Last week I mentioned that I’ve been in a rut lately.
And one of my solutions to get out of the rut was to limit my time on social media.
Why?
Well I know from past experience that social media is probably my #1 way to “medicate” when I’m feeling down.
I don’t medicate with alcohol or drugs…
I just endlessly scroll Instagram.
It allows me to check out, and not have to feel anything.
So I know this is a crutch for me.
And frankly my Instagram usage was getting out of control the last month or so.
It was upwards of 3 hours a day according to my Iphone stats.
Which shocked me.
So knowing this, I decided to try a little experiment.
And my experiment consisted of two things…
1. Limit my time on Instagram to 35 minutes a day
2. Unfollow more than half the accounts I was following.
So that’s what I did.
I basically used the time blocker on Iphone to limit my usage to 35 minutes a day.
And I’ve been pretty good at sticking to that.
I think I’ve only gone over that number twice in the last week – and both times it was just a few minutes over.
So that’s a big win.
And then the second thing I did was unfollow about 500 accounts I was following.
This was kind of tough to do.
I was following 960 accounts when I started this experiment, and now I’m down to about 460.
The biggest thing for me here was unfollowing the accounts that are pure entertainment.
Things like memes, dog pictures and funny videos.
I realized these are the most addicting.
And they just suck you in and keep you watching.
I tried to narrow the accounts I follow down to friends of mine, business people I like to follow, and a few others.
So that’s what I did.
Like I said, I started this little experiment last Tuesday.
So what’s been the result?
Well, I’m already noticing a big difference in how I feel each day.
I feel a lot more present.
And less anxious.
I’m not so up-and-down with what I’m feeling.
Cutting back on instagram has been good for my mind.
And my emotional health.
So that’s been cool to see.
The other bonus is that it’s freed up more time for me to get outside and do more stuff.
So I’ve been going to yoga a few times a week.
I’ve been walking at Zilker nearly everyday.
So overall, it’s been a big win.
And I’m curious to see what happens as I keep going with it.
Anyways…
Thought I’d share that with you…
I’m know I’m not the only one who struggles with wasting time on social media.
So hopefully it inspires you to do something similar.
That’s all I got for today.
I’m off to go for a walk.
Enjoy your Wednesday.
– Justin
If you want to hear more from Justin, he has a private email list for top marketers, copywriters and business owners. To apply to be on the email list simply click the button below that says “apply now”.
