For many, social media can become incredibly overwhelming at points. I’ve found that recently, going on apps like Twitter and Facebook has been emotionally draining and massively frustrating at the some points. In light of this, I thought I’d share some ways that I’ve been distancing myself from the constant news updates and inevitable fearmongering that is rife online at the moment.
Admittedly, out of pure habit, I do find it difficult to not check my phone when I please as I’m aware others do too. So, in this list I’ve also included some websites that offer a useful distraction but don’t involve engaging with the news or social media!
Here are 6 things to do instead of browsing social media:
1. READ
I love love love reading so this will always be my top alternative to browsing social media. Reading is a really simply way to relax and distance yourself from the world around you. For those who don't read frequently, when people suggest reading as an alternative to going on your phone, it’s easy to assume they mean sitting down with a generic series or classic book, but naturally this isn’t what everyone enjoys! The most productive way to incorporate reading into your lifestyle is simply to read ANYTHING. If you aren’t interested in reading books, then blogs, magazines, articles and non-fiction can still offer you some time to be thinking, experiencing and learning things that aren’t focusing on the chaos that is in the news right now.
Here are some books I’ve read that I HIGHLY recommend:
(I tried to only include cheerful books, but it seems I don’t read many of them)
Fiction
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Humans by Matt Haig
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
The Shining by Stephen King
Non-Fiction
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
The Establishment by Owen Jones
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
The Girl Who Escaped Isis by Farida Khalef
2. WRITING AND BLOGGING
This is exactly what I decided to do when I went on my phone a few minutes ago and saw endless group chat messages about the current crisis. The beauty of blogging is that you don’t even have to share it with anyone, and you can write about anything you want. One thing I have learnt since I started writing properly earlier this year is that you DON’T HAVE TO BE GOOD AT WRITING TO WRITE THINGS DOWN! Even if you have nothing good to say, write about having nothing to write about! After a very anxious day, sitting now and putting my very busy thoughts into words is allowing me to rationalise how I’m feeling and realise that, even though I haven’t felt like it, I am still able to be productive and I’m managing the anxiety that social media is causing in a healthy way.
3. ORDER A PLANNER
I realise that sounds like a pretty poor effort of distancing yourself from the online world because constructing a plan for your day isn’t an all-day task. Although, having a written-out plan for how you are going to structure your day means you’re less likely to feel at a loss for things to keep you busy and resort to mindless scrolling on your phone. My planner has an hour slot for each hour between 6:00am and 12:00pm where I can write what I’ve done and when. It also has a box for me to record how I spent time for myself, a bullet pointed box for the tasks I need to complete and another for my goals of the day. It’s a really simple thing, but I’m aware that the reason I find myself using my phone to endlessly browse Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc is because I have nothing to refer back to in order to see what I should be doing to be productive. It’s also really nice to have something else to focus on over breakfast and a coffee, because social media at times like these is extremely intense just after you have woken up.
4. EXERCISE (indoors)
At the moment, it’s very easy to lose motivation and slip out of any fitness routine you may have. The gyms are closed or closing and going outside and risking spreading or catching any germs is not recommended. Understandably, this makes motivating yourself to exercise EXTREMELY hard. But, much like anything, getting past the first hurdle is the most difficult part. Fitting in a home exercise routine not only keeps you active whilst you’re stuck at home but also gives you something to do, which most of us are lacking right now. If exercise was part of your daily routine before, exercising at home also brings some normality back to your life and will add some structure to your day. I’ve attached some videos that are useful to follow!
The Body Coach – 7 Days of Sweat (20 minute workout)
Natacha Oceane – 20 Min Full Body Workout (20 minute workout)
POPSUGAR Fitness – No-Equipment Cardio and HIIT Workout (30 minute workout)
SELF – HIIT Cardio Workout and Warm Up – No Equipment at Home (30 minute workout)
Home – Day 1 – Recognise - | 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene (40 minute yoga)
5. COOK!
Being stuck at home, I am snacking constantly on really unhealthy stuff. One thing I find helps is to plan and cook some nice meals for myself. Obviously, it is tough to get everything you need from supermarkets at the moment, but if you are able to, this is a great way to be productive as well and remove yourself from the online world for a bit. It’s also far better to fill yourself up with some nutritious meals than being tempted by snacks that will leave you hungry not long after.
Here are some veggie meals I plan on making in the next few weeks (with only a few ingredients):
Portabello and Onion Tart
Vegetarian Lasagne
Vegetarian Carbonara
Vegan Thai Green Curry
6. USE OTHER APPS/WEBSITES THAT TAKE YOUR INTEREST
As I said earlier, I social media regularly. Not wanting to use it but simultaneously struggling to resist is really difficult, and this is why it’s important to use other apps or websites you enjoy that aren’t social media based.
I’ve included some below that I enjoy using frequently:
Goodreads (for anyone who enjoys reading, browsing authors, reviewing books etc)
Etsy (good for browsing artsy and unique things from independent sellers)
Zoopla (for if you enjoy looking at fancy houses and wishing you could afford them)
BBC Good Food (for browsing hundreds of recipes and getting some good inspiration for your next meal)
Sporcle (loads of quizzes about anything you can think of!!)
Stay safe everyone!!!
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