Elsa’s essential tips on studying and stopping the social media spiral

eNurture youth panel member, Elsa, took over our Instagram during YoungMinds’ #HelloYellow Day (8 October) and World Mental Health Day (10 October). Elsa posted her inspiring content on balancing university studies with spending time online. She has followed this up with her essential guide on how to stop the social media spiral.

Having recently started my second year at University, I’m finding that one of the most difficult challenges is balancing spending time online and my university workload.

It can be difficult to switch off from social media sometimes to focus on other things, I find myself picking up my phone every 5 minutes and ending up in a perpetual scrolling spiral, which can often lead to me getting frustrated with myself too.

I have, however, developed a few strategies which help me from falling into that rabbit hole, here are some of my tips:

Turning my phone off or putting it on silent when I’m working. This might seem small, but in fact it does remind me that I’ve set aside this time for working when I pick up my phone and it doesn’t work!
Setting a daily limit on how much time I spend online and putting reminders on my phone. Some apps even have this reminder built in which you’re able to set up to suit your preferences. This doesn’t always work miracles because reminders can also be easily ignored, but it does give you a little nudge if you find you’ve lost track of the time!
Finding different spaces to work in. This one is really helpful for me. I went to my uni’s library for the first time this week (hadn’t been before because of online learning last year), and I found it really helped to be in a quiet space with other people. I felt a lot more focused and less distracted than I would be at home or in some other settings. It also means that I’m able to relax a lot more when I get home because there’s more of a distinction between my ‘work time’ and ‘chill time’, which was definitely missing last year!

Using books instead of reading / writing on a laptop all the time. I find the screen break quite refreshing and enjoy a change in the way I work from time to time. Remember, stepping away from the internet doesn’t always mean social media and constantly researching online all the time can also become overwhelming and exhausting.

Taking a break from all of it and just getting outside for some fresh air. Sometimes it all becomes a bit overwhelming! Give yourself space to get some fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors! I find this more difficult to remember during the winter because it gets dark so early and the weather isn’t always very inviting, but scheduling in little walks or other short activities is important and will be super valuable in taking care of your mental health.
Finally, remember to be patient with yourself! I still haven’t mastered all of these things and am learning to give them a go in small steps to find which ones work best for me. For me personally, taking some time away from it all and getting some fresh air always helps me to reset and refocus. There might be something different which works for you and you might need to try out a few things to work out what it is! Try not to get frustrated with yourself, if you’re finding the balance difficult at the moment, you’re definitely not the only one! As we all get into routines a bit better the way we manage our time will become clearer, but I find it’s always a little bit tricky getting used to a new academic year!

Take care and look after yourselves.

Elsa Arnold
eNurture Youth Panel member