Curbing My Social Media Habit

An easy and effective fix—and I owe it all to a Fellow Substacker

Happy Friday, friends! I’m foregoing my usual “set your timer and write” encouragement today because many of us are already on vacation, even if it’s only in our minds. Give yourself permission to take that break I talked about on Tuesday. Unless writing is your break. For me, it often is.

Photo by Kristel Hayes on Unsplash

I’m gonna keep this post short since there’s so much going on at the moment and you’re likely being inundated with emails from retailers shouting out their holiday sales. Hey, at least it’s not political emails, though I’m getting a lot of those, too.

But remember last week when I complained about how much time I waste on the internet and social media? I’m both happy and sad to say that post resonated with many of you. Happy, because I’m not alone, and sad, because I hate that it’s a problem for some of you, too.

My friend, fellow writer Bryon Quertermous, made a simple suggestion in the comments:

“It might sound weird, but I’ve cut my social media time waaaaaay down by using the Kindle app on my phone. I do so much reading now instead of doom scrolling and I love it.”

After kicking myself because I didn’t think of this on my own, I decided to try it. You know what? It’s working. I’ve almost finished a book in the last several days by choosing to read using the Kindle app on my phone instead of wasting time on social media.

I haven’t given up social media entirely, but I’d say I’ve cut it by at least 50% in general and nearly 100% in the morning, which has historically been the time I’m on social media the most. It’s also the worst time for me because it sets me up for a day of distraction rather than centering stories, inspiration, and creativity during those crucial morning hours. Choosing to read instead has made all the difference.

Sure, I can pick up a book or my actual Kindle, but this is easier because the first thing I do in the morning is read the news on my phone while I’m drinking my coffee or having breakfast. This is a habit I don’t want to change. As negative as the news has been, it’s how I stay informed, and I don’t consider it a waste of time. With that said, my instinct is to move on to social media apps as soon as I’m done, and that’s what I hoped to change. Using the Kindle app on my phone means one less device or item I have to cart around the house with me.

Another change I’ve made is subscribing to Duolingo. I’ve been honing my Spanish using the app for a few months, and it’s replaced my nighttime social media habit. I’m not sure I’ll ever be fluent (a bucket list item), but my listening comprehension and grammar have definitely improved.

So, thanks to Bryon for taking the time to comment. You can subscribe to Bryon’s substack, Magic to Do, here and visit his website here.

I’m always down for more suggestions about curbing screen time. If you’ve got more of them, send them my way.

This will be the last Twist & Turns newsletter of the year. I’ve enjoyed writing these for you so much and I thank you for joining me on this ride. I’ll return with regular content on Friday, January 5.

Until then, I wish you a good rest, lots of reading and writing, and much love. Happy New Year!

Holly xx