BLOG #4
Drugs, alcohol, social media. Which one of these seems to be out of place? It’s not that far fetched to say that social media is reaching the addictive tier of drugs and alcohol. Obviously, the side effects are not as severe as being a drug addict or an alcoholic, but we can’t deny the negatives of excessive social media use.
I am the first to admit, I too tend to be a victim of wasting hours on social media. Therefore, here are a few tips to help you balance your usage time and increase your productivity.
1. Block your apps using a timer – There are plenty of apps you can download that will block access to your social media accounts by using a timer. Most of these apps will track your social media use automatically and you can see how much time you are spending daily. This tool is a great way to control yourself by setting daily limits and forces the apps to lock once you reached your daily usage. The timer keeps you accountable and is a great way to start reducing your social media use daily. Unfortunately, most of these apps cost a monthly fee, but you can access these features using a free week trial. Just remember to cancel before the subscription is renewed so that you don’t get charged! Unless you find it to be effective, the cost could be worth your change in productivity.
2. Put your phone in a different room when doing work – Whenever I am doing work I find that my phone is a constant distraction. Therefore I like to put my phone in a completely different room so that I am not tempted to look at it. Checking your phone while you are working can disrupt your flow state and decrease your quality of work. Try to focus on completing your work from start to finish, with no distractions.
3. Change your morning habit – What is the first thing you tend to do when you wake up in the morning? Usually, we check our phone notifications and scroll through social media before we even get out of bed. Instead, refrain from looking at your phone for at least an hour after waking up. Make yourself a cup of coffee or some breakfast and open a book. Give your brain a chance to wake up and make reading your new habit. Reading every day can improve your concentration, vocabulary, writing skills, and reduce stress.
4. Shut your phone off one hour before bed – To get the best night’s rest, it is crucial to let your brain unwind. Turn your phone off at least one hour before bed at the same time every night. This is a hard habit to break. We often stare at our phones until the last minute before we call it a night. The blue light from our phones tricks our brains into staying alert and can cause a restless night’s sleep. People often overlook the importance of a good night’s sleep. The optimal night’s sleep is 7 to 8 hours. Restraining from screen time before bed is the first step to healthy sleep habits.
5. Find a substitute, create content daily – The average person spends about two hours on social media per day, and most people spend even more than that. Think of all the things you could be doing with that time instead of scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. Start by making to-do lists every day. Give yourself creative tasks to do every day. Design something new, write a blog, teach yourself a new skill, or do something out of your comfort zone. Concentrate on creating daily content that documents your skills, and reflects on something new you learned that day. Dedicating these hours to creating is more rewarding than mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds. You will be a more productive and reflective person because of it.
6. Delete all your social media apps from your device – Try deleting all of your social media apps for one day. A complete detox. How does disconnecting change your way of life? If you like the results, try disconnecting for one week, or even a month. The longer you disconnect from social media, you will notice more and more how much better off you are without it.
In hindsight, all these tips are extremely valuable to our productivity and mental health. Yet they are all easier said than done. You won’t ever see any reasonable results unless you take them seriously. You have to be disciplined about changing your habits and that is the only way you will see any personal development. Don’t become a slave to your social media platforms. They are tools that can be effective and beneficial when used in moderation. Make these strides so that social media does not steal your time.
– Jake Beman