CREATE VS CONSUME: MINDFUL SOCIAL MEDIA PRACTICES
2020 has really proven to be le ghetto! And even though we try to escape our realities via social media, sometimes it only highlights our traumas and discomforts. I am guilty of the endless scroll looking for IDK what hour after hour only to come back to miserable again (Raise your hand if you feel me).
Social media is kinda my job so a breakup with her is nearly impossible. I also don’t want to completely break up. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my friends and fam (points at you). And if I’m honest I do get a lot of inspiration from the scroll. But comparison sets in and my imposter syndrome takes over and now I’m feeling bad about myself. So in August I am making a commitment to mindfully use social media. My plan is to create more than I consume.
So I thought just maybe you’d want to join me. Here’s my top 10 tips to slow your scroll and stay mindful:
Shut it off! 11pm will be my stopping time. This might be the hardest part for me. It feels so cold turkey. Like, what if I get a message(s). Girl! But I seriously think this will help me make time for other things. I can create my “To Do” list for the next day. I can write in my gratitude journal. I can actually get to bed at a decent hour, maybe? But I do think this is a easier way to dial back instead of just deleting the social media apps. Cause that would be crazy talk!
Schedule time for it. I will be scheduling chunks of time to post, respond to DMs, and diligently support my influencer community. This will stop my mindlessly scroll. (TIP: Use Apphi to schedule your posts on Instagram!)
Don’t scroll before 10:00 am. I certain I don’t need to elaborate on why this is the start of us being unproductive. Instead I will spend the first 3-4 hours of my day setting my intentions, fixing and enjoying my breakfast, and I might even add some meditation time in there.
Create more than you consume. Let’s have a why before we log in. I’m going to be very clear about why I am logging on. This is were #2 comes into play. Decide if this hour is for commenting, finding inspo, or for responding to your community. Post, engage mindfully, set a timer, log off, and put the phone away. Oh hey, productivity!
Live in the moment now & post later - I am definitely a pro at later-grams. Even though we aren’t fully made up with outside that time will come again when you will be having dinner with your girlfriends again. Record those moments, put your phone away, and then post them later. I promise if you post them on IG Stories at 3:00 am people will still see it. I’ve gotten my best engagement at that hour because people are… mindlessly scrolling.
Make use of that Mute button or give a gangsta unfollow. This is your space to curate. And even your best friend might be abusing social media and you might have to mute her. No harm. When you start to miss her, unmute her. This is honestly the most liberating thing you will ever do. Schedule time each week to do a little scrub of your follow list. Only follow people if they inspire you, empower, or “learn ya” something.
Delete it if you need to. This is your space and you can leave whenever you want without an announcement. Don’t feel bad and don’t feel like you need to explain yourself. Folks gonna be there when you get back.
Set boundaries. I plan to be really breezy with social media during the weekends and especially during holidays so that I can spend unfiltered time with family and friends. You can also use #5 here and document all weekend and share one big recap on Monday morning.
Take it offline. Seriously though, Most of my adult friends have come from Twitter. I have met some incredible people on social media. People who are like-minded and enjoy what I enjoy. After a few month’s of “hey girl” and “OMG that’s hilarious”, be brave the one and reach out to that homegirl in your city who is always DMing you. Treat her to coffee or lunch (when outside is open, of course). In the meantime you can invite them to a virtual coffee date over FaceTime or Zoom.
If you’ve got any tips for us, leave them in the comments below.
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