We all do it…

I’m talking about the laying on the couch, phones in our faces, mindlessly scrolling on social media for hours on end. We know it’s a bad habit, but yet we just can’t stop!

Am I right or am I right?

Without going into all the statistics and science behind what makes social media addicting, we know that it is. We know that as a society, we’re addicted. And many of us want to cut back. Deep down inside, we want to put our phones down and spend quality time with the people we love.

But it can be really hard to break the cycle… scratch that — the addiction (let’s just call it what it is).

So today, I’m sharing some quick tips to help you make steps towards cutting back on social media so that you can spend more quality time with the people you love!

1. Turn off notifications

If you receive a notification every time you get a new like, comment, DM, etc., turn those off. Like right now. I’m serious. Stop what you’re doing and turn those off! You do not need to know every time someone leaves a comment. I promise you’ll survive!

When we’re constantly bombarded with notifications for every little thing, it triggers something in our brains that makes us NEED to see what those notifications are all about. So, if you can eliminate those, you’re already making great strides towards cutting down on your social media time!

2. Only check social media at set times each day

Decide on a set time (or times) each day that you will check social media, and then only check it during those times. Give yourself a time limit too!

I recently started trying to do just once a day for about 20 minutes in the morning after I’ve had my coffee and quiet time. In those 20 minutes, I’m not just mindlessly scrolling either. I’m trying to engage with my followers by responding back to their comments and DMs and I’m also trying to like and leave comments on at least 5 other peoples’ posts. Just trying to spread the love! I like doing this because even while I’m “wasting my time on social media” (haha!), I’m still able to be supportive and intentional with that time.

(By the way, by no means do I do this perfectly. I often mess up and end up back on social media several other times throughout the day… I’m a work in progress!)

3. Keep your phone in your room 

…or just keeping your phone out of sight (and out of mind!). I have recently started leaving my phone in my room during much of my workday and in the evenings when I’m with Will. At first, it was weird because I am SO used to always having my phone on me at all times. But I realized that I didn’t really need to have it on me. In fact, the only real purpose that having my phone always on me really served was that I always had a way to entertain myself if, heaven forbid [insert sarcasm here], I got bored for a quick second.  How many of you know what I’m talking about?

We have to retrain ourselves to use our time more intentionally. When I reach down for my phone and realize it isn’t there, I am then forced to use my time doing something else… more than likely, it’s something more productive! Yay!

By keeping your phone tucked away in your room (or just in a different room than you are in), you’re suddenly free to be more productive. You’re suddenly free to actually have a conversation… to ask your spouse how their day was while actually listening and looking into their eyes. It’s amazing how much quality, priceless time you get back when you aren’t chained to your phone.

4. Delete the apps off of your phone

Don’t freak out just yet! Hear me out…

You can start small by deleting the apps only in the evenings when you’re with your family.  You can re-download the apps again in the morning, don’t worry!
*It only takes me about 30 seconds to get each app back on my phone in the morning, so you can’t use the excuse that it’s too complicated or time-consuming to do that every day ;)

I try to do my 20 minute social media time first thing in the morning, and maybe again in the afternoon, then I try to remember to delete the apps off of my phone for the rest of the day. It takes some getting used to at first, I’m not going to lie, but when I bring myself back to WHY I want to cut back in the first place (to be more productive throughout my day and to spend more focused quality time with my family and friends), it makes it worth it.

If deleting the apps each day is too much for you, try just having a social media free weekend. I delete all of my social media apps off of my phone before my husband, Will, gets home from work on Fridays and then they don’t get re-downloaded until Monday morning.

I’ve been doing this since the start of the year and I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful – and dare I say LIFECHANGING – it has been.

Try it!! I think you’re going to be amazed at how much longer your weekends start to feel… and who doesn’t want a longer weekend?!

 

So, if you’re looking for ways to help you cut back on your mindless scrolling, I encourage you to give these tips a try! If trying all 4 at once is too much, just pick one and try it out for a week. See how it feels. I have a feeling you’ll come back for the other 3 after that ;-)