Social media plays a part in all of our lives. Whether we use it to keep up with friends, to shop, for news, or as part of our job, it is something only a few of us live without.
It is now so prominent in our daily life that on average, users spend almost 2.5 hours on social media every day – which adds up to more than a full month each year.
However, if you have the social media habits of the average GenZ, you will be spending closer to 4.5 hours on it every day!
It has crept into many of our daily routines as something that we feel we cannot live without. It may be the first thing we check when we wake up and the last thing we browse before we got to sleep.
Now, with spending too much time on social media, there is such a thing as social media fatigue, where users experience feelings of being overwhelmed by these online platforms and desire distance between them and social media.
With the pressure of keeping up with posting regularly and keeping up digital connections with friends, the whole purpose of social media can actually deter users from it.
Social media fatigue can also link to high anxiety and depression, with depleted energy or exhaustion from reaching a point of social media burn out – which was recognised by the World Health Organisation as an occupational phenomenon.
Of course, if your job role is based in social media, escaping social media fatigue can be difficult, but here are the top five tips for avoiding burn out and improving your relationship with social media...
1. Unfollow or mute accounts
Social media exposes us to a range of content – and it isn’t always positive.
With the great mass of content shared to social media daily, a lot of it is saturated with distressing content that can be triggering, and even cause anxiety.
It would be advisable to sort through your following on social media, unfollowing accounts that do not align with your values, or perhaps muting those you want to follow but not be notified when they have posted.
This way, you are more in control of what you are exposed to when you browse on your social media platforms.
2. Engage in offline activities
Actively stopping yourself from using social media will have positive effects on your wellbeing. Not using the apps is the first step, but putting further distance between yourself and social media can have great benefits.
Giving your eyes and your mind a rest from looking at a screen is a vital part of disengaging from social media.
To truly rest and recover from social media fatigue, activities that do not involve screens would be the most suitable option.
Investing more time into your current hobbies, or trying out new ones, would allow you to spend more time away from the world of social media to invest time into yourself or being around friends.
3. Practice digital detoxing
To take the previous step to the next level, digital detoxing is a method that prioritises taking a break from social media and screens in general.
This could entail setting a time period in which you have banned yourself from using social media, using it as time to focus on other things, relax your mind, and detach from the digital world.
This can allow you to remove yourself from the constant stimulation of technology and focus more on your mental wellbeing.
4. Use social media with intention
With the accessibility and nature of social media, it is easy to fall into the trap of endlessly and needlessly scrolling without having a goal in mind.
Adjusting your mindset to focus on using social media with intent can prevent this, encouraging a more productive use of social media.
If it is being used for leisure, this could entail making a plan of what you want to achieve when you use social media, such as connecting with certain friends or finding a certain business.
5. Embrace digital minimalism
Again, this links to the previous point, which relates to using social media with a different mindset.
Actively choose to use social media only when it will add value to your life, which can help with reducing the time spent on the platforms.
Through consciously making an effort to adjust your mindset with your social media habits, you can adjust your approach to the digital sphere and create a more balanced relationship with it, removing a dependency on social media for constant entertainment, reassurance or validation.
We can help alleviate your social media stress
Are you working in a social media environment as part of your daily routine, and feeling overwhelmed with the demands of the various platforms?
Champions has an expert team of social media experts, perfectly placed to assist with social media strategies, content creation, and post distribution, helping to ease some of the pressure and relieve your social media fatigue within a professional environment.
If you require further help...
Young Minds is a charity fighting for young people’s wellbeing, and they have a guide for social media and mental health. With information on how to tackle various issues surrounding social media, this page is full of information that can offer support.