Thank you for everyone who took part in our #HSUSocialPledge! We hope you found it helpful to be offline for a day. 

We know that sometimes social media makes it easier to connect with others, but too much screen time can stop you from doing things that might be beneficial for your mental wellbeing. It’s worth checking in with yourself and asking ‘am I using this in a productive manner?’ to stop yourself from mindlessly scrolling or comparing yourself to others.

If you want to keep the momentum going, here are some handy tips that can help you get a handle on your screen time!

1)    Schedule your screen time.

If you love to mindlessly scroll, this could be the tip for you! If you set aside an hour a day to become a social media zombie, that will still itch that TikTok scratch! If you use a particular app a lot, you could slowly wean yourself down from multiple hours to just one over the course of a few weeks. You might even find that you need it less after that.

2)    Have a tech-free zone.

It’s always useful to have certain areas in your house that are complete technology dead zones. For example, in bed! The blue light from your phone screen can make it harder to get to sleep, so make the choice that there should be no phones or laptops in bed. Your bed should be your safe space to rest and if you’re scrolling, you’re not resting!

You could decide that the kitchen/dining table should be just for cooking and eating too. If you need a recipe, why not write it down so you aren’t tempted by social media? A whiteboard in the kitchen could be really useful for this!

3)    Download an app.

If you’re really struggling, there are some apps that can help you reduce (or completely shut down!) your habit. Some apps include Forest and OffTime, that limit your screen use. The Forest app even lets you grown little trees for all your hard work and to motivate you to keep it going. However, If you need a more nuclear option - the app SelfControl is available for your computer and will simply block any website you ask it to for a number of hours. 

We hope this list helps and as always, practicing self-care, in whatever way that works for you, should always be a top priority. If you find that you are in need of a helping hand, our Advice Centre is always here to help.