing that it is robbing you of doing the things that are most important to your life and overall well being. This is the first step to dealing with this head on.

Set Realistic Expectations

A social media detox is something that you may have to do more than once if your social media use is out of control! For this first time, set a realistic goal for yourself. A week or a month might be enough time to give you more personal clarity and to rid yourself of the social media reliance.

Announcing It Brings Accountability

Take a moment to tell your network that you will not be available via social media for a certain period of time. Give them alternative ways to contact you such as actually texting you directly or calling. Tell them that they can still be a part of your life but that you would prefer more one-on-one contact now. This “announcement” will make you accountable for your decision and you will be more motivated to stick to your social media detox because others are involved and watching. You won’t want to let yourself down nor do you want to give up on yourself in front of your network.

Clean Your Slate By Deleting Social Media Apps

Delete all social media apps off of your phone or device. Just get rid of them. Period. Contrary to what your emotions will tell you, they don’t have to be gone forever. You can always download the app at a later time. But, for now, let them all go.

Enjoy Your Real Life More

Create real life plans for your newfound time. Do something, anything! Just use your time more wisely. If you can’t figure out how to fill in your time, ask your family or those friends who are active parts of your life, outside of social media. Set new priorities and goals. Relish in the satisfaction that you will experience when you actually accomplish them during your social media detox.

Set Future Social Media Expectations

Consider minimizing the number of social media apps that you allow in your life. It may be that you can only handle having one social media connection. You might have to tell people that you can only be found on one app, and only at certain times of the week.

Try to commit to always keeping social media in its proper perspective, which is to let it be a small part of your life and not the bane of your existence.

A social media detox may prove to be just what you needed to feel like the amazing, independent you from times past. Remember, you owe it to yourself to own your life. Time will keep moving whether you are on social media or not. Don’t let time pass you by.