It is the year 2017 and the use of social media is at an all-time high. Social media, when used productively, can be a great way to keep up with friends and family members. It lets you voice your opinion, find meaningful material, and get a good laugh. However, it becomes not-so-great when so much time is being spent on it that you are missing out on some of the things happening right in front of you. It becomes a bit of a waste of time when you find yourself not participating in more stimulating activities because you are so focused on who viewed your Snapchat, or where your Facebook friends went on vacation.
Maybe you see someone else who got a lot more likes than you on something, or maybe you see your friend’s amazing vacation home and wish you could have one yourself. Social media terrible way to measure self-worth. It’s not to say that social media should be completely avoided, but just imagine if our culture today took some of the time spent focusing on the amount of likes our Instagram posts got and did something a little more worthwhile? Here are some things to do that are a lot more worth your time than scrolling through social media.
1. Go outside.
Weather can always be an issue for this, but if it’s nice out, go for a jog, take your dog for a walk, or go to the park! Humans are meant to spend time outside and refreshing moments spent outdoors will most likely leave you feeling a lot better than sitting inside on social media.
2. Write in a journal.
You can write about your day, how you’re feeling, or just about anything. If you put the dates on your entries you can look back and remember how you felt during those time periods, which is really amazing. It is a great way to express yourself as well as document the things going on in your life.
3. Pray and spend time with God.
For someone who believes in God and has a relationship with Him, this is one of the most worth-while things you can do with your time. Spending time with God and just talking to Him about whatever is on your heart can bring you so much peace and comfort. It’s easy to spend the last ten to fifteen minutes of your day laying in bed on social media, but taking that time to pray or read the Bible is better.
4. Ask someone you haven’t talked to in a while to go out for coffee or food.
Everyone has those friendships and bonds that used to be strong and have pretty much fizzled out over time because the two of you never really make the effort or find the time to see each other. Send that person a text, and reconnect with them. Who knows what will come out of it? You might be connected on social media but no real friendship can be based solely off of that.
5. Read a good book.
For some people, reading a book sounds like the last thing on earth that they would want to spend their free time doing. However, being on social media requires a lot of reading, if that reading were spent on a book instead they might find how much more mentally stimulating they are.
6. Write a nice letter to someone you think could use some encouragement.
There are so many people out there who are hurting and just having a rough time in life. A letter of encouragement could mean the world to them and even turn around their entire outlook on life. Social media can be totally encouraging at times but a lot of times it isn’t. It can actually make people feel worse about themselves in some cases. Taking ten minutes out of your day to write something nice might even be a little out of your comfort zone but it would be totally worth it.
7. Organize your stuff and clean up a little.
It is so easy to have your stuff out of place and messy. This can be stressful to look at and just plain appealing. Next time you decide you want to go on social media, make sure your stuff is organized first! For students, this could mean organizing their papers and assignments. This could mean cleaning up the closet or the space on top of your dresser or bookstand. Maybe even just making your bed!
8. Go to the gym.
Seriously though, why not get in shape instead of scrolling through your phone and staring at your social media. Working out can reduce depression and stress, and improve physical health as well. Seeing results from going to the gym is one of the best feelings in the world and has so many benefits. It might be hard to motivate yourself to get there but when you do you’ll feel great.
9. Find a nice recipe online and try to make something you haven’t before.
Cooking isn’t for everyone, but who knows, this meal could end up being one of your favorite dishes. It will feel a lot more productive to make a meal or yummy snack than be on social media, and if you aren’t usually one to cook this could be the start of a new hobby! Also, who doesn’t love food?
10. Strike up a conversation with someone you are with.
So many times we miss out on great conversations because we are looking down at our phones, often times checking social media. This could mean starting up with a conversation with a stranger if you’re on a plane or somewhere you don’t know everyone, or just talking to the friends/family you are with. Have you ever been hanging out with people and instead of talking to each other, everyone is silent and staring at their phones?
Be that person to start the conversation! Connect with people in real life instead of over the internet. Challenge yourself to really get to know people for who they are, and not for who they appear to be.
