We all love our social media, but for so many of us it can take over our lives, time, and mental space. I am writing this because I personally need help in this area, and these are all things that I have done to lessen the digital noise in my life. A digital detox doesn’t have to mean giving up all electronics forever. We can ease into the less is more mindset, and do a mini digital detox. “A what now?” A mini digital detox means cutting back on the things that don’t serve us, and increasing the things that serve us in positive ways. Kinda like eating clean but for social media. So yes, you can still keep your beloved Snapchat!

If you want to continue to engage in your life but feel like the social media is taking over then a mini digital detox might be the best thing.

I’m sharing three really simple ways to slim down on the digital overload so that you can still see what your friends are up to without being consumed by it, and even -dare I say- ENJOY social media once again! Try taking these three action steps today and see if it helps you focus on the more important things in life.

Do an Unfollow Cleanse- Go through the people and brands that you follow and ask yourself “Does this account and their content inspire, teach, motivate, or serve me in any constructive way?”  You may also want to ask yourself “Do I even know this person?” We come across a lot of people that we’re not even really friends with, yet we see what their kid had for breakfast (like, why?).  Over the years we accumulate followers and friends like we accumulate stuff around our house. That guy from your bio 101 class in college ten years ago…unfollow. The girl down the hall from you at your first job that would show up to work hungover half of the time…unfollow.  News outlets that remind you of the political black hole we are in….getdafuckouttahere! Curate your feed so that all you see are your closest family and friends, and public figures/brands that resonate with you and lift you up.

Mute Instagram Stories: I LOOOOOVE instagram stories, but ever since they began I find myself watching them for too long. It’s a big productivity time suck if you’re not careful. It’s the modern day equivalent to flipping through the channels, spending 2 seconds on each one before switching to the next. All you have to do is go to the top of your insta feed and hold down the circle icon of someones story, it will give you the option to view their profile or mute. Go-ahead and have a muting party but save the good ones! I have muted a lot of instastories, and watch only ones that I find entertaining, helpful, or inspiring, so I’m not wasting my time looking at the same picture of the snow outside from everyone who lives on the east coast (yes I know it snowed, I live here too).

Keep Only ONE Social Media App on Your Phone– I use Facebook and Instagram as my main platforms, but I found that the Facebook app was becoming a mindless waste of time. I would catch myself reaching for my phone only minutes after checking it, not even intending to look at Facebook, but I’d end up there like a reflex. Do you ever have those moments of “how did I get here?”  So I deleted the Facebook app on my phone because I can always post from my laptop. It makes the time I spend on Facebook more intentional and specific. I will set aside 10-15 minutes when I get home from work to check in with my friends and make a post or two, but it’s a designated pocket of time and when it’s over it’s over. With Instagram and Snapchat on the other hand you kinda need it on your phone since you cannot post from anywhere else. So maybe leave one of those on your phone and hide it in the back of your apps or in a folder so it’s not right on the home screen.

These tips are simple and can be implemented right now. I hope you can try some out and see how it works for you.

Now I wanna hear from you!

Do you feel like you are in need of a mini digital detox? If so, what are you going to do today to clear out the digital clutter from your life? Post in the comments!