Submitted by The Rhythm Club –
Look to your left, or your right.
If your smartphone isn’t within a foot of you (assuming you’re not reading this on your mobile) you’re one in a million. It’s not news that smartphones have pervaded every area of our lives, but the stats on exactly how our compulsive use of these incredible contraptions is shaping our minds might surprise you.
Comparison fatigue, sleep disruption, memory loss, depression, and anxiety are just the beginning of the challenges. Digital Information Overload (the constant influx of information) has been scientifically shown to change the neural pathways in our brains.
But is the only option really to delete our favourite social apps forever, cast into the darkness of a disconnected life? Hardly. Here are our top four tips to re-center your social media life.
Planning
Scheduling your social media time can seem daunting at first, but the results are well worth it. Eighty per cent of social media users check their phones when they first wake up. This lends itself to more compulsive behaviour with your phone throughout the day. Try setting an alarm for 30 minutes after you wake up and checking your phone only after the alarm goes off. You might be surprised at how your behaviour with social media changes throughout the day.
Change the Big Picture
If you’re serious about changing your social media habits, try creating a custom graphic that says, “Why am I picking this up?” (We always recommend Canva for easy design). Creating an interruption in your daily social media practice can create the space needed for powerful and healthy change.
Remember the Magic
Social media becomes a lot easier to handle when we take a moment to remember that people are sharing the best moments of their lives, not the mundane moments that take centerstage in our own lives.
Get Connected
Make a rule with yourself that you will only take out your phone around your friends if it adds to the conversation—for example, showing the photo of a recent vacation. See if this simple self-regulating rule helps to flip your perspective to focus on the real people in your life, instead of the likes on your phone.
Rhythm Club is a marketing education company that helps artists, musicians, and creative entrepreneurs create killer social media marketing campaigns without sacrificing their mental health. Learn with them @rhythmclubmarketing or www.rhythmclubmarketing.com.
