During a recent trip with my husband, I definitely appreciated the value of reducing the time spent on social media.

Instead of constantly interacting with Facebook and LinkedIn, I focused on enjoying the scenery around me. Plus, it was so refreshing to have so much uninterrupted time to reconnect with my husband.

In the evenings, we would read or just go to sleep early. It was one of the most relaxing trips I’ve taken in a long time.

Have you found ways to step away from social media, or at least reduce your time on it? If you haven’t, I highly recommend that you find ways to take breaks from it now and then.

 

Tips for Taking Breaks from Social Media

  • Designate certain times of day to briefly check in on whatever sites you are normally active on. Then limit the amount of time you spend on those sites.
  • Really focus on the people you are with. Reminisce about adventures you’ve taken together. Learn more about them by taking the time to explore topics you have not talked about with them recently or at all.
  • Get outside and enjoy your time in nature. We walked every day along the river in the town where we stayed. Each time we appreciated something different about what we saw or heard along the way.
  • When having a meal with others, have a pact that no one will check their social media until done with the meal. This advice may sound basic, yet we can fall into letting social media intrude on time with others.
  • If you go on vacation, avoid announcing on social media that you are taking a social media break while you are gone. Similarly, don’t post photos from your trip until you return. It’s not wise to let people know publicly that you are out of town.

As you can imagine, there’s been a good deal of research on the impacts of using social media.

I found Lisa Laporte’s article “4 Benefits of Taking a Break from Social Media” to be very insightful. She is an entrepreneur and CEO working with technology and advertising companies. These four benefits include reconnecting with the real world, gaining more free time, better physical and mental health, and better control over private data.

 I also appreciated a related article by Kristen Fuller, M.D. “Social Media Breaks and Why They Are Necessary.” She provides some practical tips for how to cut down on time spent on social media.

Examples include:

  • Putting your phone out of reach
  • Set limits by tracking the time you spend on social media
  • Turn off notifications
  • Create “phone-free zones”
  • Schedule “social media free days”

How About You?

Have you ever taken a break from all social media? How long were you able to stay away? Which sites did you miss the most? Have you tried to limit the time you spend daily or weekly on social media?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 45 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.