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Humans are creatures of habit; once they get used to something, it becomes extremely difficult to live without it. During the Covid-19 outbreak, we have been consuming more and more social media to the point we may be hurting ourselves. We check our phones every minute, scrolling through our feed, just to be fulfilled. It has come to the point where we do not know how to just sit down and do nothing. Sitting there, lingering at the moment, indulging in our thoughts and not being distracted by anything; can we still do that? How would it feel not to be able to dive into social media when bored? Instead of checking Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, how would it feel to just do nothing, or watch a movie on Netflix instead or play some games at casino NetBet?
Does our perception change when we log out from all our different profiles? Does it matter if we can not see unrealistically beautiful people online all the time? What if we no longer see how every second advertisement deals with the objectification of women? When it is no longer suggested to us from all sides how a woman should look and be. For this article, I wanted to find out whether social media shape my self-perception so much that I would develop a completely different body image without it.
By deactivating or deleting your accounts you are breaking the never-ending social comparison cycle. You do not have to compare your life to the lives of everyone else you know. No more hits to your self-esteem. Especially now it may be difficult if you live alone or you are single; you see other people being happy with their families, getting married, having kids. This may lead to serious depression for some. Take a break from all these apps and take the time to reconnect with all the things in your life that make you happy. Learn to appreciate yourself, love your flows.
Mindfulness in your use of digital media is the first step in recognizing the mechanisms of your behavior. When and how often do you use smartphones and the like? How do you start and end your day? How often do you check your mailbox, cell phone, or apps and why? How do you consume information? Are you reading entire articles or just “scanning” them for relevant information? If you regularly ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” When you are used to using your digital media, you will gradually get a better sense of what is healthy for you and what is not. Mindfulness is also very good at identifying unhealthy routines. For example, in many situations looking at the cell phone is more of a reflex than a necessity.
Cell-free areas in the apartment are a good step in digital detox to establish more offline time. The bedroom and the dining table are most suitable. So that the smartphone does not creep into the bedroom, you can also buy an analog alarm clock and it is best not to carry the mobile phone with you when you eat. This also benefits the quality of sleep and relationships. One or two hours without “digital noise”, for example before going to bed, after work, or after getting up, help to switch off better and to get to another part of the day. Relax in time and read a book, go for a walk or do some sports. You can also plan an entire offline day and spend the day with family or friends.
Do not respond to messages right away. if you always reply to messages immediately, people will expect you to do the same in the future. This then creates additional pressure. Read emails only once a day and adjust the settings on your phone by turning off notifications for new messages. Besides, you can also deactivate read receipts, which lowers the expectations of others and also reduces the pressure to reply. Take the chance, and if you still find that expectations are too high for your response time to messages from others, bring it up. Nobody has to be available at all times. Friends, family, and colleagues will understand.
If you find it difficult to be mindful when dealing with digital media, you can also use apps to simplify the digital detox. The functions “Screen time” on the iPhone or “Digital wellbeing” on Android devices record how often the smartphone and the individual apps are used. In the end, there is a daily or weekly report, which you can use to orient yourself and to better adapt your use for the future. You can also set the maximum usage time of the individual apps per day. If you then use the apps for a long time, you will be notified. Many devices also have a concentration mode, which can limit the use of cell phones.
For less distraction, clean up your digital devices. You can put apps and programs that are quickly distracting in subfolders. Also, tidy up your desktop and bookmarks. The more clicks waiting for you on the way to the distraction, the bigger the hurdle for the distraction itself becomes. Detoxing from social media is easy when you do not use it for your business, but in case you do but you still need a break you could always confine with SEO Consultancy London on how to add more relevant content to your website or account.
