Benefits of taking a social media break and what to do Instead
Health: The advancement of technology and social media has changed our lives in many ways. Although there are plenty of benefits while being active on social media, there are also some negative effects associated with it.
Here in this article, let us look at some of the reasons why you should take a social media break and what to do during that time.
According to a survey conducted in the United States of America, it was found that about 25% of people said that social media harms their mental lives. While 53% of the people agreed that cutting down on social media usage could help.
On top of all these, the mental health condition of many people has worsened during the pandemic. So it is important to observe how social media usage is affecting your mental well-being.
How does social media affect Your mental health?
- Many researchers have found out the effect of social media on our mental life through research and surveys. Let us know what studies and surveys in various countries reveal the well-being of people related to social media usage.
- According to a small survey conducted in 2018 in the United States of America, it was found that decreasing social media usage is inversely proportional to the improvements in depression and loneliness.
- In a survey conducted by the express VPN in 2021 on a total of 1500 people, it was found that 86% of them reported that social media negatively impacts their happiness and self-image. While 80% percent of the people reported having negative effects on anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
- In a cross National online survey conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Norway in the year 2022, it was found that people who have used media access only for the sake of entertainment or to decrease loneliness have experienced poorer mental health.
- But using social media is not always linked to the decline of the mental being. We all know how important social media is to maintain relationships with our family, friends, and beloved members.
- Another survey conducted on many people in the United Kingdom has shown that people have a positive change in mood, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep when using social media on an optimum level.
What to do instead of social media
It is an important point to consider that your mental health is more crucial than your Instagram account. Having an Instagram account is a good thing but spending lots of time scrolling through and thinking about other people’s lives makes you feel overwhelmed and restless.
So we’re going to give you some tips on how you can utilize your time when you are not using social media.
Also Read: 10 Simple Techniques to release stress and anxiety in women
What can you do instead of using social media to relax
- Instead of always taking out your phone and scrolling through the social media feed just for the sake of relaxation, you can try the following options.
- Reading a book can enhance your knowledge and improve your imagination and creativity skills. And another beautiful thing about reading books is that it makes you focus on the present situation, not dwindling around the past and the present.
- Investing your time to practice yoga or meditation can help you get out of the psychological problems that you are facing in your daily life.
- You can try making delicious food and can appreciate yourself having that if cooking is your thing.
- Going for a small walk on the road or in a park nearby can help you to clear your mind from the unnecessary clutter and you can get fresh air, and a sort of physical exercise by walking.
- Playing with your pet and grooming it can be one of the best part-time things you can do if you have a pet at your home. Playing with a pet can enhance your mood and prevent you from being alone.
- Drink a soothing beverage like a tea or coffee of your choice to activate your mind from being lethargic.
- Put on some relaxing music and immerse yourself to take out all the negative clutter present in your mind and get the positive vibes.
- Any sort of art like sketching, crafting, doodling, painting, etc can enhance your creative skills and help you to be occupied for a certain period, preventing you from getting bored.
When you are using social media to build relationships
- If you desire to check your feed and build some human connections, then some of the tips mentioned here can help you effectively utilize the time.
- Try to build genuine relationships. Call a friend or a family member to share your thoughts and opinions. Sharing with other people can help you remain stress-free and happy in your life.
- Join a community group like a nonprofit organization, volunteer, etc. Spending your time for the well-being of some other people can give you contentment and purpose in life. It is also one of the best ways to build new relationships, and friends, and know about various cultures.
- Try attending a class to learn new things of your interest. This way you can get to build relationships with like-minded people who have similar interests to you. Building new relationships and making friends can help you grow in your career and to improve your interpersonal skills.
- Invite your friends to your home and celebrate the little moments with a nice dinner or party. Otherwise, you can also plan for a weekend brunch, shopping trip, or traveling with friends.
How to set healthy social media boundaries in your daily life
We have discussed many alternatives of what you can do when you take a social media break. To be real, social media has become an important part of our daily life. Because many people’s profession is linked to social media usage.
But many studies have revealed that many people are using social media excessively other than for work, and for enterminant purposes. Using social media can be relaxing and can have positive effects. But one should pay enough attention to the usage of social media because it can hurt your mental well-being.
For example, try unfollowing an account that hurts your mood or self-image. You can observe within a few days that you are not being drawn to their thoughts and feel way better than before.
So overall, with conscious usage, occasional breaks, and balance with our daily activities, social media is a pretty important and wonderful tool for connection and communication.
Also Read: Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms, Types, Causes, prevention, and treatment!
