Managing My Time on Instagram
Managing my time on Instagram-
Our phones have become an accessory in our lives and the instant gratification it provides means it’s easy to find ourselves constantly scrolling. Here’s the thing though, our phones ensure we are never bored. We know that boredom is important for kids, it’s no different for adults.
Lack of boredom= Lack of creative passion
This can be especially challenging to navigate if you are trying to grow a business on social media because we think the more time we spend on the platform the better the return. I shared a reel the other day and this was the caption “I think the only toxic thing about Instagram is that we’ve traded what used to be stillness and nothingness with the constant consumption of scrolling. That stillness and nothingness is important for us to process thoughts, emotions, form our own conclusions and spark our own creativity.”
Reminder: There are many successful people on Instagram that do not spend their entire day on their cellphone. It’s important to show up here consistently not constantly. The more time you spend here the more you start to look like everyone else. I think a way to stay unique and true to yourself in this space is to spend adequate time off of the social media platform.
One of the biggest impacts I’ve made is to not scroll my phone in the morning. If you start the morning with a dopamine surge- you will be chasing that all day. Start the day with YOUR own thoughts and emotions, not the consumption of someone else’s.
Honestly, I pretty much don’t scroll my phone for fun until the evening, and here’s why:
It wastes time
I feel less motivated
And I’m quicker to react to my children because of course the more time I was on my phone, the more they demanded my attention.
So, save the scrolling until the evening sometime. Or hop on AFTER you’ve gotten through your morning routine at least.
Aside from not being on my phone first thing in the morning here are other things that help me reduce my time on the gram:
Set my phone on the counter and be fully present in whatever I’m doing. You will get through whatever task you're doing much more efficiently without your phone anyway!
If I have to have my phone on me but I don’t want to be ON my phone, I put it in airplane mode. That way I’m not even tempted by an incoming email or Instagram notification.
If I’m wanting to document moments for Instagram-I record them but upload them at a different time so it doesn’t take away from the moment.
Go for walks without your phone- walks are such a good way to clear our heads, spark creativity, work through the stresses of the day but rarely do we reap any of those benefits if we have our phone with us.
Take at least ONE day per week completely off social media
If you are trying to make Instagram another stream of revenue I think that is amazing. It’s an incredible platform to grow your business, but you have to then treat it like a business. Schedule content creation and schedule time on Instagram versus letting it be a black hole you get sucked into. People do not need constant access to you and your life for you to have a successful social media page.
Signs you are on your phone too much:
Constantly checking your phone for no reason
You feel spacey and irritable after phone use
You feel anger when getting interrupted
You’re not listening to what your spouse or children are saying
Your spouse or children have to repeat themselves multiple times before you look up
You’re comparing yourself and feeling less than
You feel like you can’t stop scrolling
You bounce between many apps
It’s the first thing you reach for when you’re stressed or upset
