How to Spend Less Time On Social Media: Five Ways to Reduce Your Time on Social Media

In "The Thrive Program" we have an exercise where we walk you through completing an energy audit of your life, looking at how you spend your time and what it impact it has. One of the greatest, modern time sucks is social media. Social media can have some great positive impacts but it can also have various negative impacts including reduced productivity, increased negative self talk and increased feelings of loneliness. If you are finding social media is having more of negative impact than positive, here are five tips on how to spend less time on social media:

1) Be planned and deliberate with your time

Have a realistic list of tasks and activities you want to do each week with how long they will take you (this list can also include leisure activities like reading a book or watching an episode of your favourite show). When you know you will have idle time in your week that you normally spend scrolling social media (perhaps on your commute, during your child's nap or on your lunch break), plan instead to do something off your list.

2) Make it difficult to go on social media

Remove shortcuts to the app from your phone or better yet delete the apps all together. If you primarily use your computer to browse social media, make sure you log out after each session so that each time you want to "quickly check Facebook or Instagram" you will be forced to login.

3) Schedule time for social media use

If you want to reduce your time on social media but not give it up all together, schedule time to use it, for example 15 minutes at 8pm. There are app blockers to help ensure you can only access certain apps at certain times.

4) Find your "why" for social media then find alternatives

Reflect on why you use social media. Write out a list and then write out what other ways can fulfil that need. For example if its a social outlet for you, arrange to catch up with your friends in person or join a social club in your community. If its boredom, find other boredom busters like a good book or new hobby.

5) Commit to changing your social media habit by doing The Thrive Program

Fuller Moment's "The Thrive Program" is a six week, self paced, program empowering you with the tools and techniques to break bad habits and form good ones. Purchase your copy here.