#put down your phone
aka how to combat your impulse to spend hours and hours on social media…
- Spending time on social media can be good-ONLY IF you’re only browsing when you want to. Sometimes I get stuck browsing through Instagram even when I don’t want to. Even when I tell myself, “This is enough,” “I have homework to do,” “I want to stop browsing.” Even if I want to stop, I can’t. Then it becomes a problem.
- Remember - no one else can tell you how to live your life. For some people, 5 hours a day of social media is fun, stress-relieving, and good. For other people, 1 hour a day is too much. Figure out how much time YOU want to spend online, not your mom, not your teacher, not your friends, certainly not me. If you decide you want to cut down on your screen time, keep reading…
- Figure out when and why you’re glued to the screen. To procrastinate? To relieve anxiety or stress? Because you’re bored or angry? Some other reason?
- Think about some alternative things you could do instead. This will largely depend on your personal interests. To help you with ideas, here’s my list of “alternatives to scrolling through my phone:”
- Rent a movie to watch and possibly invite a friend (or go solo!)
- Practice guitar & write music
- Draw some art, doodle, sketch
- Go out for a quick run, especially if it’s nice outside
- Clean and tidy up around the house
- Do homework
- Check out a just-for-fun book to read from the library
- Meditate
- Make an action plan and follow through. Write down the exact amount of hours you’ll give yourself each day to mindlessly browse through social media, and time yourself. When the timer is up, stop. Make it a habit. If you’re bored, go through your list of “alternative things to do.” If there’s nothing on the list that interests you, make a new list or add to your existing list.
- You don’t have to be perfect. It’s okay if you miss a day or two - you’re not a failure. Remember, you’re doing this for yourself, not for a grade or for someone else. Get back on track as quickly as you can.
- It’s not too early (or too late) to start today. No need to wait until New Years’, the beginning of next month, tomorrow, or any later date. You can start right now, even if it’s 10:15 PM at night or 3:02 AM in the morning.
You got this! I believe in you!! <3
