Stop Scrolling Social Media With These 10 Self-Care To-Dos
Est. Reading Time: 2 Minutes
I think it’s safe to say that most of us spend our waking hours either looking at a computer or with a smartphone within reach. It’s easy to spend time scrolling social media or watching IGTV simply out of boredom or habit.
Social media is amazing because it gives us a way to stay connected with family and friends and it brings other people into our sphere of influence that we might not otherwise have met. It can also be entertaining and sometimes inspiring.
According to Psychology Today, “More time spent on the most commonly used social networks correlates to higher feelings of loneliness and isolation.”
The website BroadBandSearch.net estimates that the average American spends 2 hours per day on social media. That’s a staggering 730 hours per year or one full month! Anything else you’d rather be doing if I gave you a free month every year?
Here are 10 self-care to-do’s instead of scrolling social media:
Instead of picking up your phone to waste time scrolling social media, set aside time to plan and prep meals and healthy snacks. Having healthy options available when you are super hungry may just save you from a junk food binge, too!
Just as it’s important to nourish your body with healthy foods, it’s equally important to nourish your brain with high-quality content.
Try Acast – it is my favorite app for listening to podcasts. Or, catch up on current events on an app like Flipboard, or expand your knowledge with a site like Medium.com or subscribe to A Guide for Your 20s (if you haven’t already!).
All 4 can be customized to deliver content based on interests and preferences so you have exactly what you want at your fingertips at all times – no more random social feed.
Have you always wished you could speak Italian or French? Or maybe get to be fluent and conversational in Spanish? Would knowing another language open up job opportunities for you? Some of the most popular language apps are Memrise, LinguaLift, and Duolingo but there are of course more available in the iPhone or Android app stores.
According to The Harvard Gazette, both physical and mental benefits can be seen from a daily meditation practice including reducing irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
While these aren’t promised and meditation is not a cure, chances are it still helps and you’re going to feel a whole lot better after doing it. Not sure how to meditate on your own? Grab the Headspace app or hit YouTube for thousands of free guided meditations online.
Louise Hay was famous for saying “If your body doesn’t move your brain thinks it’s dead.” When we don’t move for long periods of time, muscles shorten and get tight. This is when things start to hurt and go wrong.
Still not convinced? News in Health has this to say, “We found that even a low level of physical activity—equivalent to about 10 minutes a day of walking—was associated with a gain of almost 2 years in life expectancy.”
Almost everyone I know has some kind of creative project that they want to get going. Get started! Chances are it’ll soothe your mind and you’ll actually get something really cool done.
How often do you actually catch up with someone on the phone, just for pleasure? This is something we often forget today in the land of texting and busy schedules. I have one girlfriend who makes a point to talk to at least three friends every week. She doesn’t take a long time or make a big deal about it, it’s just about staying connected.
Some ideas for a quick pick me up include a 10 minute mud mask on your face, putting a nourishing treatment in your hair, or using a sugar or salt scrub on your hands and feet. No time or place for anything that requires lots of towels and running water? Relax with a gel pack eye mask on and listen to a guided meditation at the same time.
Most of us are so busy running from task to task that we forget to take the time to do this one simple thing. Instead of scrolling through social and seeing what’s going on with everybody else’s life, sit down with your journal, ask yourself what you need, and then really listen. Write whatever comes to mind with no judgment.
What if you were to take a time out and do nothing at all? Maybe it’s just quiet time to sit and reflect, grab a power nap that you know you really want, read, play with a pet, make some tea, or just do nothing at all.
We all need a little downtime; consider it a gift.
Certified Professional Life Coach
Hunter has an M.A. in Psychology and is a Certified Professional Life Coach. For more than 10 years, she coached clients to find and follow their passion and live their best lives. Hunter has also done youth coaching work with Covenant House, realizing that this is such a challenging and important time in life.
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