Numerous studies have been conducted recently to gauge social media’s impact on an individual’s mental health.
How to Create Balance in Life with Social Media?
It can be taxing to be constantly connected to the virtual world, updating others on your thoughts, feelings, and keeping track of theirs’. The hours spent on social sites have increased from an hour to 9 hours a day in the past few years. This is indeed extremely alarming.
People need to learn how to create a balance between their activities and unplug from the virtual world. Even though there is a definitive lack of information regarding the effects of social media on mental health, it is indisputable that nine hours of time spent online cannot be healthy. Here are a few ways people can create this balance between SNSs and the physical world:
Banish Your Cell Phone
How many times have you read that you’re not supposed to use your phone for at least 30 minutes before you fall asleep because it disturbs your circadian rhythm? And yet, few of us are able to adhere to this. This is because we keep our cell phones within an arm’s length when we fall asleep. Most of us reach out to grab it whenever it takes longer a few minutes for us to relax, or we hear it vibrate with a notification.
Banish your cell phone from your room entirely so that you’re not tempted to pick it up after you decide to go to bed. Keep a book on your bedside table instead so that if you need to distract your mind or help you relax, you have something to read instead of scrolling social media.
Get a Real Alarm Clock
Most people keep their phones on their bedside tables because they use them as their alarm clock. However, they ultimately end up checking their social media instead. Buy a real alarm clock instead and keep your phone at a distance otherwise temptation is in easy reach. Before you know it, the phone is in your hands, and you’ve spent an hour and a half scrolling through Facebook or Tumblr.
Unplug Yourself
Take a break from social media and detox yourself by deleting all your social apps from your phone. If you find yourself desperate for a dose, log into the apps from your computer instead because that makes it much more difficult to use social apps for hours on end. Remember that not everything you see online is accurate or real.
Turn Off Notifications
Admit to yourself that social media can be addicting. You may be a victim of FOMO, and that’s okay. You just need to learn how to combat it and you’re good to go. Turn off the notifications of your social apps. This does not mean mute the notifications. Try blocking them entirely so that you only see the notifications when you actively open the app. You don’t need to check who liked your post.
Prioritize, Create Boundaries, and Set Time Limits
Put your immediate family and loved ones first. It is easy to get immersed in the virtual world. Pull yourself out and restrict the hours you spend on social sites by turning off your phone or putting it on airplane mode. Treat it like a healthy exercise as it is just as important as joining a gym or eating a healthier diet.
Final Word
Technology should be an asset that improves our lives, not make it even more difficult. It can be extremely hard not to get immersed in the constantly updating online social world, but you need to do it for the sake of yourself, your family, and your friends. Don’t swear off social media completely. Learn how to be in control of the time that you spend on social sites. Be mindful of your mental health and take vigilant action to combat mental illnesses in yourself and the people around you.
