Socializing is an integral part of our daily lives. It helps us create a community and feel more connected. When we are apart, social media makes it easier to connect with friends, family, and colleagues and maintain those connections. As much as social media is associated with an endless list of benefits, it also has downsides. So, how should you address the negative effects of social media?

Spend less time on social media

A recent study found that minimizing the use of social media could significantly decrease feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. For instance, you can use social media for a maximum of half an hour daily. If you find it challenging to track those 30 minutes, just use your phone settings to get alerts whenever you have reached your quota for the day.

Avoid scrolling social media before bed or first thing in the morning.

Most people use wake-up alarms on phones, making it easy to reach their phones in bed. Unfortunately, a constant stream of news, selfies, and updates don’t set the best conditions for gearing up to begin your day or wind down. It’s recommended to establish more mindful routines around your bedtime and morning. Generally, screen-free activities like meditation, journaling, and practicing gratitude are a great place to begin.

Turn off all notifications and check social media at specific times

You probably know how easy it is to check and respond to notifications showing the latest comments on your posts. Remember, you are in control, and you can turn those notifications off and only check your social media accounts at certain times. This can prevent a lot of social media anxiety.

Create a ‘feel-good’ social media follow list

If you are worried that using social media could be contributing to anxiety and other negative feelings, you can audit your following list. Consider unfollowing the accounts that could be leading to those negative feelings and follow people and brands that make you feel good, offer entertainment, or motivate you to reach your goals.

Summary

Now that you know different ways to mitigate the negative impact of social media, it’s easy not to open social media right away the next time you feel the pull of the updates and feed. Rather than grabbing your device and scrolling social networks, take a breath or two and do something else.