Top 5 Proven Tips to get rid of social media addiction

Top 5 Proven Tips to get rid of Social Media Addiction

We already know how social media addiction is dangerous for our physical and mental health, so after addressing the problem, it was my responsibility to bring forth the solutions, so here I bring you the top 5 proven and tested ways that will help to get rid of social media addiction if followed properly.

1. Delete unnecessary accounts

I know that leaving social media platforms completely is not possible in this day and time as we get news about the world around us through it, some of us use it for learning and educational purposes, while it is an income source for some of us. So instead of just leaving the online world once and for all which doesn’t make any sense, for most of us and is also a senseless decision, we should look for a middle way so that we don’t miss out on necessary stuff online and also save us from its careless use.

So, for those who have accounts on various social media platforms, we all know for ourselves which is useful for me and which one I use to just kill time and doesn’t bear any benefit for me, so select those accounts and delete them once and for all.

I know it might sound harsh and crazy but we have to restrict an alcoholic from drinking alcohol if we want him to be free from his addiction, similarly, you have to restrict yourself from using those social media platforms which are doing nothing except to just increase your addiction.

2.  Abstain from futile activities online

First of all the platform(s) that you use for a genuinely good purpose, you should use with care too, otherwise, this one small hole will be sufficient for you to walk into that abyss again. So below are some precautions you should take

·      Turn off the notifications of all apps unless you have a genuine reason like daily classes etc.

·      Do not comment unless it is absolutely needed, commenting on videos eager you check the comment again and again, to read people's replies or see the number of likes, but yet if you have good reasons you could comment.

·      Turn off recommendations if possible or at least just see what you came there to watch instead of scrolling through recommendations.

·      Do not watch whatever the algorithm recommends you; strictly stick to the stuff you came to see.

·      Abstain subscribing or following those accounts which you think are a waste of time for you.

·      Set a time limit for your use depending on what you watch online.

·      Also try to set a time for using social media in a day

     3. Penalty for Slipping

Now you have already set your limits about using social media, but 99% of people are not able to follow the rules on their first go, they slip here and there like exceeding the time limit or wasting time again on social media instead of watching what they came to see, etc.

So if you keep ignoring these lapses and hope that things will get better tomorrow, well that tomorrow is never going to come! you have to take some rigid and strict actions against these lapses so that you prevent yourself from falling into the trap again.

So as the heading suggests you have to put some penalty on yourself if you cross your limits. The basic idea behind the penalty should be; you sacrifice some of your beloved possessions which have little to no benefit to you at all, these could be:

·      Money, is one of the most common stuff you could sacrifice. For example, if you exceed your limits give some money to charity or to the poor depending upon your income, you could start as low as one cent, but you should keep increasing the money on every lapse you make. This method is a must-work if done properly and continuously.

·      You could abstain or restrict yourself from doing your pastime or eating your favorite food.

·      This might sound weird, but you could also sacrifice your belongings which have no benefits except giving you pleasure, this may include your toys or games on your pc, or maybe even those things which have some benefit, and without those, you will miss out on something but not much, like shutting your internet connection for a day or two.

Putting penalties for the lapses is necessary to avoid the addiction ever again. Means could be different but the idea should be the same.

4. Develop new habits

Now you are not using social media in the time you used to use it, so you got free time. Now is the perfect moment to hit again and start developing new habits or even hobbies which are productive and once you get used to this it is about very hard to impossible for you to go back again and do what you used to do. Now following are some habits you should try to develop:

·      First and foremost, you should prioritize your work or studies that you were missing out on due to your addiction and do not get demotivated, it’s never too late to start.

·      Now as you are in your transition phase, you may find your normal work and studies quite hard to do. So at least you should do the stuff you like to some extent and it is also closer to your work or studies even if it is not the thing itself.

For example, if you are finding your study boring, then you should at least try to read a book you like and it could be many other things which you have to figure out for yourself.

But remember, it is only for those who are finding their normal work impossible to do; this is not your final goal.

·      Do some exercise or hit the gym, it is proven that exercise gives you a sense of accomplishment and achievement and motivates you to do more productive stuff.

    5. Reward Yourself

Now it is the final nail in the coffin, you already controlled your social media usage and started to replicate that addiction with useful and productive activities, now that’s a real achievement, and that needs a reward. Below are some tips which you could use to reward yourself

·      Caution: Do not go back to social media again in order to reward yourself. It is like an alcoholic rewarding himself for not drinking alcohol for a month by drinking it.

·      Go Outside: Take breaks for a day or two or you could plan a trip on the weekend and enjoy the outside world.

·      Meet friends and relatives

·      Eat your favorite food: Not too much as you have to take care of your health too.

Finally,

I still say the purpose of this article was not to just get you away from using social media at all but to just save you from its bad part as I have already discussed how social media addiction is harmful to your mental and physical health. You could find the article below.