4 tips to reduce your addiction to social networks

Tips to make it easier for us to become "independent" from the constant use of social networks.

You go to the bathroom with your cell phone, you go to the kitchen with your cell phone, you watch TV with your cell phone, and if you could, you would go to the shower with your cell phone.and if you could, you would take your cell phone in the shower.

Don't you think your use of technology is a bit exaggerated? In this article you will find several key ideas to prevent addiction to social networks or weaken it if you have already started to develop it..

How to keep social media addiction at bay?

We often feel a tremendous dependence on the fact of using the cell phone and various electronic devices in order to be super connected to the outside world and, above all, not to miss anything (false belief).

The other day I saw an interview with psychologist Bertrand Regader for BBVA, in which he talked about the FOMO Syndrome (Fear Of Missing Out). In it he explains what is this fear of missing out on something that others are living (and although he relates it to savings, I would like to relate it to the addiction to be aware of the networks); due to this phenomenon, we spend the day on social networks looking to live those experiences, and thus these virtual platforms make us want to continue consuming and accessing situations of that type (and also at the material level, as Bertrand tells us).

For these reasons, this entrenchment that we suffer, firstly to the cell phone and secondly to the hypervigilance of the networks, generates a state of very high sensitivity in us We want to be highly attentive to something that does not stop stimulating us (since we follow so many people on the Internet).

Faced with this reality, I have written a series of tricks or tips that I would like to help you with; I have used them myself personally and also with patients, so I think it is great that you also apply them. Without further ado I leave you with them.

1. When you go to sleep leave your cell phone in a fixed place

When you go to sleep it is important to leave your cell phone in a place that is not within reach of your hand.. So you will not fall into the use of this device and you can start the dream without being distracted. Has it ever happened to you that you open your eyes at 4:00 am and the first thing you do is pick up the phone to see the time and there you see a whatsapp, you read it, it makes you think, you wake up, and in the end you get 6 o'clock? I propose you:

• Do not use your cell phone as an alarm clock.
• Buy a table alarm clock.
• Leave your cell phone charging in the living room.
• Put your cell phone on airplane mode when you go to sleep.

2. Set yourself moments of total disconnection.

Some fixed hours of disconnection are basic. The brain also suffers from neuronal fatigue and letting it relax without any kind of stimulus is very healthy. Why do you think that when we go to sleep with a problem in our head the next day we see it much better? To think, the brain needs to rest. For this I am going to propose you:

• 2 fixed hours a day without a cell phone.
• Do not look at it until after breakfast.
• Install an app that restricts its use.

3. Do not focus your leisure time on it

You probably do a lot of things in your free time on it, such as games or other hobbies. There is more life beyond the cell phone! Think about it. You have probably abandoned past activities that you would like to rediscover. In this case it is important to rediscover hobbies without using screens. You can even start going for a run in the street, or for example painting or any other activity where you fix your mind.

4. Locate your loops

It probably happens to you that you enter into an infinite loop of social networks, hypervigilance of these and never getting and never getting enough of them. It is important that you see them and stop them. I advise you to look at the time of use of your mobile apps to become aware of which ones you use the most and thus begin to ration the use of them.

Gaining a new life without dependence on social networks

I recommend you to follow all these tips and put them into practice. Faced with the question "how do I know if I am addicted to social networks?", I would tell you to look at the extent to which they lead you to stop doing things in your day to day life or if all your leisure time is focused on them, thus generating anxiety when you do not have direct contact with these digital platforms.

Maybe you need the opinion of a specialist?

My name is Javier Ares and I am a specialist in anxiety and related disorders (such as addictions).

If you need help feel free to contact me through my directory where you can see what other patients have to say about me. Click here to go to my directory.