Tips & Benefits for Taking a Social Media Break!

By- Samyati Mohanty

Our lives have been made easier and more complete by social media. Despite the advantages, it is important to recognise how excessive online use can lead to depressive, anxious, and lonely sensations. It's critical to recognise problematic social media relationships. Limiting our screen time and using our online platforms  responsibly can help us protect our mental and emotional health.

Why Taking a Social Media Break Is Important?

Your quality of life can be enhanced by social media detox or temporarily separating. You may counteract the drawbacks of heavy usage, including internet addiction, by knowing and taking how often should you take a break from social media. Additionally, turning off your online accounts can make it easier for you to focus on your daily activities with less interruptions and be fully present in the moment. This break might help you reacquaint yourself with who you are, the people around you, and the real world.

Advantages of Avoiding Social Media

Social media has made life easier, but it has also worn down our emotional, mental, and physical barriers. Having said that, taking regular breaks from technology might help us recharge. Our health, mood, self-image, sleep quality, and interpersonal connections can all benefit by separating ourselves from our online personas. Additionally, it can help us feel less stressed and increase our awareness of how we use platforms.

The advantages of avoiding social media include:

• Lessening the effects of prolonged use of your device's screen on your neck, eyes, or headaches
• improved mood from less stress/anxiety, despair, or loneliness
• the capacity to concentrate on tasks to boost productivity at work or in school
• increased self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, and media awareness
• improved relationships and interactions with others
• Less concern about missing out on significant occasions or social interactions, often known as FOMO
• improved standard of sleep

How to Stop Using Social Media?

Social media break does not imply permanent disconnection. It's simply a conscious decision to self-regulate your internet behaviour in an effort to establish a better usage habit. This includes limiting usage time, keeping an eye on digital engagement, turning off notifications, disconnecting before night, engaging in offline activities, using the internet with mindfulness, switching to an analogue device, and so forth.

Here are 10 tips on how to take a social media break:

1. Set Time Limits for Social Media

You might not be able to give up social media entirely. Instead, consider cutting back on your digital usage. According to one study, limiting social media use to 30 minutes each day can boost focus and mood while increasing user awareness. Additionally, individuals reported significantly less anxiety, trouble sleeping, loneliness, and FOMO. A beneficial effect on your life can result from using media responsibly.

2. Keep an eye on your social media activity

Keep an eye on how much time and engagement you spend online. Consider installing a software or app on your smartphone and other devices to monitor your weekly or daily usage of social media. This can give you precise user information and usage patterns. From there, you may decide whether your goals are being met, if you need to make any changes, and whether your use of social media is having an impact on your everyday and mental functioning.

3. Make a social media activity schedule.

Establish a time limit for your online activity that is not related to work in order to plan it. Try, for instance, only accessing your email twice daily, Twitter only during your lunch break, or social media only on the weekends. According to several research, stepping away from your smartphone and other electronic gadgets on a regular basis can lower stress levels, boost concentration, increase productivity, and improve daily functioning.

4. Deactivate Notifications

The first step in many people's digital detox is to delete particular apps from their devices or turn off, mute, or block notifications from media websites. This tactic can help you control your impulse to check and respond to the never-ending stream of message alerts. By making this minor adjustment, you can avoid getting distracted from the present. You may decide when and how you want to connect on social media.

5. Unplug before going to bed

Blue light from electronic devices inhibits the release of melatonin, which impacts the quality of sleep. Avoid using digital gadgets at least 2-3 hours before going to bed to relax your brain. Turn off notifications on your phone or other gadgets when charging them away from your nightstand. You can prevent temptations and diversion by doing this action. These suggestions can discourage late-night social media use and encourage sound sleep.

6. Encourage more in-person conversations

Increased internet time might lead to less offline interactions, which can have a detrimental effect on your mental health. Human interaction includes things like having face-to-face chats, eye contact, high-fiving, and other such actions. As a result, improving your social (in-person) life, volunteering, concentrating on your present connections, interacting with friends and family, and other similar activities can promote a better outlook, lift your mood, and make you feel more fulfilled.

7. Pay Attention to Online Activities

By adopting JOMO (the joy of missing out), you may combat FOMO and excessive media consumption. You may be truly present for your loved ones when you put the virtual world down and learn to enjoy the moment. Consider engaging in authentic experiences like taking up a new activity, joining a reading club, or getting outside. By logging off of social media, you can spark your interest in other pursuits and lead a fulfilled life.

8. Go Analog!

Downgrading to an analogue phone might be a good move if your smartphone is the main cause of your excessive social media use. The switch, according to many supporters of this theory, can enable you to consciously reestablish contact with reality, restore your concentration, and reclaim your present. This can help you be fully present in whatever you do and cherish every moment, even when readjusting may be difficult.

9. Make Use of Social Media Positively

Overexposure to social media can be harmful, but it can also improve your mental health if done in balance. Digital platforms can be an effective tool for making friends, encouraging personal development, raising public awareness, giving and receiving support, and more. Therefore, be deliberate the next time you browse the internet. Look for individuals or material that supports fact-based knowledge, wholesome attitudes, inspirational writing, or mental wellbeing. Engage with profiles that will enhance your life and have a favourable impact on your emotions as a priority.

10. Take Care of Yourself

Overuse of digital devices might cause you to neglect important tasks, such as self-care. Because of this, it's critical that you give  your mind and body top priority by making sure that you're upholding good behaviours. Maintaining a healthy diet, frequent physical activity, a regular sleep pattern, proper personal hygiene, and routine medical checkups should be your top priorities. Use mindfulness exercises, meditation, gratitude exercises, journaling, and other activities to nourish your mind and spirit.