Mental Health Counsellor Shares 5 Social Media Detox Tips
Mental Health Counsellor Shares 5 Social Media Detox Tips
It is a fact that social media has become an inseparable part of our lives. It was born out of the aim of connecting people beyond geographical boundaries. Social media lets you get updates about your loved ones, learn about the happenings in the world, connect with new people and learn new things. On average, a single person spends 2 hours daily browsing social media. This is a lot of time that can be used differently. Consider the benefit of using your time to take charge of your life and work towards your goals.
Although social media is a great invention towards bridging the gap between people and bringing them closer, a mental health counsellor will warn you about the negative effects it can have on overall mental and emotional health. But if you are spending a lot of time using it, it may not be good for you. Ask yourself, can you go a day without logging into Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? If these sites were to get banned tomorrow, would you feel restless or lonely? Are you addicted to social media?
Our Expert Counsellor explains why a social media detox is necessary:
What you see on social media is only half the truth. People only post what they want you to see, which is often their good side. Everybody has their own flaws and shortcomings which aren’t shown on their profile. But we often tend to forget this truth and start comparing ourselves to others to the point of despair. Social media also poses a risk to your privacy.
There’s a lot of information available about you online which can be misused for hacking, stalking, blackmail and more. Imagine spending the 2-3 hours that you spend scrolling on social media to pursue a hobby like painting, or going for a walk or simply seeing your friends.
According to our expert counsellor, if a break from the virtual world seems like a punishment to you, you should in fact consider one.
Following are 5 tips to Social Media Detox:
1.Deactivate all your social media accounts:
This step is very necessary. You may think you can fight the urge to check your accounts but when the time comes to do so, people mostly fail. Deactivate your accounts and uninstall the social media apps from your phone. You can also ask somebody to change your passwords for you if you feel the need to do so. It will help you in Social Media Detox.
2.Find ways to hold yourself accountable:
Tell your friends and family about your break. Doing the detox along with a friend will make it seem easier for you. Check on each other every 2 days. Hold each other accountable. It will help you in Social Media Detox.
3.Assign yourself a fixed time to check your phone:
Tell yourself that you will not check your phone from 2 hours before bedtime till the next morning. Keep your phone away from your bed and out of reach. This really helps to avoid unnecessary scrolling.
4.Set time limits for your apps:
If you waste a lot of time on social media and it is causing you to be less productive but you cannot resist it, try an 
app that lets you set different time limits for different apps on your phone. Once you’ve reached the daily limit, you won’t be able to browse social media sites even if you want to. It will help you in Social Media Detox.
5.Find an activity to engage in:
While you are away, find something to keep you busy. Read a book or make plans with friends, paint something, cook or learn a new skill. Find something that you really like to keep you busy otherwise you are just going to log back into your accounts. It will help you in Social Media Detox.
You can also take help from our expert mental health counsellor on Social Media Detox on our community wellness platform. We all have some products regarding It will help you in Social Media Detox on our Wellness Store.
It is up to you to decide if you want to be more active virtually or in the real life. Just take a short break of 2 or 3 days. Try to analyze how you feel in the absence of social media. Get closer to the real world. A break doesn’t have to be permanent. Just take enough time to get out of the loop.
Have you ever tried a social media detox before? How did it make you feel?
