You’re scrolling on Instagram while you wait for Black Tie Moving to deliver your couches. You may start to wonder what you used to do before social media in these times of stillness.
It seems we have become addicted to social media in a lot of cases. If you think this may be the case for you, consider these 3 ways to tell you need a social media break.
Putting Off Important Tasks
Social media is great at making the time pass by. In moderation, it’s certainly acceptable for a means of entertainment or decompressing after a long day at work. However, if you find yourself putting off important tasks in your life, it may be time to have a social media detox.
If you have found that it’s been more challenging for you to keep up with the chores around the house or getting your work done, this isn’t a great sign. Most phones allow you to check your “screen time,” and if you see those numbers continue to go up, you’ve probably developed an unhealthy relationship with social media.
Everyone procrastinates, but at some point, you need to get done what needs to be done. If you’re constantly missing assignments or forgetting to put the dishes away due to scrolling on TikTok, it might be a sign to put social media on the backburner for a while.
Feeling Anxiety or Depression
Sadly, social media has had a profound effect on our mental health. Of course, its negative effects are different for everyone, research shows that it has the ability to cause mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
While the causes of mental health disorders vary, you can bet that if you spend a lot of time on social media, it’s doing more harm than good – psychologically speaking. Social media can be a great tool to provide information and comfort when you’re going through a rough time, but you don’t want to rely on it too heavily.
You could say that alcohol may make you feel better, but if you’re drinking a bottle of wine a night – we can all agree that’s not best for you. The same could be said for social media. If you are experiencing anxiety or depression, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a social media break.
Be sure to schedule an appointment with a mental health professional as well. After all, they are specialists when it comes to anxiety and depression disorders. You don’t want to wait until it has consumed your life.
Lack of Quality Time
Social media was first designed as a way to stay connected to friends and family. However, it seems that it has moved further away from that. Instead, it is now also used to get entertainment, distract, and receive information (which isn’t always accurate).
If you’ve noticed that you’re isolating yourself more often and the only means of staying connected to the outside world is through social media, it might be time to put the phone down. You’ll find yourself seeking out those relationships in person if you aren’t using Facebook or TikTok as a crutch to communicate with others.
