5 Ways to Mitigate Social Media Overwhelm
Undoubtedly, we can take a lot of good from social media. Most importantly, it allows us to connect with family and friends. We can also preserve memories and share things that interest us, and it’s also a great place where we can learn new, exciting things like a new skill or talent.
Not only that, but these platforms offer information in a myriad of ways. For example, YouTube has full-length tutorials on how to do all sorts of things, from fixing the kitchen sink to doing a macramé plant holder.
Pinterest is also just as famous for its vast array of data. Yet, it focuses more on pictures and short reels.
Then, you have Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and others that provide an image picture or brief video content and a short written explanation.
Nevertheless, with all these benefits that social media provides, it also has disadvantages. Research shows that spending too much time on these platforms can lead to increased stress, loneliness, isolation, and depression.
So, how can you take the good while minimizing the adverse effects of social media?
Here are five things you can try today to help you do just that.
1. Customize Your Feed
Unfollow and remove harmful or fearmongering pages. Delete toxic friends and connections. Limit who views and comments on your posts. You can add pages that share more positive content and connect to individuals and organizations that teach knowledgeable content you can use.
It sounds drastic, but tell yourself that keeping a small circle of virtual friends is perfectly okay. It’s also wonderful to have a strategic plan when connecting online. I call this networking with purpose.
Look for influencers who embrace their natural beauty and organizations that promote kindness and healthy outlooks on work and life. Follow people who are constantly spreading positive words of motivation across their feeds.
2. Regulate the When
Many of us set alarms on our devices. So, it’s become second nature to reach for your phone as soon as you wake up, which leads to getting bombarded with a stream of news, updates, and inconsequential posts immediately.
This only leads to exacerbating your stress and anxiety, which isn’t exactly the best way to gear up for a new day.
Instead, consider integrating more mindful routines around two or more screen-free activities like journaling, meditating, and practicing gratitude.
When you start scrolling through social media, set a time limit on how long you spend on each app. One study found that a healthy amount of time would be between an hour and two hours for the entire day.
Make sure you split it into 15- to 30-minute increments throughout the day. For example, you can schedule 30 minutes after breakfast, 30 minutes during your lunch break, another 30 minutes in the afternoon, and 30 minutes about three hours before bedtime.
3. Turn off Notifications
Just because you always have your phone on you doesn’t mean you must be available 24/7. Disconnecting from the virtual world at certain times during the day is okay.
Getting inundated with notifications from various social media platforms can be overwhelming. It’s incredibly infuriating when you’re trying to work, study, or enjoy a few minutes of peace.
Remind yourself that social media apps are designed to hijack your attention and get you to spend as much as possible on them so they can generate revenue from ads.
The most effective way to reduce the time wasted on these apps is to switch off notifications as often as needed during the day.
4. Be Critical
Always be critical of social media. Remember that all the posts and reels you see are someone’s best moments of the day, maybe even the whole week.
They’re only showing you what they want you to see, which is why they probably have some time to prepare for it and set everything up. So, it’s not exactly their typical day-to-day life that they’re displaying.
5. Detox
Try this the next time you feel you’ve had too much social media exposure: nothing.
Put the phone down and be in the moment. Take a look around the room. Notice how the light shines through the window. Listen to the different sounds around you.
Full disclosure: you’ll probably feel uncomfortable after about five seconds. But that’s okay.
Consider why you're uncomfortable as you try to hang on for 60 seconds. Knowing the reason can help wean you off your addiction to social media, as well as the notion that you must have your phone in your hand all the time.
Instead, why not do something more constructive with your time? You can learn a new skill, revisit an old hobby, read, exercise, go for a walk, journal, draw, paint, or play a musical instrument, and more!
So, find what you’re passionate about. Then, spend time doing more of that instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media.
WELCOME TO ALISSA AVENUE®
Hey There! I’m Alissa, CEO of this hive. We help busy humans free themselves from being overwhelmed and stuck living and thinking and reignite their passion and ambition. We provide you with the tools to transition and transform confidently.
