6 Tips to Help Manage Screen Time
Hey Team,
This week’s blog is all about social media usage. Something that keeps cropping up with clients is screen & social media addiction. I am going to share my top tips to help you manage & create healthy habits when it comes to using social media.
Lets do it…
Tip 1: Do not sleep with your phone.
Many of us wake up to an alarm on our phone. Writing this I am actually going to see if I can invest in an alarm clock. I mean do alarm clocks even exist anymore? If your alarm clock is your phone, then have it in the room but keep it a safe distance away from you. Not under your pillow, or anywhere within reach. If you wake up in the night avoid picking up your phone. A good night’s sleep is crucial for your overall health & well-being. Do not let your phone steal you beauty sleep!
Tip 2: Create before you consume.
When you wake up in the morning before you pick up the phone to check any form of social media app or work emails. I want you to choose 5 things to do before you start exploring your phone. Keep them super simple. Think of 5 simple habitual habits. I have given 5 examples below.
1.Wash face
2.Make a cup of coffee
3.Set an intention for the day
4.Brush teeth
5.Walk dog
Tip 3: Audit your accounts
Who are you following? Who you follow and what you consume is so important for your peace of mind. For example if you are following everyone who is living an outrageously lavish lifestyle and you're currently struggling with your finances. Is that going to make you feel bad or worse? If you have just had your heartbroken and you are following power couples who are passionately posting, they’re perfect romance. Is that going to make you feel bad or worse? Follow people who, entertain, inspire and offer helpful insights into challenges you may be facing. Also sounds silly but follow people you actually like. If you have friends who are kinda sorta friends but their actions irritate you, unfollow or mute them.
Tip 4: Out of sight out of mind
Since the pandemic so many of us are working from home, running online businesses therefore, being on our screens is unavoidable. The world has changed and if you don’t learn & grow with it you will simply get left behind. Since starting my business my screen time has increased dramatically. Where I can I try my best to leave my phone at home or in another room to avoid getting distracted.
Examples of great opportunities to have your phone out of sight out of mind.
1. Dog walk (or just a walk but it’s much better with a dog)
2. Movie Night – phone in the kitchen / bedroom whilst you chill watch movies and munch on some snacks
3. Cooking – When I cook, I put my phone in the bedroom
4. Meal Times – no phones at the table
5. Shower & self care time, phone away!
6. Gym / Exercise classes
Tip 5: Fill the Gap
A reflection activity I give to my clients is to calculate how much time they spend scrolling on social media. The figures will shock you! A common complaint we have is, ‘I don’t have the time’! We are all time starved. I promise you if you calculated how much time you spent mindlessly scrolling you would give yourself at least (probably more) 1 hour of your day back. In that hour you could…
1. Start that side hustle you have been dreaming about
2. Read a book
3. Call your mum
4. Workout
5. Learn a new skill
Tip 6: Journalling - Snuggle up & get comfortable spending time with you
The only person you are guaranteed to share your entire life with is yourself. So why do so many of us hate being on our own without distractions. Eliminate distractions and connect to yourself and ask yourself some of life’s big questions.
Who are you?
What are your core values?
What’s your purpose?
Are you happy?
Do you feel fulfilled?
Are you living or just existing?
Keep a journal to keep track of how your feeling. By taking our thoughts out of our head and putting them down onto paper can really alleviate some of that heaviness. When we record our feelings and reread them this deepens our own understanding of ourselves. Feeling overwhelmed & disconnected is bought on from feelings of being powerless and confused. Journalling is a great way to track your
highs, lows and everything in between.
Social media is a fun way to stay connected with friends, grow & market a business, create community and watch super cute dog videos!
So keep it light , fun & inspiring. Don‘t fall into the trap of being consumed by it and being made to feel like you are not enough.