Think back to a time before social media and before we had cell phones.
Do you remember what life was like back then?
The other day I was waiting in line to pick up a prescription and I was the 5th person back.
Tell me if you can relate to this.
My first inclination was to pick up my phone so I could check email, text messages, and yes, even engage on social media.
Before I had a chance to grab my phone I stopped myself and thought, “What did I do in this case before there were cell phones and social media?”.
My response?
Well, I would have stood in line and waited without the distraction or entertainment of social media.
So that’s what I did.
And guess what?
I made the intentional decision not to pick up my phone. Scandalous, right? 😂
And the craziest thing happened.
The line moved along.
I smiled at people walking by.
AND I didn’t die.
Imagine that. LOL!
That got me thinking, so I posted a question on my Facebook page that had many people chiming in with answers that blew me away.
The question I asked was: “How many hours per week do you spend on social media sites??” and 95% of the people said… way too much.
In fact, one person shared that they spend 140 hours per week on social media. 🤯
I totally understand that most of us have a love/hate relationship with social media. However, when you know you’re spending too much time on these platforms but you can’t stop yourself it’s time to put some boundaries in place.
5 WAYS TO CREATE BETTER SOCIAL MEDIA BOUNDARIES
Here are 5 simple ways to set boundaries around social media to increase your free time and reduce your stress.
1) Limit the amount of time spent on social media each day.
Decide on a specific amount of time that you will spend on social media daily and stick to it. Most phones nowadays have tracking apps that can help you stay on top of how much time you’re spending on social. Being intentional by setting a specific amount of time each day and sticking to it works well for breaking the never-ending cycle.
2) Turn off notifications.
This helps you to minimize distractions and avoid the urge to check your phone constantly. This was a game-changer for me. I can remember when I got together with my podcast cohost, Kathleen, and my phone was dinging all of the time and she asked me why I had notifications turned on. I laugh about it now but at the time I believed I needed to be hyper-responsive to anyone that posted or needed me.
3) Set specific times for checking social media.
Choose specific times during the day for checking and responding to social media notifications instead of constantly checking throughout the day. This one is gold! Mainly because we are all using social media as a marketing channel for our business. For me, it’s once a day (first thing in the morning) and never on the weekends.
4) Unfollow or mute accounts that cause negativity or stress.
Surround yourself with positive and uplifting content to maintain a healthy and positive mindset. Narrow it down to 10 – 12 accounts. Focus on those that make you feel the best or always bring educational information that impacts your life. Let everyone else fall off your radar.
5) Take breaks from social media.
Regularly take breaks from social media to disconnect and engage in other activities such as reading, exercising, or spending time with loved ones. Many of our mentors take 1-2 week breaks from social media throughout the year.
HOW TO SET BOUNDARIES AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA
For those of you that love practical how-to tips, this episode of The Wellness Business Podcast has you covered with 5 easy tips to break your social media cycle.
And if you’re someone that prefers something a little deeper related to a mindset shift, we’ve got you covered there too.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- The importance of setting boundaries around social media as a way of freeing up hours in your schedule each week to do the things you love
- A simple mindset shift that you can embrace to help you deprioritize social media in your life and replace it with things and people that bring you joy
- 5 simple ways for you to be more intentional with the amount of time you do, and do not, spend on social media
Links/Resources mentioned on the show:
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