How many hours do you spend on social media?
Because of our current quarantine set-up, most of us heavily rely on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to be updated and entertained. We are now glued to our phones, endlessly scrolling our feeds like zombies, until our timelines are squeezed dry from ALL the content we have consumed.
In its inception, social media was harmless until it has evolved to be part of our daily lives. It’s now the first thing we check in the morning and the last thing we see at night. Excessive usage can harm our mental health: most pieces of information are unfiltered and deemed by experts as ‘informational junk food’ which can disturb our tranquility. Because of this, 1 in 5 consumers already took a digital detox as early as 2018, according to the Global Web Index. Fast forward to 2020, digital detox has apparently become a trend.
Quitting social media for a period of time can be tricky, but it will definitely be beneficial to your well-being. Here are 5 surefire ways to do it:
Determine your definition of ‘digital detox’
What are you deactivating—Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? How many days can you take without it? Some users took 7 and 30-day breaks, but some went far as deactivating for a year. Determine how long you are going to be gone and stick to it. And don’t just log out. DEACTIVATE. (They won’t permanently delete your account anyway, unless you choose that option.)
Remember: this is just temporary! Force of habit can make you click on your social media apps even after temporarily quitting, so to avoid this temptation, uninstall them first and make sure they’re not loitering in your phone.
Inform your circle
Tell your friends and family that they can’t tag you in pictures and memes, and they can only reach you via SMS, email, or through other messaging apps (like Viber and Telegram). This way, they won’t be clueless why you’re suddenly a goner in their friends’ list.
Talk
The main advantage of interpersonal communication is that it helps you create stronger relationships with your friends and family, and you can do this without social media. Bond with a small number of friends (with masks and distancing!) without checking your phone. Dine and catch up with your family and give them your full attention.
Reconnect with nature
Finally, you can be one with the world while properly observing health and safety protocols! More than 2 hours away from Metro Manila lies a serene paradise: Hidden Valley Springs in Calauan, Laguna.
Relax and rejuvenate in natural thermal pools, take a dip in spring pools with the purest volcanic mineral waters, and gaze in wonder at the abundant flora and fauna thriving in the middle of tropical rainforests. This trip will surely take all your stresses away! With KKDay, you can book tour packages for up to 6 people. See full package options here.
Words by Miguel Flores
Featured image by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
