Take a break from the hamster wheel of online life – here’s how

If you’re familiar with the sensation of picking up your phone to make a call and then realizing 20 minutes later that you’ve refreshed Instagram seven times but still haven’t phoned the vet’s office, if you’ve felt depressed because your carefully edited photo didn’t get enough likes, or if you’ve read one too many vaccine misinformation posts, looked at your phone and thought “I should throw this thing into the sea,” you’re not alone.

It’s never a good idea to pollute the ocean, but it is a good idea to occasionally get some distance from the sick pull of social media. Here are some things to think about and a few tips and tricks to help you take a step back and rescue yourself from brain rot.

What’s the pull?

When you’re trying to get a handle on your social media use, take a bit of time to track your current habits: When you reach for your phone, what’s happening around you? How do you feel? Are you using it as a tool (to take a photo, make a call or message someone) or to escape your current reality or fill a well of loneliness? If you discover that you use social media to self-soothe or avoid difficult or unpleasant tasks, ask yourself if you’re really solving a problem…or creating another one.

Reflect and plan

Think about how you’re using your phone now, what is (or isn’t) working for you, and how you’d like your relationship with your phone to look in the future. Be specific – think about actual scenarios and plan alternatives (doing a puzzle, reading a book, meditation).

Be mindful

Make it a habit to take a moment to check in with yourself when you reach for your phone and ask: Is this really what I need right now?

Set yourself up for success

You can help yourself reduce your social media use by making it less appealing or by making it more difficult to access. Here are some ideas:

See shades of grey: Scrolling through endless photos can feel like the visual equivalent of eating too much candy – it’s bright and appealing in the moment, but eventually you just feel nauseous. Try adjusting your device settings to turn your display from full colour to greyscale, and watch your desire to scroll the afternoon away die a natural death. (How to: Apple, Android)

Fight fire with fire: That is, install an app to help you manage your app use. Check your phone’s app store to find one that works for you– you can choose a simple timer, or go with something more fun, like a little knitting bean whose hard work gets unravelled if you pick your device up before your social media break expires. There are physical options, too, from lockboxes to the Brick, a device that you tap with your phone when you want to temporarily remove all distracting apps from your phone.

Establish phone-free zones: Try designating certain places and times as phone-free. Banning phones from the bedroom, bathroom and meals is a good place to start.

Resist the all-or-nothing approach

As anyone who has been on a diet can tell you, cutting something out entirely has a disappointing way of leading you straight to a binge, leaving you feeling worse than ever. Whether it’s junk food or Instagram reels, work toward mindful consumption and you’ll set yourself up for success.