Do you check Facebook on your phone before you even have your morning coffee? Do you feel the need to check your Twitter notifications as soon as you get out of every business meeting? Does your day feel incomplete if you haven't seen the latest posts on Instagram? If any of these sound familiar to you, then you are probably addicted to social media. Here are some steps to overcome your addiction and reclaim your time.
1.) Make A List Of Priorities For Your Time.
For people who still have to work for a living, the priority for most of the day needs to be real, productive work that leads to money in the bank. After you finish your work for the day, you'll have other priorities, which could include talking to your kids, doing the laundry, or working out. The point is to put it on a list so you recognize all of the important things that you could be doing, instead of wasting time on social media sites.
2.) Schedule Your Time.
Now that you have your priorities listed, you can make a reasonable schedule that lays out when you are going to do each of them. You don't need to be productive every minute of the day. It's important to allow yourself some free time for relaxing, decompressing, watching TV, or even checking Facebook. Just set up a reasonable schedule based on your priorities, that gives you some fun time, too.
3.) Get Some Physical Exercise.
One of the benefits of spending less time on social media is that you have more time available for physical activities. Whether you go running or visit a gym, spending time on regular workouts is healthy for your body and your mind. Working out strengthens the muscles, reduces stress, and makes you feel better about yourself. It does take effort, but the payoff is huge. Once you get used to it, you will appreciate what this extra time does for you, compared to spending it online.
4.) Plan Time With Family And Friends.
Another advantage to freeing up more of your time is that you can spend it on meaningful interactions with your family and friends. Take the time to really talk to your kids. Find out how things are for them at school, and what they are happy or sad about. They will appreciate it when you ask questions that show you care, and spend the time to really listen to their answers. Also spend more time with your friends and other family members. Developing these connections outside of social media yields much more than you can ever gain from quick status updates and Likes.
5.) Take Days Away From Social Media.
Establishing a reasonable schedule, such as spending no more than an hour a day on social media, is an excellent step. It's also wise to give yourself some days that are totally "off the grid," where you never access social media at all. Spend a full day now and then playing family games, camping in the woods, or having a barbecue with friends. For social media addicts, unplugging like this can be difficult, but it's also remarkably liberating.