If you’ve ever felt like your brain is running on overdrive from social media— endless notifications, news updates, and the constant pressure to keep up— us too. We hate it, and spend what should be our leisure time scrolling and closing instagram followed directly by opening it again. Why? It was designed to be addictive.
Let’s go through 10 suggestions to help. Lots of “fixes” are intuitively known, but now that you’ve seen these here that makes it official, right? Time to actually do them?
1. Pick Your Platforms (and Let the Rest Go)
Not every app deserves your time. Ask yourself: Which platforms actually add value to my life? If you’re just doomscrolling or feeling drained, it might be time to let go of a few. You don’t have to be everywhere, and honestly, you shouldn’t be.
2. Set Time Limits (And Stick to Them)
It’s easy to open Instagram “for a second” and look up an hour later. Setting daily limits—whether through your phone’s built-in tools or just a simple alarm—helps prevent social media from eating up your free time.
3. Stop Checking Constantly
Try this: instead of dipping into social media all day, set specific time slots for it—maybe once in the morning and once at night. When you stop using it as a default distraction, you’ll be amazed at how much calmer you feel.
4. Unfollow, Mute, Repeat
If your feed is making you anxious, it’s time for a deep clean. Unfollow accounts that don’t make you feel good. Mute the ones you don’t want to see every day. Curate your space so it actually feels like yours.
5. Turn Off the Noise
Push notifications are designed to steal your attention. Do you really need to be alerted every time someone likes your post? Probably not. Turn off anything non-essential and give yourself some peace.
6. Ask Yourself: Why Am I Here?
Before opening an app, pause for a second. Are you checking for something specific, or are you just bored? The more mindful you are about why you’re scrolling, the less likely you are to fall into an hours-long rabbit hole.
7. Take a Break (Your Brain Needs It)
Whether it’s a weekend detox or just a few hours offline every evening, stepping away from social media for entire days can be so refreshing. Try deleting the apps temporarily or putting your phone in another room—see how it feels to not be “on” all the time.
8. Replace Scrolling With Something Better (even, or maybe especially, do nothing instead)
Social media fills a lot of gaps in our day, but it’s not the only way to unwind. Swap some of your scrolling time with reading, drawing, journaling, or even just sitting in silence. We are so serious– our Founder Lauren can often be observed with noise cancelling headphones on, playing nothing but literal white noise on spotify, staring straight ahead. Were we concerned at first? Absolutely. But it turns out that she’s better than okay, and we have taken up the habit as well. Try it, it’s not as weird as it sounds.
9. Follow Fewer, Better Accounts
More content doesn’t mean better content. Instead of drowning in an endless feed, be picky about what (and who) you follow. High-quality, thoughtful content > mindless noise.
10. Be Kind to Yourself
Social media is designed to be addictive, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip back into old habits. What matters is progress, not perfection. Keep making small shifts, and over time, they’ll add up to a more lived in life.
We promise: The internet will still be there when you get back.
Go do something, anything, else.
