While “Facebook addiction” is not a medically approved term, the reality of Facebook addiction is certainly creating problems for many of us. Therefore, I am here to help you to get rid of such reckless addictive behaviours via three constructive steps.
1/ Admit
You can never fix a problem unless you recognize it. Don’t beat yourself up, but be honest enough to admit that you are a Facebook addict. Telling your family or friends will even help you to stay accountable and contingent, you don’t have to feel bad about it at all.
“Face your problem, don’t Facebook it.”
2/ Aware
Every psychological trigger we discussed last time (See: 3 Psychological Reasons why you are addicted to Facebook ) won’t necessarily be 100% relevant to you, just focus on the ones that are. Be mindful of whatever actions that might provoke the addictive habit is always crucial. If you’re not sure what makes you hooked to Facebook, try to record the following details in a journal until you identify a common trend:
What do I Facebook? (Scrolling, sharing, creeping, notification checking…)
When do I Facebook? (As soon as you wake up, right before you go to bed, on a gathering, in-between meals…)
What happened right before you Facebook? (Something stressful, happy upsetting… … whatever you believed to be significant)
3/ Alternate
After understanding why you are so into Facebook, replace it with a positive alternative that you can track or measure in some way. Trust me, it’s a very easy to eliminate a bad habit once you decided to pick up a good one. For me, I applied this idea by choosing to dance every time I was tempted to check my Facebook.
Exercise sparks dopamine production, which exert a number of health benefits that promote positive well-being and even counter negative mental states.
Fighting against Facebook addiction can be tough, but trust me and most importantly trust yourself, YOU WILL PREVAIL! Stay encouraged and don’t forget to share and pass it along on Facebook! #sarcasm
