*For the sake of this post, when I talk about social media, I am referring to all platforms. But when it comes to my engagement and where I work on being the MOST mindful is Instagram because it is where I primarily post, scroll and consume content.

Yes, for the 100th time, it’s the New Year. HAPPY NEW YEAR-ISH! While most people are doing dry January, I have not had a desire to drink in the last 9 months. Maybe it’s where I am in my life or I’ve lost my mind on this “journey.” My primary desire this January, and as of late, is to use my time more wisely and in service of how I want to feel. This means taking a look at how I spend my time, which is scary. I can guarantee that I spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of my life, a few times a week, in an Al Bundy position on the couch watching Millionaire Matchmaker. Patty makes me laugh. Ok, so while I have to evaluate my Al Bundy hands in the pants couch time, that’s not nearly as bad as the screen time notifications iPhone so lovingly sends me every single week. I’m at about 3 hours a day outside of the working time on my computer. Experts say adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity (Reid Blog)

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with my relationship to social media. We have a love/hate relationship. My former all or nothing mentality often creeps and wants to abandon it all together, but I’d prefer to manage my habits - to get handle on them. The older I get, the less I’m trying to be an extremist. Extremes are tough on the mind and spirit and I prefer to live life a little more gently and in tolerance these days. I find extremes, to be draining and nearly impossible to uphold, so this is where boundaries and small rules help keep me in check.

When used with intention, for positivity, and the greater good, social media can be informative, educational and even therapeutic. Of course all of the aforementioned depends on what and who you follow as well as how much time you spend doing it.

As a huge fan of time management (hello, freelance producer here) to twice yearly purging anything from closets to dresser drawers, ridding my kitchen of old or unused items, tools and appliances, and donating books - I apply that same strategy of purging to clearing out social media accounts, specifically Instagram, that no longer serve me. Organization and purging is ingrained in me. Do you know what it takes to get 6 designers and animators to share files and stay organized so their computers don’t crash in the middle of a project?!

Think about it, how much time are you spending on your phone? How much of that is onsocial media? Who and what are you following? Is it depressing or negative? Does who and what you follow add value and bring something to your life and feel like a good use of time? Do you find yourself scrolling when you could be present with friends at a meal? Finding that you have no time to cook, workout or take a new class but screen reports say you’re on your phone 7-10 hours a day?

I get it. Our phones and social media can be a great escape or they can be moderated and positive! When you need that hit of dopamine, think twice about scrolling! Control yourself and breathe, get lost in your actual work or a book - go for a walk in the sun without your phone. Get lost, fully, in the present moment with yourself. A moment that does not involve your phone.

Time Management + Ground Rules For Limiting Phone Use and Social Media

Use social media to connect to your life, not disconnect from it. One of my greatest learnings was reframing how and what I wanted to consume. Stop giving your time away, geeze!
No picking up the phone and scrolling upon rolling over to your nightstand when the alarm goes off. Please pee and have water first. Then have some coffee. After all is said an done, you can take your first social media spin. FYI - no one did anything great overnight, or maybe I tell myself that so I don’t get FOMO.
Set limits on the amount of time you spend scrolling and treat yourself like a puppy. Yes, I wrote that. Every time you finish a task, for example, after your morning walk, workout, shower, dropping the kids off at school, or finishing a juicy work spreadsheet at 2pm - you get to scroll and like all the shit you want for 5 whole minutes!!!
Turn off notifications on all social media platforms. What do you need to be notified of anyway? Is getting a DM so important that you need to drop and rapid respond? Do you need to know as soon as someone liked your photo, story or video? I like you. You like you. That needs to start being enough.
Use Do Not Disturb / Focus on your phone. I have found this to find help TREMENDOUSLY when I’m writing, practicing yoga and trying to actually focus so I am not having a Pavlovian response all day long to dings and stimuli.
Stop taking your phone to the dinner table. Be present and fully immersed in those moments, even if listening to your partner after a long day is like watching paint dry - be there. Be fully there.
Put the phone away at night. Keep it out of the bedroom. And the golden rule for sleep: no phones an hour before bed anyway, it’s not good for your sleep cycle. And neither is stalking your ex while you lay in bed alone. I know the story, I’ve lived it.

Purging Your Social Media Accounts

Unfollow: Straight up delete anything and anyone that does not bring you joy. Marie Kondo their asses. I recently unfollowed many celebs because I found myself in a time suck of mindless scrolling. Looking at dresses, bodies and relationships while I could be cleaning out my own closets, focusing on giving myself a healthier body and working on relationships - from family, to friends and love. I also ditched a lot of news outlets. You know what digital news videos and working in news for 3+ years gave me? Resounding anxiety and illogical fears. No, I don’t live under a rock, but I’ve chosen to follow 2-3 News outlets on social media that I am comfortable getting information from.

Mute: So the noise isn’t cluttering your feed, but you’re not hurting anyones feelings. I know, we don’t want to hurt anyones feelings. But stop hurting your own by taking in the crap of others. People I’ve muted, anyone I’ve dated and have had a situationship with. You can do it too.

Take 3 Vows

Instead of obsessing over celebs, I am going to obsess over myself.
I solemnly swear to no longer spend 3 hours in bed stalking exes (I see you, I’ve been there).
Too much time consuming politics or news will make me an anger ball and I want peace in my life. Namaste.
Friends and family with different values are fine, but I no longer need to subject myself to their negativity and constant complaints. Bye bye, Cousin Janet

Approved Content For Self-Improvement: Scroll for Good

Nutrition, Mental Health + Movement @nutritionschool, @drjamesdinic, @letstalk.mentalhealth, @peaceful_barb, @yogadailypractice

Mindfulness, Conscious living + Big Thinking / Leadership @thechalkboardmag @chopra @jayshetty @drjoedispenza @hayhouseinc @ted @kidtalk.co @still.life @lewishowes @simonsinek

Food + Cooking @ottolenghi @lidiabastianich @thekitchn @inagarten

Positive Affirmations + Mindset @motivated.mindset @librarymindset @tinybuddhaofficial @thichnhatnhgems

Faith @marcusstanley

The Results

Day by day I am feeling less attached to my fine and whittling down my screen time by using the aforementioned time management tips and giving myself some rules to abide by; however, I am imperfect and I don’t always take my own advice. I do succumb to picking up my phone when I’m procrastinating or when I want to “escape” but I’m a work in progress.

My Instagram feed is currently an EXPLOSION of positivity and positive energy thanks to my IG clean up. Try it. We are what we consume and listen to, the information we take in and read. You may feel not only more connected to others through this detox but to yourself because you’re adding in content that matters and limiting your screen time (little by little, friends).

Final Note

If you want keep scrolling or have not been able to stop, you’ll get there. At the minimum, think about who and what you’re following and check out this post for the top 15 IG accounts I follow to crowd out the noise of society and my mind telling me I can’t do shit when, in fact, I can. Everyday we can show up and be a little bit better. There is some educational and inspiring content out there. I hope you use it and find it. xo

Social Media Detox + Clean Up