I've never been a time-waster; it's just not my nature. I feel good when I'm productive, and not so good when I haven't accomplished much in a day.
And at the beginning of this pandemic, before we really knew what was going on, I noticed I was spending a lot of time scrolling. I scrolled the news, Youtube, social media.
You name it and I scrolled it. You too?
The problem was, all that scrolling didn't really keep me informed, as much as it kept me confused. And anxious. And it prevented me from being productive, which, as I said above, doesn't feel good to me.
So a month in, I did something that felt a little radical or extreme; I deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone. Gone.
And it was one of the best things I've ever done for mental health, hands down.
That was more than six months ago, and I can't imagine ever putting those apps back on my phone. I can still scroll as much as I want on my computer, but eliminating it from my phone eliminates the mindless scrolling that takes my attention away from more important things.
I fully realize not having those apps on your phone might cause some anxiety. It did for me... for a minute. OK, maybe it was more like a few days, but then the addiction was broken, and I can honestly say I don't miss it at all.
And I feel like I'm less stressed over what's happening on a daily basis, as compared to friends who scroll away.
If you're like me, then just do it; delete those apps! I promise, you'll survive. And I promise you'll feel less stress and anxiety, allowing you to be more productive in your day. You'll just FEEL BETTER!
And if you're not like me, but still want to decrease the stress you may be feeling, and the time you're wasting on social, then read this article from my friend Whitney Ryan. It's called "3 apps to (painlessly) cut your social media time." She gives some great ideas for staying connected to social media, without being controlled by it.
Enjoy, and let me know your tips for controlling your time on social media. But don't post it on social media, because I might not see it for a while.