I want to talk about social media boundaries.
Setting boundaries around my social media usage (and phone usage in general) is something I’ve become more radical about over the last few years. As a content creator who benefits from this platform, I feel it’s important to contribute more than pretty imagery. And as we normalize open discussions around Mental Health and Wellness, I want to share some of the habits that I personally practice to help curb my addiction to the phone. If you feel like trying some of these tips, let me know if it helps! And please share advice with me as well:
✨Having set times + days that are dedicated to social media consumption. In my daily schedule, I set aside 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening to engage on social media - that includes scrolling my feed, answering comments and DMs and posting. On the weekends I am typically off of my phone altogether unless there’s an important event that I want to share.
✨Turn off all social app notifications. In my settings for IG, I have all notifications turned off. I only see notifications when I open my app. I’ve never missed a critical comment or message that couldn’t wait a few hours or until the next day.
✨Sleeping with my phone in another room downstairs. This one is huge! Chronic sleep deprivation is being linked to these devices being allowed in our sleep space. Not only does the blue light emitted from phones activate arousing neurones in our brains (preventing us from feeling sleepy), the increased access to our phones disrupts quality of sleep and our body’s melatonin production. Having your phone on or nearby can create a sense of hypervigilance from being alert for incoming phone calls, text messages or emails.
✨Setting a curfew for phone usage. Our phones have plenty of apps for this now, but I set 4 obnoxious alarms ⏰ at night in 10 minute intervals, telling me to get off my phone and go to bed!
These are just a few of my tips and tricks! If you like them and find this helpful, I’ll share more!
#mindfulness #socialmediaboundaries #bettersleep