Why Instagram is the Enemy for Overwhelmed Moms and 6 Ways to Break the Addiction
Self-Care
Productivity Hack
As a mom, I used to waste PLENTY of time on social media, and my guess is you too are guilty. In the limited downtime we have as moms, we all know Instagram is a time sucker, yet we spend time on the Gram anyway! Why is that we are sometimes addicted to know about OTHER people's/influencer/brands life ? Is it to escape our reality? Are we avoiding the tasks or goals that would actually fulfill us, but take time? I heard this notion that when we say "YES" to something, we are saying "NO" to something else.
When you say "YES" to spending time on social media, you are saying "NO" to spending time on matters that serve your life FAR more. When you are a mom, we have very LITTLE time for US! You are saying "NO" to the time where you can spend on YOU or what YOU need to refuel like self-care!! Maybe it is the time you could be attacking a goal. Maybe it is calling a dear friend. Maybe it is making better food choices because you have time. Maybe it is going for a run. Maybe it is coffee date with your mom. I mean who doesn't want more sleep?
And let's be honest, a good chunk of us unfortunately following accounts that make us feel bad...or even worse, makes us question if we are a "good enough" mom. By following accounts that make you feel less pumped about your body, your home, your income, your circle of friends, this only ADDS to overwhelm, doesn't it? The more overwhelmed we are, the less productive we are going to be.
Here are 6 Mindset Changes to Break Your Instagram Habit
1) You say you have no time for self-care, yet you know what's happening to a bunch of influencers you follow? For every minute you are on Instagram, you are taking time away from your goals and self-care! If your goal is to get out of work on time to be with your family, or to have a less cluttered home, or stronger marriage, or more time to read, trade those Instagram minutes for what's going to positively have true impact for your life.
2) Use a timer. You may be so shocked on how much time you spend on writing a single Instagram post, or looking at other accounts. You can set a timer on your phone, or use this block. Give yourself an amount of time in a day that you can live with.
3) If you are using it and part of your goals is to increase your engagement and audience for your business, then use an app like Planoly or PLANN. Setting a timer on how many minutes you can spend on engagement on other posts is strategic, and when that timer goes off, you are back to business.
4) Analyze how much time you are spending on your phone. If you don't already, I love/hate the free app Moments. It tells you how much time you have spent on your phone and how many times you pick your phone up. Trust me, you will want to get your hours back after a few days of this app.
5) Once a month (more or less) go through the accounts you follow and delete unnecessary un-energizing accounts. There is absolutely no reason to have thousands of accounts you follow on Instagram. All that noise just makes your mind work harder, draining your energy for what matters the most to you, your goals and your self-care. Fill your mind with positivity and be energized, instead of deflated.
6) Remember your why. We all have a "why" that motivates us. By remembering that you deciding to become a stay at home mom to be with your children, yet spending 4 hours on social media knowing the ins and outs of other mommy bloggers family life instead of spending time on your own life, is a disconnect. If your "why" is to create financial freedom, then spending time on social media takes energy for your brain to work on different income streams or income strategy and your work at hand.
Try any of these tips and comment below if it has helped you! Now, believe you me, I really love Instagram, but the more I was disciplined on my usage, the more I was able to find a better rhythm to getting more done or being focused on my family. I'm not always successful, but I am more aware thanks to that Moments app.
For fun, I took a list of celebrities to see how many accounts they follow. I believe that the less accounts you follow, the less time you will spend on Instagram and get back to your life! Good luck mama, you got this!
Brene Brown: Follows 239 people
Justin Timberlake: Follows 244 people
Christy Teigen: Follows 886
Kim Kardashian (I know...but I had to): 121
Will Smith: 93
Time to evaluate the accounts you follow and and make sure they give your energy, versus take energy from you!