One of the best methods I have found to relax and de-stress is to do a social media/phone cleanse. Although I have sometimes found it difficult to take a break from my phone, I find myself feeling less overwhelmed at the end of the cleanse.
The first thing I do is turn notifications off on all social media accounts. This way, I’m not tempted to check my messages and likes. The first few times I did a phone cleanse, I found myself constantly reaching for my phone to check Instagram. It became a habit for me to mindlessly scroll through Instagram or Tik Tok whenever I was bored or wanted to procrastinate. However, by doing phone cleanses, I was able to train myself to do more productive things instead of just scrolling through social media.
After turning notifications off, I limit my screen time. I usually limit the screen time to about 30 minutes a day. However, sometimes I need my phone to do homework or group projects. In those cases, I limit the screen time for all apps apart from the ones I need for that assignment. This is usually more difficult to do, so I try to plan my phone cleanse when I don’t have any group projects to complete. The only apps for which I do not limit the screen time are the phone and Facetime, in case someone needs to call me for an emergency. As for texts, since both my phone and laptop are Apple products, my texts come to my computer as well. That means that during a phone cleanse, if I need to communicate with someone, I use my laptop so I don’t get distracted by my phone.
A phone cleanse is an easy way to feel more organized, productive, and relaxed. I get much more work done in a day when I am not constantly distracted by my phone.