3 tips for using social media mindfully
Overwhelmed by social media? Discovered that when you hit 100 tabs open on Chrome it doesn't tell you how many tabs are open - simply gives you a sarcastic smiley face? :D If you're finding the whole Instagram/Facebook/Stories/Twitter thing too much, here are some tips from Self-Care Mentor Amy Hunt from Let's Get Back to You on how to make sure your values and social media are aligned:
top 3 tips for using social media mindfully:
1. Curate your feed so it’s a pleasant and enjoyable place to visit, a place that makes you feel good and reflects the things that you enjoy. If you’re scrolling through Instagram and constantly being met by images that make you feel less than, or not good enough, that make you question the value of your own life experience or how far you’ve come, let those accounts go. It’s not about being mean, or even a reflection of how you feel about that person or that brand, it’s simply about safeguarding your wellbeing first. It may be that when you’re in a different place in your life, those very same accounts will conjure up totally different feelings, but for the time being if something leaves you feeling bad, let it go and instead fill your online space with things you love, things that inspire you.
2. Create boundaries around social media use within your day. It’s very easy to lose hours and hours to the internet trawl, between Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest (my main culprits) you can find yourself in a never ending cycle of likes and shares, and before you know it it’s 2pm and that to-do list is still looming. I like to block out specific time where my phone stays out of the room and out of whatever activity I’m doing. Whether it’s in my desk drawer on my break, or left in my handbag while I’m out with a friend, I make a pact with myself not to touch it, and always find I get more out of whatever I’m doing when I’m not so distracted by the lure of the screen.
3. Finally, check in with how you’re really feeling each time you jump on to social media (this one has been such a huge one for me) because even when your feed is filled with beauty and inspiration that genuinely makes you smile, it’s still important and sometimes very necessary to take a break. When there’s a million other things going on in your day, when you’re tired, stressed or have spent longer than you care to remember looking at a screen, pause for a second before picking up your phone, and consider if you’re actually interested in what’s going to be there when you unlock it, or if you’re just picking it up out of habit. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve been scrolling through Instagram only to realise that I haven’t even been seeing or acknowledging what’s in front of me. If you’re just not feeling it right now, put it down and take some time out (be that for an hour a day, a week it doesn’t matter). Just recognising how you’re feeling helps to make sure your putting your wellbeing first.
Do you have any other tips on how to be mindful with your social media usage?
images c/o Unsplash Nicole Honeywill
