I know a lot of college students are feeling the stress with tests and homework, but I love finding time for writing blog posts. It’s my weekly relaxation time. One other thing I do to “relax” is check my social media, which I actually do not like doing! I realized a few weeks ago just how much time I spend on social media, and it really opened my eyes to how much more time I would have to live outside my phone if I checked it much less. I started exploring ways to cut back, and I thought I would share today. These three steps have really started working for me!
1. Don’t check it first thing in the morning-
This is the hardest one for me. I love waking up, showering and checking my phone. This sets a bad precedent for the remainder of the day because it feels like I need to check back up on what people are doing. If I just keep getting ready and do my makeup or watch a youtube video, I feel much less inclined to keep checking my phone later on. This also helps me get out the door and be productive earlier in the morning.
2. Put them in a folder on the second app screen-
I put Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat in a separate folder on my phone. This helps me notice them less! They used to be located right above my messages and school email apps, which made it much easier to just click in for a “quick” update.
3. Look at screen time on iPhone-
The new iPhone software allows you to track your screen time on certain apps. This made me realize how much time I spend on Instagram (over an hour on most days, yikes). This is mainly because of Instagram stories. Checking in on how much screen time you have used that day gives me a rude awakening. This has really helped me scale back! I also have started trying to only check my close friends, family and favorite bloggers instead of watching everyone’s stories. Or if someone’s story is really long, I sometimes skip it for when I can come back later and fully watch.
Screen time is such a balancing act. My entire internship is running social media accounts and devoting some time to checking my blog Instagram helps it grow. Just cutting back in these tiny ways has already helped me notice more time in my day for homework and socializing with people in real life.
I hope you all enjoyed these tips! Let me know if any of them worked for you by messaging me on Instagram!
