In today’s world, it’s no secret that social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. We use it to stay connected, informed, and entertained.  But it’s so easy to get lost in it all, and we’ve probably all experienced how excessive use of social media and phones can have a negative impact on our lives. 

Like anything else, really, I guess it’s definitely something that can easily get out of hand when not kept in check, I can personally attest to that :).  I think finding somewhat of a balance is important to making sure our phones don’t end up running our lives. 

In this post, I want to chat a bit about what it can look like to be more intentional and purposeful with our phone and social media use; I’ll share some strategies for managing it; and with each one, I’ll also share how each has worked for me and mine. 

STRATEGIES TO MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA AND PHONE USE

 

I’ve outlined 10 strategies below.  Just a disclaimer, most of these have been really helpful to me, I’ve found them to be powerful when I’ve applied them diligently and mindfully.  But I’ll admit that I don’t always do so ☺️.

Secondly, I have used a combination of these strategies in different seasons, so don’t feel the pressure to have to do it all, all the time. My hope is that this post can add some practical handles to being more intentional with your phone use.  And even writing this has been a good reminder and reroute for me. 

Ok, here we go….

1.  SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES 

Establish specific times during the day when you’ll use or won’t use your phone or social media. For example, limit your usage to 30 minutes in the morning, during lunch-time, and 30 minutes in the evening. Stick to your boundaries to prevent mindless scrolling. 

A good boundary that my husband and I are re-establishing as we speak, is having no screens in the evenings.  We don’t use a TV during the week anyways, we’re establishing a boundary of no phones, laptops, iPad, etc from 6pm to 10pm, just so we can create space for us to connect and be present with each other & as a family in the evenings.

We don’t necessarily do or add anything ‘special’ in that time, but I’ve found that that boundary creates margin for conversation, and even stuff like games, etc is more possible when we’re not otherwise occupied.

And then, even for us as a couple, we’re talking more again when we don’t have the option of each being on our phones in bed.  Lastly, I’ve found that I’m sleeping much earlier as a result; I’m otherwise a night-owl who finds pleasure in doing a 101 things & pinning my dream DIYs when the family sleeps 😅 (which is however not great for my mornings 🫠).

 

2.  USE APP LIMITS 

Many smartphones have built-in tools that allow you to set daily limits on phone and app usage. Use these tools to cap the amount of time you spend on social media apps each day. 

I’ve mostly used an iPhone and I can say that their Screen Time feature is quite impressive.  You can set a time limit for each app, or similar apps collectively.  For example 30 minutes per day on Instagram, or 1 hour collectively across all your social media apps.  They also have a Downtime feature where you can set your ideal daily down time.  And even within that downtime, you are able to set which apps you’d like to still be active. 

I use this feature to set limits for how much time I can spend on my Instagram, WhatsApp and email apps. Those are my personal time-wasters 🙃

I also use the downtime feature for when I’m homeschooling & for the evening time I mentioned above. 

  • Homeschool time – As a homeschooling mom, I realised that I can easily get distracted by my phone even while I’m busy with the kids, which also can tend to make me less present with them or just impatient if I’m trying to do something on my phone whilst I’m also busy with them.  I came to the resolution that they really need my full attention and I don’t really need to be on my phone between the time I wake up and midday, so that’s my first downtime in the day. I will enable certain apps that I might need to use in that time, like maybe the internet or homeschooling apps, but I generally try to not be on my phone.
  • Evenings – we try to set aside evenings for family time, so from 6pm onwards is downtime/no-screens for everyone; so we can have more space to connect as a family. 

PS: Instagram now also has a time limit feature, where you can set how much time you’d like to spend on the app each day; and it gives you a nice reminder 5 minutes before your time is up. 

To Access Screen Time on iPhone :

  • Go to Settings, and then Screen Time.

To access the time limit feature on Instagram :

  • Click on the 3 lines on the top right of your home screen, and then go to “Time Spent”

 

3.  TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS 

Notifications are designed to grab your attention and pull you back into the app. Turn off the ones that aren’t essential so you’re not constantly pulled back into your phone.

