Balancing Real-Life in the Social Media World
Social media has dominated the world we live in. With so many platforms out there like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, etc, billions of people have social media accounts for all sorts of things. People can spend hours scrolling through their feeds, watching videos, and posting things of their own. It can pull you away from real-life for a bit, but sometimes it’s hard to find a balance between the two.
Balancing real-life with social media is vital for a sustainable social media presence, although it can be difficult at times. Here are some tips to help you find that balance a little easier.
Invest in a REAL Alarm Clock
If you find yourself spending way too much time on social media before bed and jumping right back on first thing in the morning, try investing in a real alarm clock. This way you can put your phone away from arms reach when you crawl into bed at night, giving you time to do something such as reading. The same thing goes for the morning as well.
When you use your phone as an alarm clock, you have to reach over and use it anyway to turn it off. By doing so, you might find yourself tempted to go straight to social media while your brain is still waking up. You’re already on your phone, so you might as well, right? Absolutely not. If you’re someone who struggles to find that balance, you NEED a real alarm clock.
“If your phone works as your alarm clock, then the first thing you check on as soon as you wake up is your phone, your text messages, your emails, your Instagram likes, etc. Having a real alarm clock to turn off will prevent you from engaging in this behavior early in the morning.” — Shift Work Spaces
The Wonders of a Phone Call — or FaceTime Chat
Oftentimes social media can feel isolating. You’re seeing your friends, you’re watching them do fun things, you might even comment a quick “That looks amazing!” or “Wish I was there!” on their most recent post, but you still might find yourself feeling lonely and disconnected.
It’s easy to simply text a friend, but you’ve been reading glowing words on screens all day on social media. If you find yourself feeling stressed or lonely, try giving them a call instead. Simply the sound of someone’s voice can bring you back into real life and helps you feel balanced and refreshed. Better yet, try FaceTiming them! Getting that voice-to-voice AND face-to-face contact can make you feel a whole lot more connected.
“Plan a group video call with a few of your friends or see if your grandparents can manage to video call you. “ — Like A Voss
It’s kind of ironic actually. Social media makes it easy to connect with people across the planet, but it’s also the thing that can make you feel even more disconnected from your friends.
“Louise Hawkley, Ph.D., a research associate in the psychology department at the University of Chicago, said that research shows people seem to feel best when their relationships happen face-to-face or over the phone as opposed to just through social media.” — Bustle
Find New Hobbies
It’s easy to spend hours online because you have nothing better to do, but it’s important to find something else to do that genuinely excites you. Without something you love to draw you away from your phone, you might find yourself getting in a slump of work, social media, sleep, repeat.
“You might be using social media constantly not because you want to but because you can’t think of anything better to do. It can become a crutch for people who are unwilling to take a chance and try something new. Social media doesn’t create long-term satisfaction.” — Social Media.biz
Hobbies create confidence and satisfaction in the real-world. It doesn’t have to be something huge. It can be as simple as cooking, jogging, art, or gardening. As long as it’s something you genuinely enjoy, it can make it a lot easier to find and maintain a balance. It helps keep you from feeling reliant on social media.
There are tons of things you can do to find a balance between real-life and social media. They’re simple things like taking time away from social media and limiting your usage. It’s well worth balancing real-life in the social media world.
