Social media: the land of cat videos, inspirational quotes, and people oversharing their breakfast smoothies. 🐈
It can be fun, inspiring, even educational… and it can also be a giant energy-sucking black hole that leaves you feeling like you need a lie-down and a therapist.
The problem isn’t social media itself.
It’s how much we let it run our lives as well as using it as a tool to numb-out (and avoid what’s really going on in our lives).
If you’re feeling constantly drained, overwhelmed, or like your thumb is about to get RSI from all that scrolling – it’s probably time to set some boundaries.
WHY YOU SHOULD SET BOUNDARIES WITH YOUR SOCIALS
There are a number of ways scrolling impacts your psychological and physiological health:
🥺 High social media use is tied to poor emotional regulation, poor quality of sleep and increased risk of mental health issues as well as loneliness
😭 Risk of cyberbullying
😫 Constant overload from feeds leads to stress and reduced ability to pay attention
📱 Risk of “text neck” from being on the phone all the time with a crappy posture
💤 Screens before bedtime affect your melatonin production and circadian rhythm, especially for teens
😳 People constantly using filters to distort their image leads is breeding “Snapchat Dysmorphia – people are actually seeking cosmetic surgery to look like their filtered selves!
Here’s how to set boundaries:
- Remember: Your phone is not your boss.
That “ding” is not a fire alarm.
You don’t need to sprint across the room like your life depends on answering that notification.
Turn off the alerts. Or better yet – mute the app. Your nervous system will thank you. 🙏
I personally always keep my phone on silent, turn off most of my notifications, put it in sleep mode/airplane mode so I don’t get disturbed, read a book for time out and put my phone on sleep mode at bedtime. 📖
- Create “scroll slots.”
Instead of scrolling all day like a zombie, choose set times when you allow yourself to dip in.
Morning tea break? Sure. Fifteen minutes before dinner? Go for it. All night in bed until 2am? No fcking way.
- Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.
People are curating their lives like an art gallery.
You’re not “failing” because your Tuesday night involves laundry instead of a yacht party. 🧺
If you catch yourself spiralling down the comparison rabbit hole – log out, go outside, touch a tree and focus on REAL LIFE.
- Protect your creative energy.
If you’re a business owner or creator, remember: scrolling is consumption, posting is creation.
You can’t create your best stuff if your brain is fried from hours of doom-scrolling. Limit your consumption so you’ve got energy left to actually create.
Even better, hire a Virtual Assistant to do all your posting for you – I create all my own content then hand it over to my VA to schedule it all for me. 😍
- Ask: “Is this serving me, or stealing from me?”
Every time you pick up your phone, check in.
Am I scrolling to connect, laugh, or learn – or am I numbing out, procrastinating, and avoiding real life? 🤔
If it’s the latter, put the phone down and go and live your actual life.
Social media can be an amazing tool – but only if you use it like a tool, not like a crutch. 🩼
Boundaries aren’t about cutting yourself off from the world; they’re about protecting your time, energy, and sanity.
Your life isn’t happening on your phone. It’s happening right in front of you.
A friend recently went to a Bruno Mars concert and said everyone had to put their phone in a bag and they weren’t allowed access to them – so they were fully present for the concert.
Imagine doing that all day long?
No amount of likes will ever beat that.
As always, if you want a guide on your journey, drop me a message and let’s chat about how coaching and/or energy work can help.
Catcha on the flip side,
