HealthyLife Articles

Tag: pause

Social Media Breaks

WELL-BEING

Taking regular breaks from social media is a healthy way to refocus and prevent it from taking over too much of your time. When you return, you will hopefully have a clearer idea of social media’s role in your life and the boundaries you need to use it well.

Try these tips to have a successful social media break:

* Set a clear time frame for your break. It could be a week to a monthlong goal.

* Alert your followers to your upcoming break.

* Temporarily disable your accounts, or delete the apps from your phone.

* Plan an alternate activity for when you’re tempted to check social media like stretching, having a glass of water, phoning a friend, or deep breathing.

* Choose an accountability partner to keep you on track.

* Make a plan for how you want to use social media after your break.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Seek Downtime Daily 2

SleepWell® Program

Week 4

Downtime is idle time between activities. Examples are the moments you have waiting at a red light, the time spent riding in an elevator, and the extra time during a lunch break.

Idle time allows your brain to rest and process and store information (how you learn and form memories). If you’ve ever had a great idea come to you in the shower, you know how creative your mind is during this time.

Often, multi-tasking steals this time away. The resulting “addiction to activity” does not let your mind rest during the day. The result can be a feeling of being busy all the time. You may feel like you need “time to think.” If you go all day without downtime, it can be harder to quiet your mind at night and go to sleep.

Practice letting your mind rest every day. If you are used to filling your time with multiple tasks at once, the following exercise may be eye-opening!

Try this: Sit in a room for 15 minutes and do nothing. Don’t look at your phone or seek any other distractions. Let thoughts enter your mind.

Reflect:

How did you feel at the end of 15 minutes?

Natural Ways to Include Downtime Daily

* Turn off notifications on your phone. Set aside time for social media during the day-and avoid it at other times.

* Listen to music instead of the news or talk radio while driving. Or, sit in silence and let your mind wander.

* Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take five minutes of “blank space” time in your day.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Seek Downtime Daily

Healthylife® Weigh

Part 6

Downtime is idle time between activities. Examples are the moments you have waiting at a red light, the time spent riding in an elevator, or the extra time you have during a lunch break.

Idle time allows your brain to rest, process, and store information (how you learn and form memories). If you’ve ever had a great idea come to you in the shower, you know how creative your mind is during this time. Appreciate downtime to reduce feelings of boredom.

Often, multi-tasking or a feeling that you must always be doing something steals this time away. The resulting “addiction to activity” does not let your mind rest during the day. The result can be a feeling of being busy all the time. You may feel like you need “time to think.” If you go all day without downtime, it can be harder to quiet your mind at night and go to sleep.

Practice letting your mind rest every day. If you are used to filling your time with multiple tasks at once, the following exercise may be eye-opening!

Try This: Sit in a room or outside for 15 minutes and do nothing. Don’t look at your phone or seek any other distractions. Let thoughts enter your mind.

Reflect: How did you feel at the end of 15 minutes?

Ways to Include Downtime Daily

* Turn off notifications on your phone. Set aside time for social media during the day-and avoid it at other times.

* Listen to music instead of the news or talk radio while driving. Or, sit in silence and let your mind wander.

* Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take at least five minutes of “blank space” time during your day.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026