In my last post about social media, I went over the research that supported my general disdain for social media. We covered that in addition to the fact that social media is addictive, it can lower dopamine levels needed for motivation, increase levels of GABA a neurotransmitter which in excess can increase drowsiness and anxiety, and that increased dopamine hits can also cause us to make impulsive decisions. Since then, I also stumbled upon a study that showed abnormalities in the brains of Internet-addicted patients, and that patients with bipolar disorder showed similarities. Yikes. If you missed part one of this series, I highly recommend you read it to give adequate context. Below’s a brief summary of why I personally can’t stand social media and ten legit ways you can reduce the effects prolonged social media use may be having on your health.
My Personal Reasons:
- Prolonged use can diminish our ability to have innovative ideas
- Reduces the ability to focus single-mindedly on tasks
- Takes us out of the present and into curating a moment rather than authentically enjoying milestones in our daily lives
- Can diminish the formation of authentic relationships OR reduce the quality of time spent socially (because everyone is on their phone)
Things You Can Do to Counteract:
- Turn off notifications on your phone. Turning off notifications removes the dopamine triggers we get every time we get a text or like etc. This one practiced changed my ability to focus on my work tasks by 1000%. I had gotten so used to being interrupted every few minutes by a chime or notification. While I am focused on work I actually disable the ability to see my incoming emails on my phone, and I keep my notification sounds off. It works wonders!
- Go on a social media fast. Noticing the addictive effects of social media, starts by taking a break. If you commit to a few days, you’ll notice how you sometimes end up on Facebook or Instagram without even thinking about. That’s why to make social media fasts more effective I recommend deleting the app from your phone while you are on a break. You’ll notice you’ll come back refreshed and realized you haven’t missed much of anything at all.
- Read books. Doing good old fashion cognitive tasks and engaging in learning or even reading for pleasure can help you remember what it’s like to single-task. Not to mention, you get a nice shot of personal development in the process.
- Call (not text) your friends and speak to them regularly or meet up with them (and turn off your phone). Hopefully you do this already, but if not I highly recommend you call people and not just text. It’s hilarious to me now, how shocked people get when I actually call. If you are getting to know someone, and really want to do some real due diligence, you may need to hear the sound of their voice.
- Use apps to restrict social media access. There are so many apps and website blocker tools nowadays, to help keep you focused. It’s sad we need them, but addiction is real, so do whatever you need to do to stay in the no social media zone.
- Leave your phone in another room at night when it’s charging. Did your heart just speed up when you read that? Then this is especially for you. I have known people who literally cannot be without their phones, they start to get anxious. Try leaving your phone behind sometimes when you really don’t need it, or keep it charging in another room when it’s time for bed. What was that? You say your phone is your alarm so you can’t do that? That leads me to my next point…
- Buy an alarm clock. They are cheap, they get the job done, and will keep you from focusing on your phone first thing in the morning. The morning should be reserved for connecting with your partner, meditation, prayer, and just having a moment to set the tone for your day. When we look at our phones to early we are forced to begin reacting to emails, likes, posts, before we have a moment to get centered. Get centered first, and you can conquer every day no matter what the Internet trolls of life throw at you.
- Designate a specific time to post or check social media and email. Self-explanatory, but regulating and setting a schedule for when you will engage can help you not fritter away precious time you need for work or adulting tasks that should be taking priority over watching Will Smith’s latest family insta-video. Even though he has the greatest Instagram account of all time, I’m pretty sure you car insurance getting paid is more important.
- Avoid the scrolling feed on social media platforms. This works wonders. I know you want to check up on random people you don’t actually know, but if you post, and choose not to scroll you will save yourself the minutes that can turn into hours. Not to mention the potential FOMO or comparisons that may leave you feeling like you need to be a guest on Iyanla’s “Fix My Life!”
- Practice some form of mindfulness daily to give yourself time focused on the present. Meditation is incredible, yoga, Qi gong, Tai Chi, prayer, walking meditation are all great practices to get you focused on the moment and comfortable with silence. It’s in the silence, not in the constant stimulation where we find our greatest ideas, and connect with thoughts that lead us to our true purpose in life, whatever that may be. You may curate it so that it seems so, but I highly doubt you’ll find your true purpose on the gram. -XO Raw Girl