This has been one of the greatest helps for me! I don’t know about you, but if I see a notification come in, I definitely struggle to just let it sit there! 🙈🙈 I’ve had my notifications off my emails, WhatsApp and Instagram for years now, and it has given me sanity! 👏🏾 I only see new messages when I decide to go into the said apps. 

 

4.  DESIGNATE “NO-PHONE” ZONES

Create phone-free areas in your home, such as the dining table or bedroom. This encourages more meaningful interactions with family members and promotes healthier habits, like eating mindfully and getting better sleep.

Besides the no-phone times I mentioned above, the one space where we strictly don’t use phones is on the dining table.  But generally even if we’re not eating at the table, we have a rule about not being on a screen and eating at the same time. We make an exception with snacks for movies, etc.

For me personally, even outside of the home, I try not use my phone or specifically be on social media when I’m with other people.  I know I really don’t enjoy it when I’m hanging out with people and they’re constantly on their phones‼️ I actually find it quite distasteful 😒 – it’s literally like trying to talk to someone but they’re talking to someone else instead.

Ok, enough with my rant….onto the next point…

 

5.  UNFOLLOW & MUTE

Curate your social media feeds by unfollowing or muting accounts that don’t add value to your life. By limiting the content you see, you reduce the temptation to scroll endlessly. 

I try clean up my feed regularly on the go, because I realise how influential and mind-shaping everything we consume is.  I unfollow accounts that I feel like 1) don’t add value to my life, 2) don’t resonate with what I believe, or 3) even just pursue a lifestyle I’m not about. 

And then I try to find and follow accounts that I find valuable and life-giving; so that when I do open my social media, I’m consuming content that is valuable and wholesome.

6.  PRACTICE MINDFUL USAGE

Before opening a social media app, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Are you bored, anxious, or avoiding a task? Becoming aware of your motivations can help you make more intentional choices. 

I must say this is probably the most challenging of all the strategies to get right for me, because a lot of phone use has gotten to a point where it can happen mindlessly or unconsciously.  I’ve found my fingers just automatically picking up my phone and opening an app even though I wasn’t necessarily intending to 🙈🙈🙈.

But in the times where I’ve been able to be mindful about this, it has helped me to stop right in the tracks.  I also think this mindfulness can also help to reduce or even reverse these automatic habits.

7.  SCHEDULE REGULAR SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKS

Take regular breaks from social media, whether it’s for a few hours, a day, or even a week. Use this time to engage in other activities that bring you joy, like reading, exercising, or spending time outdoors. 

It can be daunting as a content creator, but I do try to take social media breaks regularly.  I must say I’m currently much better on Instagram than I am on Whatsapp.

On a weekly basis, I’m usually off Instagram from Friday evening to Monday evening.  With Whatsapp, I try to be off on Saturdays but it doesn’t always work out – I’m now thinking of maybe at least aiming for half the day off.

On a yearly basis, I usually try to take a month off between December and January – and this year, one month became a whole 3 months.

 

8.  ENGAGE IN OFF-LINE ACTIVITIES

Find hobbies and activities that don’t involve screens, such as cooking, drawing, or gardening. This can help you balance out the digital world and real-life experiences. 

For me, this looks like spending meaningful time with my husband and kids, spending time with friends, pursuing hobbies outside of my family, and it’s been a busy 2 years of baby season, but I’m hoping I can also get back to more reading and writing.

 

9.  ACCOUNTABILITY

Share your goals with a friend or family member who can help keep you accountable. They can check in on your progress and provide support when you feel tempted to revert to old habits. 

I am an extrovert and I find accountability helpful in many things!  With the phone use, I do think that I do pretty well with self-managing most times; it’s mostly with the family time that my husband and I keep each other in check.

 

10. REFLECT & ADJUST

Regularly assess how your social media use is impacting your life. If you notice negative effects, or something you don’t like; adjust your strategies until you find what works best for you. It’s a continuous process of finding balance and making intentional choices.

CONCLUSION 

Social media and phones are powerful tools that can enhance our lives, and they can definitely add value when used mindfully.

By implementing some simple strategies to manage your habits, you can enjoy all the perks without feeling like your phone is taking over your life.

The goal is not necessarily to eliminate social media altogether (unless you do feel like you need to); but to use it in a way that aligns with your values and enhances your well-being.