Whether you’re a fan of social media or not, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to stop spending so much time online. You might have noticed that the internet is filled with hate speech, people who are not your friends, and a host of other problems. Here are some tips for you on how to stop spending so much time on social media and make the most of your free time.
Mental health
Taking a break from social media can be beneficial for your mental health. However, if you are suffering from anxiety or depression, you may want to talk to a healthcare professional before deciding to quit.
The amount of time you spend on social media directly correlates with how much stress you feel. It can also lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Social media also promotes feelings of insecurity. Seeing others’ curated, polished images can set unrealistic expectations and cause destructive comparisons. In the long run, this can harm your self-esteem and negatively impact your relationships with other people.
Taking a break from social media can help you gain a new perspective on your life. Having a clean slate will allow you to think about the future without feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts.
You will also experience a decrease in the production of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. This will help you relax and focus on more positive, relaxing activities.
Productivity
Taking a break from social media can improve your health, increase your productivity and boost your mood. It also helps you make better use of your time by letting you spend quality time with family and friends. It’s also a great way to build stronger relationships with them.
While you’re at it, why not try to do something new and exciting? You could take up a new hobby, write a novel or even start a new career. This will free up some of your time to pursue your other passions.
You might also want to consider other ways to stay in touch with your friends and family. You can call them up and talk to them in person or write a long-distance letter to them. This is a more personal and more intimate way to keep in touch than posting a tweet or sending a status update.
In order to be truly effective, you’ll need to put up some boundaries. You might want to consider outsourcing some of your social media duties to someone else or putting your phone on airplane mode during the workday. This will eliminate the “oh, I’m so busy” feeling and make you more efficient.
Free yourself from hate speech
Getting away from the evil social media monkeys and their pernicious tweets can be a good way to boost your overall health and well-being. In addition to the obvious benefits, a social media detox can also improve your social relationships in real life.
While there’s no official record of how many people are exposed to online hate, the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates that more than 100 million Americans are exposed to such hate. One study even found that hate speech was linked to a global increase in violence against minority groups. In a study of ten million Facebook and Twitter posts, slurs against Black people quadrupled, while slurs against gay and lesbian users increased by 58%.
The study measured the effects of hate on social network members’ overall stress levels. The results were not surprising. However, there was a striking difference in stress between the Control and Treatment groups. While the control group reported lower stress, the group with the most exposure to hate also had the highest stress.
Spend quality time with yourself
Whether you’re trying to reduce your stress or you’re looking for a break from social media, it’s important to spend quality time with yourself. While you may feel lonely when you stop using social media, you’ll also notice that it frees up more of your time, which you can use to relax. You might even get a new hobby to keep you busy.
Before you jump in head first, consider taking Lifehack’s Fast Track Class. This is a free class that will teach you how to train your focus and help you stay off social media. You can also uninstall all of your social media apps to prevent yourself from checking them. You’ll be able to do it for longer periods of time if you eliminate your temptation to check it.
You should also be aware of withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety and boredom. You should prepare for these before you jump into quitting social media. Make sure to do something you enjoy, such as reading, exercising, or spending quality time with your family. If you have a lot of friends, you can make an effort to meet up with them face-to-face to give yourself some extra support.
