Life without social media...

[Emsonline]

I'm contemplating deleting my social media for mental health reasons. But I'm honestly sat here wondering what I will do while I drink my morning coffee. I don't watch the news or any TV really. Sitting on my phone checking various accounts while I drink my coffee before the kids wake up, has sort or become my routine.

I've forgotten what I did with my time before smartphones and social media. Aibu or am I not alone?!

I'm really not sure what I did either. Help!

You are not alone.

Read a book, start reading the paper or listen to the radio.

It is a bloody difficult habit to break, I find myself having to check the weather if awake at 3/4/5am ... why?

Yanbu!

I’ve set up screen time limits on my iPhone because of this problem!!

I wonder what I used to do as well. I think before social media we all lived more in the present and took in what’s around us. I seem to remember being bored a lot more though.

Maybe try reading?

I don't really do much in the way of social media. FB and Twitter really don't attract me so although I have accounts on them (DD's school often updates via Twitter).

I read my book, watch or listen to the news etc. Sometimes I nip onto MN, but not actual social media sites.

How about something like a podcast or a book / magazine? I’ve stopped taking my phone into the bedroom and it’s amazing how much more I’m reading and talking to my husband!

I don't do any SM apart from MN. With my morning coffee i just kind of centre my head and think about the day ahead. Maybe make porridge if going retro!

Mumsnet, obviously

I read websites like notalwaysright.com. The stories are short, not like long blog posts

I'm pleased I'm not alone. I remember the days of MSN and bebo. Oh how they we're much simpler. Even then they were addictive. But to me msn was more who you were addicted to talking to lol

The worst experiences I’ve had of social media have all been on MN.

If I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep I look at mumsnet.

The through the night posters properly boggle my brains man. It's like a different mumsnet to through the day.

But some of those will be living abroad, gamerchick, or mums feeding their babies.

I understand that, have you seen it?

I read a lot more books !

I gave up social media. You can wake up later. Just stick the tele on when you're eating breakfast.

I think this is actually what stops me too and the fact that all my RL socialising is arranged through SM and I'd lose track without it. And distant family - it's good for sharing photos.

Some ideas though.

Start reading a paper/magazine/watching the news. You can get something highbrow, like National Geographic or New Scientist.
Stick breakfast radio on
Sit outside, or near a window. Put up a bird feeder if you don't have a nice/interesting view.
Start using a nice diary or bullet journal, and fill that in/review your agenda during your morning coffee.
Get a book of Sudoku or Crossword puzzles, or an adult colouring book.
Do "Morning pages" (a type of creative exercise where you just write whatever crap comes into your head, and you never go back and read it)

I think MSN was better for the single point - when someone was "online" you knew that meant "I'm bored, talk to me". With social media, we all have it on our phones so it can sneak in when we're meant to be doing other things.