Written By: Coach Kelly
A big, big, really, really, big cause of chronic stress is social media. That’s right – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, all of those platforms.
The funny thing is, many individuals (myself included!) use these platforms daily to interact with friends, family, get our news and use them for business.
It’s like a catch 22 in some cases. We need them to stay current in our career/business, or, maybe it is your only connection to some friends/family. On the flip side, the information is so readily available, updated frequently, and the goal is to keep you scrolling as long as possible.
Many people have opted to take social media breaks.
Whether this is 1 day a week, or, some people will log out of these platforms for longer. What this does is gives our mind a time to rest.
We’re not thinking about what could have been, what ‘may’ happen, We’re not focused on how many likes we got, or views. We’ll probably go to bed at a better time, sleep better, and wake easier without reaching for our phones.
Try this:
Many phones come with a ‘screen time’ tracker where you can track the amount of time you’ve used your phone. They’ll also break it down by app (ever look at how long they spend on Instagram? Anyone brave enough to share!) Turn this on and see what happens over the course of a week .Then, many phones also have the option to turn apps ‘off’ where you won’t get notifications for certain periods of time.
On the iPhone, go to your Settings and select “Screen Time”. There you’ll find different options to customize this for yourself.
Like ‘meatless Monday’ try a “social media break Sunday’ or whatever works best for you. One day where you just log of.
This might cause you some acute stress because you’ll be missing out on the thing you’re used to doing, but, practice long enough and it might just stick!
Another great way to do this is to save your spot at Fall Yoga! You’ll be phone free for 45 minutes to disconnect from the outside stressors – what a better way to manage your stress and feel better!
