Life Coaching, Soul Care

#SoulCare – 5 Good Ideas to Break Bad Social Media Habits

One of the quickest ways to get back quality time to spend walking God’s path for you is to wean yourself of certain bad habits that suck away precious time. The most staggering of these bad habits? Social media.  As mompreneurs and stay-at-home-moms, it’s so easy to get overtaken by Facebook and Instagram: “What’s going on with the church community?” or “Oh, Sarah must be watching a lot of Chip & Joanna–just look at that new shiplap wall!”

Don’t freak out quite yet! I am not asking you to quit social media altogether, just to stop putting it before God, and find the kind of purpose it should have in your life.

Here are 5 good ideas to break bad social media habits:

  1. Set boundaries and stick to them.

Try approaching social media like you would a diet. Define which aspects of social media are a problem for you. Ask yourself questions such as: where are you spending too much time? What triggers you to check your phone for new posts? Then, set a daily limit, or confine your use to a certain app only at certain times of the day. If you find yourself checking Facebook out of boredom, find something else to make use of your precious time.

  1. Stop scrolling before bed.

It’s not uncommon to check Facebook, Twitter or Instagram before bed. It’s a time of relaxation, winding down, and getting ready to say goodbye to the day. Not only does the light from your cell phone disrupt your God-given sleep cycle, liking, commenting, and interacting with your friends on social media wakes your brain up! If you need a little help winding down, spend some time in the Word of God. It will bring you relaxation and draw you closer to Him before bed.

  1. Leave the trolls alone.

Unfortunately, there are some people out there who are intent on challenging beliefs. This can translate into hateful comments or posts on your social media. These people who constantly challenge what you and others say are known as “internet trolls.” Just let them be. Engaging “trolls” over and over will only take up your time and potentially alter your positive mindset. If you feel you need to respond to these “trolls,” take time to reflect before starting to type.

  1. Leave comparisons at the door.

You are a beautiful creature made from God’s divine plan. Do not waste your time comparing yourself or your situation to others on social media. If you are struggling with this, let me know! Let me be your partner, and help you feel confident in making choices based on who God designed you to be and how He uniquely knit you together.

  1. Live to serve God, not to be liked.

We all want to be “liked” by our peers. However, oftentimes on social media we rely on the acknowledgment of others in order to feel good about ourselves. We spend hours checking our social media over and over after we post something to see who has “liked” it. You do not need validation from others in order to be happy. God knit you together in the perfect way, so don’t rely on those social media “likes!”

A few of my favorite helpers are the Forest App for phones and the Stay Focused extension for computers.