I wrote this post back in 2018 and I found the detoxing of my time more valuable that the detoxing of my body. I would recommend both types of detoxing. I have returned to writing, up early and getting at least a couple of chapters created, working all day, and returning to the keyboard for an hour or two at night. It is amazing to me how the scenes and the words flow early in the morning. I am now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and my goal is to treat myself with the third and final book in my series Reflections of Love. Yes, it takes discipline and I hope you enjoy my reposting of one of my favs. Here it is:

WHILE I DETOX, I CAN DETOX MY TIME is my message today. I started a 28 day detox tea regiment and it came to me that while I detox my body from those years of unhealthy eating, I could detox my time. I have been changing my WOE for a couple of years and have maintained my diabetes without having to go the route of insulin. I have decreased my meds through consistent changes and adjustments to my lifestyle. However, while changing my eating habits I became “addicted” to social media and maneuvered into a dependent state to post every thought and every food I prepared and I think I exchanged the toxicity of bad food to bad management of my time. Have you felt this same dependency? How many times a day do you check all of the social links such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In, etc? Can you go a day without looking? If not, you may benefit from my detoxing my social life while detoxing my body. Let’s think about it.

To kick it off, I found a great article in Psychology Today

Mark D. Griffiths Ph.D.

In Excess

Addicted to Social Media?

What can we do about it problematic, excessive use?

Posted May 07, 2018

The use of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tinder has become the cornerstone of modern communication and connection as it allows users to create a sense of belonging and redefine their way of being. Despite the many positive benefits and impacts of these sites, the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal has reignited discussions about the place of social media and social networking sites in our lives.

From a mental health perspective, concerns have been raised about the negative impact of excessive use of social networking sites on the health and wellbeing of users, especially that of young people, who are enthusiastic users of this technology. Back in 2011, Dr. Daria Kuss and I were the first academics to systematically review the scientific literature on excessive social media use. Although there were few studies at the time, we did find that for a small minority of individuals there was a significant detrimental effect on many aspects of their life, including their real life relationships and academic achievement among those still in education. We argued that such signs are indicative of addiction.

Over the past five years there has been a proliferation of studies assessing how excessive social media use can impact negatively on health. In a recent paper Dr. Kuss and I again reviewed the latest research on the topic and showed that social media use for a minority of individuals is associated with a number of psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and addiction. Because social media is most frequently accessed via smartphones, their usage is intimately intertwined and their mobile nature contributes to excessive checking habits, which often derives from what is commonly labelled as the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO).

The good news is that very few people are genuinely addicted to social media. However, many people’s social media use is habitual and it can start to spill over into other areas of their lives and be problematic and dangerous, such as checking social media while driving. Other behaviors may be annoying rather than dangerous, but may be indicative of problematic social media use, such as checking social media while eating out with friends or constantly checking your smartphone while watching a movie at the cinema. Others may snub social contact with their loved ones or friends and prefer to check out social media on their smartphone instead (so-called ‘phubbing’).

If you want to check whether you may be at risk of developing an addiction to social media, ask yourselves these six simple questions:

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about social media or planning to use social media?
Do you feel urges to use social media more and more?
Do you use social media to forget about personal problems?
Do you often try to reduce your use of social media without success?
Do you become restless or troubled if you are unable to use social media?
Do you use social media so much that it has had a negative impact on your job or studies?

If the answer to all six of these questions is “yes,” then you may have or be developing an addiction to using social media. We say “may” because the only way this can be confirmed is through a diagnosis from a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist.

If you answered “yes” to a few of these questions, it is more likely that you are a habitual social media user and that what you should do is engage in ‘digital detox’ strategies that simply allow you to reduce the amount of time spent on social media. This can include simple steps, such as turning off sound notifications and only allowing yourself to check your smartphone every 30 minutes or once an hour. Other simple steps include having periods in the day where there is self-imposed non-screen time (such as during meal times) and leaving your smartphone in a separate room from where you sleep (just so you don’t get the urge to check social media before bedtime, during the night, and when you wake up).

At a societal level, steps need to be taken by governments or organizations to help minimize and (in some cases) prohibit the use of mobile devices. Some such steps are in place in many countries, such as the banning of smartphone use while driving. Given the loss of productivity in both the workplace and educational settings, employers, schools, and colleges need policies in place to ensure that individuals are focused on what they should be doing. Many schools ban the use of smartphones in the classroom. Prohibition in other contexts such as workplace settings may also be justified if it is practical to do so. Some restaurants are now providing discounts on food bills if customers refrain from using their smartphones during their meal. These positive reinforcement strategies may well be the way forward in trying to decrease time spent on smartphones checking social media.

Digital literacy and awareness of the effects of excessive social media use need to be embedded with work and educational settings. More controversially, social media operators (such as Facebook) could start using their behavioral data to identify excessive users and provide strategies to limit time spent on their products. This is already being used in the online gambling industry and could easily be applied by social networking sites.

For the small number of individuals that are genuinely addicted to social media use, treatment is warranted. However, the goal of treatment for this type of addiction (unlike many other addictions) should be controlled use rather than total abstinence, as it is not feasible to stop someone from using devices that have Internet access (i.e., their smartphone). The most successful type of treatment for online addictions appears to be cognitive behavioral therapy (which is a talk therapy designed to help people change the way they think and behave), although there are relatively few published studies examining its efficacy in relation to internet addictions. Other more specific ways of how to treat individuals with excessive and addictive Internet use, including social media use, have also been outlined elsewhere.

This probably has you thinking how much time you spend with social media. Please do not misunderstand as I am not advocating total withdrawal as in my eating program I allow myself some “good toxins” and they are my fixes. They allow me to continue the healthy way of eating by not being so rigid that I begin feeling sorry for myself. This same way of thinking can and should go over into social media activity. Use your time wisely; read encouraging posts; eliminate those negative nannies; and avoid arguments; and realize if people on social media are missing you when you take a break you must have done something right in your posting. But your social media life is not YOUR LIFE so we have to be careful, as I had to realize to not live your life online. LIVE LIFE; LOVE LIFE; LIVE AND LOVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST by living it and not posting it. Sharing is wonderful and reconnecting to friends but share yourself with your friends and family while we live.

Side note from blog author, Arline Miller: I have taken a break from regular posting on my social media links and have spread my blog posts slightly. I have noticed the internal detox seems to be calming my body and the break from social media posts have allowed me time to do some individual family things. I miss the interaction but I feel I have been freer to rest, meditate, and spend quality time. No, I am not giving up all of the interaction as a dear friend, Mary Kathryn Gentry, who had a precious fur baby Tobey and we said goodbye to him and we have watched her grieve. On a sneak in to Facebook, I see she is getting a new fur baby, a mini Aussie this Saturday and you can believe I will have to see those welcome to your home photos. She will have the best smile on her face and I do want to see both her and her husband happy.

(C) Copyright 2012-2019 Arline Miller with all rights and privileges reserved. Third party material, if source is known, is referenced to original author and location.