Social Media Detox? Here’s Why You Need to Take One.

If you’ve ever found yourself easily distracted and stuck in a rut of procrastination, comparison, and competition, chances are you may need a social media detox. Think about it this way, on any given day, you’re allowing [enter your number of ‘followers’] on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to invade your mind and disrupt your work-life flow.

How long can you survive without checking your phone? According to research, Americans check their phone on average once every 12 minutes–that’s about 80 times a day. So what exactly are you looking for? Are you looking for empowerment, approval, or validation? How long does it take for your feelings of jealousy or inadequacy to surface? If one day you woke up and learned your favorite or most profitable social media platform shut down—how would you feel? If your business thrives off of Instagram or Facebook, what’s your backup plan?

Even if one of your responses made you feel a tad bit uneasy—your brain has too many tabs open. Do yourself a favor and take a break from the bad habits that are keeping you distracted.

Need help unplugging from the digital world? The good news is you have several options. From going cold turkey to using apps to help you cut back in small increments, check out a few ways to get your life back on track.

1. Deactivate your social media accounts.
2. Uninstall apps from your phone.
3. Don’t take your electronics to bed.
4. Make your bedroom a digital free zone and charge your phone outside of your bedroom.
5. Have a (trusted) friend change your account passwords for a limited time.
6. Download apps to help you reduce your smartphone or social media addiction:

• Onward – An app timer that allows you to reduce phone usage, set a limit for daily use, and get notified if you’re near your limits.
• Stay Focused Chrome Extension –  If you want to remove the temptation of checking Facebook, Twitter, etc. and Google Chrome is your web browser, Stay Focused is a perfect way to minimize your distractions.
• Facebook News Feed Eradicator Chrome Extension – This app removes the FB News Feed from your screen and replaces it with a quote.
• OurPact –  A time management resource for your screen. Plus, OurPact was designed as a simple family locator and parental control app that allows parents to locate family members and limit screen time by blocking internet and app access.