Spending our lives on social media, whether it's for work or leisure or both, can be fun and exhausting at the same time. It can be difficult to balance the amount of screen time and online interactions you’re having 24/7. This can be heightened during the holiday season when everything seems to get busier and crazier. We want to help you enjoy the holidays and still use social media in the best way for you!
Set time limits on social media.
We all know the feeling of looking up from your phone and realizing hours have passed while you’ve been stalking your favorite accounts. While social media can be productive, it can also waste time if you aren’t intentional about your time spent on it. On your phone, you can set time limits on any app. This can be a great tool to keep you off your phone when it’s unneeded. You can decide how long feels best for your day.
Turn off notifications and unplug.
If you have a hard time ignoring the luring social media apps on your phone, turn off notifications for the day. That way you don’t have to think about what’s happening on your socials until you’re actually using the app.
Take a social media detox each week.
This can be easier said than done, especially if your job revolves around social media (like us). If you can commit to staying off of socials once a week, this can benefit your mental health. Maybe you can delete your social media apps every Sunday to really relax? Or move them to a folder on the last page of your apps where you won’t automatically click them as much. Even if it can only be for half of a day, taking a social media detox is really important. You’ll thank yourself later!
Plan screenless activities throughout your day.
There are so many great ways to unwind like reading, baking, working out, painting- whatever it may be for you. It’s important to find activities where you let your mind go and put your phone away. Make it holiday-themed, and bake Christmas cookies or watch Elf. Find whatever makes you feel relaxed and is enjoyable too!
Unfollow accounts that make you feel negative.
If you are constantly comparing yourself to a certain brand or person, time to unfollow. We’ve all heard that comparison is the thief of joy, and it’s sooo true. There’s no room for that when you’re trying to enjoy family and friends over the holidays! You can also mute their posts and stories if you don’t want to make a scene by hitting unfollow. It will be a sigh of relief when your feed is filled with images that make you happy!
Plan posts ahead of time to give yourselves breaks.
If social media is your job, we totally get it that you can’t just take long social media breaks. Something that you can do leading up to the holidays is plan content. If you know you want to be posting consistently even during Thanksgiving week, create content in the weeks leading up and schedule it. That way, your account will still be active but you can be stuffing your face with turkey.
Take the pressure off of yourself.
At the end of the day, social media is supposed to be a positive, photo-sharing platform. Take a deep breath and stop putting so much pressure on yourself. While you are trying to spend less time on your phone and celebrate the holidays, your followers are too! Remember everyone feels the end of the year exhaustion and needs a reset.
We hope this alleviates some of the stress you feel going into the holidays. Take some time for yourself and ring in the best time of year with your family and friends. Social media will be waiting for you in January when you’re ready for it. Happy Holidays!