You know that feeling you get when you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed and staring at the bright photos that depict your friends’ and favorite celebrities’ lives?
That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you double tap one perfect photo after another? The little voice whispering in your ear that your life isn’t nearly as great as those you’re experiencing through your phone screen?
It’s called social media anxiety, and it happens to almost everyone.Yeah, social media is a great tool. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and all the other apps and sites out there were invented to help us connect to one another in different ways. But they also can be used to depict a small portion of your life, showing only what you want to show. It can be hard to remember this though, especially when scrolling through endless awesome status updates, tweets, and photos. The more you see them, the more anxious you can become.
This anxiety can have a toll on your health. NY Mag reports that a study this summer found that teens who use social media for more than two hours a day were more likely to report “unmet mental health needs” than their less plugged-in peers.
If your social media use is making you feel isolated and anxious rather than connected, use our tips to log off and bring back your normal, happy self.
Take Time to Actually Connect
Social media is for socializing, right? Instead of just chatting through Facebook wall posts or Snapchats, ask your friends if they want to meet up in person for some old-fashioned face time. When you’re spending time with your friends or family members, make an effort to not use your phone. Leave it at home or in your car so you can be 100% focused on them. You won’t be distracted by what’s happening to other people, and you’ll feel more connected to the people you’re spending time with and will be left feeling satisfied.
Delete Your Apps
Do you find yourself aimlessly scrolling through your Twitter or Instagram feeds on your phone while waiting at the doctor’s office or sitting in bed at night? You can easily restrict your social media use by simply deleting the apps off your phone. If you can only access Facebook or Twitter from your computer, then you’ll instantly reduce the amount of time you spend on them. This won’t work for apps that require phones, such as Snapchat, but it can provide at least some relief from social media overload.
Narrow Down Your Friends List
Do you really need to be friends with your brother’s best friend’s sister? Do you have to be able to see what that kid you sat next to in third grade art class is posting on his Snapchat story? No! Cutting down your friends list (and connections on other sites and apps) to only the people you truly care about will help you to focus on the positivity, and will show you only what you actually need and want to see. You’ll probably find that you don’t miss all the updates anyway.
Do Something Active
If FOMO hits you hard, put down your phone or computer and do something active for 20 minutes. Go for a walk or run, play with your dog, or practice some yoga. Forcing your mind to focus on something else will help put things in perspective, and the endorphins will give you a better mood, too.
Set a Time Limit
This takes some practice, but set a “social media time,” and stick to it. If you have an hour or two set aside as your designated time to check your profiles, then you’ll be able to be more productive because you won’t be constantly distracted or depriving yourself. Start with setting blocks of time in the morning, during your lunch break, and at night, and work on reducing it to checking your accounts just once per day.
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