Most of us can admit we’ve posted an awesome photo on Instagram or a funny Facebook status and then checked back constantly (and anxiously) waiting for the likes and comments to roll.
Well the good news is, the constant need to check our phones/social media isn't our fault! Well, not totally. Basically as social media become more apart of our everyday lives, we also become conditioned to respond with feelings of positivity to these notifications.
Larry Rosen, PhD, a research psychologist who explores our relationship with technology, says that "from a behavioral standpoint, [getting a like is] like constantly being reinforced for something, and when we get reinforced, it feels good". "It makes you want to do something again, to repeat the behaviour you get those consequences from."
This also means when we aren't getting likes and comments it can causes feelings of a negative consequence. Pretty crazy huh?
If you're feeling like you've fallen victim to the world of instant gratification, you can essentially retrain your brain and break the habit!
We're all about everything in moderation and don't believe in detoxes or quick fixes. Instead try this steps below to create a healthier relationship with social media.
Set Time Limits
Rather than going cold turkey, try spacing out the amount of time between phone checking. So if you find yourself picking up your phone every 15mins, then start off by waiting 30 mins and so on.
Set a Schedule
Regain control by giving yourself a schedule for checking your phone instead of mindlessly scrolling throughout the day.
Turn Off Notifications
A pretty obvious one but of course removing the constant pops up and incentive to look will help you avoid looking.
Reshuffle
Move your Apps off your homepage and into a folder (and another folder, and another one). The idea is that if you have to put more effort in to see if anyone's replied to your post, it'll change your behavior over time.
Fill the Void
If you find yourself with extra time on your hands, then take the opportunity to enjoy some 'me time'. Read that book, start a new hobby or Netflix and chill - just treat yo' self!
There are many schools of thought around how long it takes to 'break a habit' but the most common seems to be 21 days - so keep this in mind if you decide to end your social media dependency.
Good luck babe!
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