How to Detox from Social Media — Without Deleting Your Account

How to Detox from Social Media — Without Deleting Your Account

If you’re a digital marketer, social media manager, or business owner, it’s hard to imagine a day spent without social media. We often wake up and immediately check our social accounts before getting out of bed, read the latest headlines or trending topics while drinking our morning coffee, and sharing our latest post before we even arrive at our office desk.

The average user spends an average of 2 hours a day on social media, now it’s safe to assume anyone working in the digital marketing industry spends a lot more time than that. Is there ever a good time to detox from social media? We get it, this is your job. We’re not going to suggest that you abandon your brand’s social media content calendar. In fact, please don’t.

Read on for our tips on how to cut back on some of your personal social accounts to find a healthier balance and more productivity in your work life!

1. Designate Detox Times

We all would be better off if we could take a moment and unplug from our screens, it’s important to schedule this into your day so that you are sticking to it! Maybe it’s for a few detox hours before bed each night, or maybe it’s during the morning when you don’t have to work online. And when you do step away from the screens, make note of how you feel when you detox from social media. Are you less stressed?

2. Set Social Media Time Limits For Yourself

Along the same lines as technology-free times, try setting time limits on your personal social media use.

If you need some help committing to those limitations, you can lean on Apples App Limit feature which can be found under Settings > Screen Time > App Limit. This can be used to restrict the amount of time you spend on websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. The Android version of this is an app called Digital Wellbeing which does the same thing.
Before you decide on setting limits for yourself, make sure your goal is realistic. Over the course of a typical weekday, keep a written log of every time you check social media, and if it’s for work or personal reasons. You may be using it a lot more than you think, so make sure your time limits are feasible for you to achieve your detox goals.

3. Prioritize Other Activities, Hobbies, and Passions

Instead of looking at this like stopping bad behavior, think of what you have to gain from detoxing from social media. What activities or hobbies would you have more time for if you re-dedicated the time you spend on social networks?

Some hobbies even boost brain cognition and memory retention. Try out reading, learning a new language, or sticking to an exercise routine to replace the time you’d normally spend on social media to make your detox extra productive.

4. Turn Off Mobile Social Media Notifications

A simple way to discourage checking your feeds over and over might be turning off mobile notifications for your personal accounts, or business accounts if not urgent. If you aren’t constantly notified about what’s going on online, you might be less inclined to check it on your phone so often. Instead, you can jump in during your dedicated times to get caught up. Navigate to your phone’s settings and choose how you hear from social media apps on your phone to take a break.

Benefits of a Social Media Detox

Some of the benefits of detoxing from social media include a better nights sleep, improved mental wellness, and improved productivity in work.

If you’re ready to take a detox from social media, let us know what tips have helped you stay away from social media!
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