Picture this: You wake up in the morning, and before you even roll out of bed to start your day, you're already reaching for your phone to check social media - and the next thing you know, you're still in bed 30 minutes later. Or maybe you're in bed, ready to turn it in for the evening, and instead of going straight to sleep, you've just spent two hours scrolling.

Behavior like this has become the norm, as our phones and social media have become ingrained into our everyday lives – and while social media is fantastic for connecting us with people from all over the world and making marketing more accessible than ever for creators and small businesses, studies show that these benefits come with a significant cost to our mental health. 

The average user spends 2.5 hours on social media per day, and data shows that our time on social media has negative implications on our mental health. According to brightfuturesny.org, 59% of adults who use social media report that it has impacted their mental health, and 37% of people on social media report feeling FOMO (fear of missing out). Social media's negative impact on our mental health leads to behaviors like doom scrolling, constantly comparing ourselves to others and relying on likes and comments to validate our self-worth. As social media increasingly becomes an intrinsic part of how we connect,  engage, and work, we must determine ways to combat the toll it can take on our mental health. This is where social media wellness comes in. 

Social media wellness is about creating boundaries with social media to use it in a healthy way. It is especially important for business owners, content creators, social media managers, and anyone who uses social media for their work, since limiting your time on social media might be more challenging. If this sounds like you, keep reading for a guide on how to practice social media wellness. 

Set boundaries around your social media usage.

The best way to maintain a healthy relationship with social media is by setting healthy boundaries around how often you're using it. Aim to limit your social media use to two hours or less per day. You can manage the amount of time you're on social media by: 

Limiting screen time: Most smartphones now have settings that enable you to set time limits on certain apps, including social media. Determine what times you want to have 'social media breaks' throughout your day, and turn on this setting on your device to help manage your social media use.

Turning off post notifications: Let's be honest - do you really need to know every time someone likes a post you shared or when one of your friends just posted? These notifications can be really distracting and lead to doom scrolling. An easy fix for this is to turn off post notifications. Find instructions on how to turn off post notifications for Instagram here and TikTok here.

Posting and ghosting: Do you constantly check social media after you publish a new post to see how it's performing? Avoid doing this by scheduling your content in advance using Planoly's quick scheduling tool, which helps you schedule your posts in minutes without having to actually login to social media..

Curate your social media experience.

The content you see and engage with on social media can directly impact your mood, so it's important to curate your feed to show you content that makes you feel good.

Train the algorithm: When you engage with content by watching it, liking it, or commenting on it, you are telling the algorithm that you want to see more content like it. This means that if you engage with content that evokes negative feelings, you'll see even more of it. Train the algorithm by being mindful of the content you're engaging with.

Hide likes: Studies have shown that seeing engagement metrics such as likes on other people’s content creates a comparison trap that leads to negative feelings like discouragement from posting or even depression. Take advantage of tools that help you avoid comparing yourself to others, like Instagram's feature that allows you to hide other people's likes. 

Practice mindfulness: If there are pages you follow that don't make you feel good but you don't want to unfollow them altogether, try muting their pages instead.

Take regular digital detoxes: Sometimes, taking some time offline in the real world is essential to our mental health. Tools like Planoly can help you schedule content so you're still active even if you're not on social media.

While social media can negatively impact our mental wellness, social media is also an excellent place for making friends, building community, and so much more. With these social media wellness tips, you can continue to enjoy what you love about social media without compromising your mental health.