I recently watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix and it has me reflecting on the role that social media plays in my life. (If you have you watched it yet, go watch it immediately after reading this!) Let me tell you… it was WILDLY eye-opening and revealing for me, and is making me pause a bit more. Especially as a photographer and content creator, who uses social media for my business.

We’ve all been there—we open our phones and start scrolling without a second thought. Multiple times a day. Most of the time without even realizing it. It has become a crutch that can be detrimental and extremely distracting to other areas of our life if we let it.

I’ve been creating and enforcing more boundaries with devices (and social media) lately. While I think it’s easy to slip into mindless social media scrolling, I do believe there’s a balance we can uncover for working effectively online without it taking away from our health, families and friends, and personal lives.

Here are a few ways I’m practicing consistency on social media without it ruling my life.

01. DETERMINE HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO POST EACH WEEK

Like any type of goal setting, having a road map will help you be most effective in accomplishing what you want. Before you even tap on the app, make sure you know just how mch you want to show up every week. Maybe you want to post 2-3 times in your feed and show up in your stories for at least a minute. Or maybe you need to post every day to promote your offers or announce important news to your followers. That’s fine, too!

Whatever you decide, write down the frequency you want to show up (somewhere else, outside of the apps). Take it a step further, write your captions and plan your posts outside of the apps, too. This will keep you from the unintentional scroll-hole, and it will help you be more focused and creative when writing in a simple, distraction free place.

02. SET A TIMER FOR ENGAGING

The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that we are just going to “quickly” check and respond to people on social media before going on with our day or going to sleep. Suddenly, it’s been an hour and you’re still scrolling… sound familiar? I’ve gone so far as to fully catch up on my IG feed and then moving on to the endless “explore” page, hours after I’ve said I was going to bed.

Instead, I now set a timer for 15-20 minutes before I open my apps. Just like anything else in my business, scheduling out my social media time (and actually writing into my planner) has made a huge difference. Not just in how much time I spend on social media, but also with how intentional I am with the time I am showing up. Knowing I am limited on how much time I have, I prioritize responding to DMs and comments or engaging on others’ posts before my timer tells me to turn it off. You can stop yourself from falling down a rabbit hole before you it even happens, just by creating boundaries that you keep to.

03. TAKE TIME OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA

This may sound a little backwards, but taking time away from your social apps is actually beneficial to posting and showing up consistently. Try taking one day off every week. Go ahead. Don’t just set your phone aside or log out—delete the apps! And see what happens.

I’m guessing, after a couple weeks of doing this, you’ll find yourself with more time to actually be creative, spend time doing the things you “never have time for,” and you likely won’t even miss your apps. Social media can bring so much goodness into our lives, but it can also be a breeding ground for anxiety, fear, comparison, and depression. Intentionally stepping away will allow you to lean in to the vibrancy that other areas of your life offers.

Not to mention, just like you would take a vacation from work or breaks during the workday, stepping away from something often makes us more productive when we come back to it. If you’re feeling burnt out from social media, there’s probably a good reason. Take a break. Step away. Reflect on what really matters. Then come back when you are feeling ready—even if that takes a day, a week, a month. You may find yourself returning with more motivation to interact and show up for your community after a break like this!

04. DON’T FOLLOW PEOPLE WHO WILL DRAIN YOU

This one sounds like a no brainer, but we still do it. They say you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with—the same goes for who you follow on social media! Take a look at who you follow. Do they add joy and value to your life? Or, is what they’re posting making you feel back about yourself or life in general? If it’s the latter, UNFOLLOW THEM! And don’t give it a second thought.

We show up as our best selves, both in real life and online, when we feel empowered and confident. Following people and accounts that make you this way will allow you to pour from a fuller cup that if you follow a bunch of people who affect you negatively.

You are who you surround yourself with, so choose wisely!

05. REMEMBER: REAL LIFE IS OFFLINE

Anytime I start consistently thinking, “Oh I need to share this on stories!” Or I start going past the boundaries I’ve set, I know it’s time to reevaluate my relationship with social media. Real life is offline, happening around us. While I try to share real, authentic moments of my daily life on these apps, there is absolutely no way to capture every little thing.. and guess what—that’s OKAY! In fact, it’s nice to know there are things happening in my life that the world isn’t watch every detail of. Our worlds have become wrapped up in our screens, that we’ve forgotten to pursue a full meaningful life in the world around us.

Our priority shouldn’t be scrolling through other people’s photos and videos, it should be creating a life that beautiful and meaningful. If we happen to post a beautiful moment we captured or share something helpful along the way, that’s great! But it shouldn’t ever become our sole purpose or pursuit to share our lives online (yes, even for the online entrepreneurs and creators).

Social media is a powerful tool… but, boundaries are necessary. Especially in a space that’s so easy to become a consumer. Set your boundaries, get comfortable with them, and then log off and get outside. Live your life, knowing social media will always be there when you intentionally choose to return to it.