We are all connected all of the time. There is constant communication through texts, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (and Tinder?!). It can become overwhelming sometimes. I think we all have had those times where we feel as if we need a social media cleanse, but straight up deleting our accounts might be too much for some of us. So, I found a solution that seems to be a good balance: turning off notifications.
I, too, started to feel stressed by constant connection online. I felt like I always had to promptly respond to messages and write comments and post updates about my life. This got to the point where going on Facebook or Snapchat became a stressful activity because I knew it would involve a lot of work and create a cloud of anxiety. If someone commented on a photo of mine I felt obliged to respond right away. But what if I didn’t want to? Or what if I didn’t know what to say? It was an endless cycle of completely unnecessary stress. So I decided to take this baby step towards easing my life.
Turning off all social media notifications made a significant difference in my life. Now, I don’t have constant reminders coming up on my phone screen throughout the day telling me someone liked a photo on Instagram or shared a link with me on Facebook. Going online is more of a deliberate choice than before. Doing this relieved a lot of useless anxiety around communication and being present on social media. These apps should be a fun way to communicate with friends and family, not a stress-inducing activity.
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Not having notifications constantly reminding you to go online makes going on social media a deliberate choice. I know we are all guilty of pulling out our phones to aimlessly scroll through our feeds while waiting for the bus or during a break in class. But maybe not having the incentive to check will lead you in a more productive direction with your free time.
If you feel like social media is taking over your life, turning off all of your notifications could be a perfect step to take to begin simplifying your life. It has made me go on social media less which saves time and stress (and also your battery life). It’s one of the easiest things that you can do, so why not try it out for a bit—I think you’ll see more benefits than you think!