I'm beyond tired of hearing the words "social media" and "likes," and I know you don't want to read another article about our technology-obsessed generation. But here's the thing: At any moment, we have immediate access to the smartphones that are glued to our bodies, and they are glued. Before I changed my habits, I probably spent more time during the day looking at a screen than I did the streets that I walk on. I rarely even parted with my phone when I slept, and I know I'm not the only one. Really, think about how many times a day you unlock your phone. Or even look down, just to see if you got any notifications in the past couple of minutes. Be honest- rather than living your life to the fullest, your living it through a screen. Will you look back on your life knowing that you've lived in the moment, or regret all the precious time you spent scrolling through Instagram?

Live in the now.

One of the worst things someone can do is choose their cellphone over you. Having lunch with your good friend but they're staring down in their lap while you're trying to tell them about that thing your cat did last week? They aren't listening; they are choosing to live in their false reality over fostering the real relationship existing right in front of them. Trying to have a quality date night but find yourself and your partner silently focused on the screens in front of you? We're all a little guilty of it. Once I became aware of my habits and realized I was living my life primarily through a screen, I made changes in order to be more present.

One of the most impactful changes I've made is to only allow myself to browse my social media apps when I wake up and before I go to sleep. In between that time I keep my phone on "do not disturb" mode and out of sight. Obviously, I still check it occasionally, I am human, but I'm not dependent on it anymore, and I don't miss it. This gives me more time during the day to focus on myself, and the people I care about, rather than keeping up with the highlight reel of everyone else's lives.

I still struggle to acknowledge that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat stories are just a highlight reel, and it's not necessary to compare and compete with something that isn't even entirely real. Don't do it for the likes, or to go with your feed. Highlight genuine experiences and feelings on your social media platforms. Not only is it more fulfilling, but also other people appreciate reality, and reality isn't perfect. It's much easier to find happiness with yourself and your life when you post exactly what you want, not what you think other people want, so put down the phone and just eat the damn avocado toast.

Do the things you always say you want to do.

Once you filter out the wasted time that you normally would've spent staring blankly at your device, you'll realize that the day is long, and you can utilize your time to be a lot more productive than you ever thought. I use my newfound time to do things I always say I want to do but don't, like reading, yoga, or even just simply spending time outside and enjoying the sunlight. Also, it's crazy how much faster you can get work done when you're not refreshing your feed every time you complete one small task.

I really try to concentrate my attention on people when I'm physically with them. The only way to build relationships is to give those people your time and the attention they deserve. If you're not giving them your full attention, they will probably do the same back to you, and what's the point of that? Becky will still be on Snapchat in an hour, so the notification can wait, it really can.

If you stare at a screen more than you'd like to, you're definitely not alone. Be more conscious of the time you spend aimlessly scrolling, and please, join us here in the real world.