So, now that an addiction to social media has been identified (and remember, this includes email), let’s look at a few effective ways to free yourself from its grasp …

TIP #01 … REDUCE YOUR ON-LINE TIME

This one is pretty obvious, actually – simply choose to spend less time on-line … A LOT LESS time on-line. One of the best ways to do so is to schedule your Internet time at the beginning of each week, and then stick to your schedule – NO MATTER WHAT. When you are working on your computer outside of your “on-line time”, close all web browsers and “smart applications” that might tempt you to “just check in for a second”. Use an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake you each morning so your cell phone doesn’t linger nearby while you are sleeping.

Essentially, if you need more than one hour a day on-line, then you do have a serious addiction, and could very well stand to earnestly reevaluate your life and how you are living it.

“By not tweeting, you are tweeting. By not tweeting, you are sending the message that there are far more important things to be doing with the limited time we all have.” ~ anonymous

TIP #02 … “ALTRUIZE” YOUR ON-LINE TIME

Regardless of whether or not you succeed in limiting your virtual time to less than an hour a day, it is very important that you choose to make the time you do spend on-line Meaning-full time.

*Instead of posting about what you are having for lunch, post about the ways you are nourishing your community (or the ways you have seen others do the same).

*Instead of commenting with hollow humor, sarcasm or outright rejection, try typing something Kind (“nice or nothing” is a good matter for any communiqué in your life).

*Instead of debating politics or arguing about religion, choose to be openly respectful of others and openly respect their beliefs (especially if you don’t agree with them).

Essentially, make your daily social media use a time to inspire others with your deepest True Self instead of distracting them with your superficial “small self” — a time to raise others up instead of bring them down; a time to compliment instead of condemn; a time to remind others that social media outlets are tools of transcendence and not mere escapes into ego.

“The things that bring others Happiness are what get the most Shares.” ~ inspired by Chris Bogan

TIP #03 … REPLACE your VIRTUAL LIFE with a REAL ONE

Most importantly of all, it is time to let your addiction to social media inspire you to go forth and Be the Change You Wish to See.

*Every time (or at least every other time) you feel the urge to log-on “just to see what’s going on”, choose instead to turn off your computer and go find someone who needs smile.

“In some ways, Facebook levels the playing field of friendship stratification. In the real world, you have very close friends and then there are those you just say “Hi” to when you pass them on the street. Of course, there is no reason why we cannot have the courage to treat everyone we meet as a close friend.” ~ inspired by Prof. Jason Kaufman

*Every time you feel the urge to log-on to take part in a discussion or otherwise comment on a post, choose instead to go and do an anonymous Kind Deed for your community.

“Actions speak louder than words.” ~ Brian Solls

*Every time you feel the urge to log-on “just to chat” with a friend, choose instead to turn off your computer and actually go meet with a Friend face-to-face (see pic).

“In real life, social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about face-to-face experiences.” ~ inspired by Mike DeLorenzo

Remember, my Friends, THIS WILL NOT BE EASY. The ego is especially fond of social media — an addiction that encourages us to refuse to act with Courage; an addiction that persuades us to forgo opening up to others in favor of hiding behind the “safety” of a cold computer screen.

And as I’ve mentioned in other posts, no matter what tactics you use to deal with your addictions, fighting the ego forcefully never brings lasting results.

The ego is the source of all your addictive desires, and whenever it feels threatened or attacked in any way, it simply recedes to the back of your mind, quietly gets stronger while you think you are “making progress”, and then bursts forth at a later date twice as strong as it was before.

Fortunately, there is always a readily available alternative to dealing with your ego – a method that is extremely effective, and that only involves three simple steps:

*Step 01) ACKNOWLEDGE your Ego … Recognize your desire to “connect” to others via social media, and recognize where that urge comes from – your ego’s constant fears; that you don’t have enough “support” in your life to keep you happy, or that you don’t have enough “friends” to keep you safe.

*Step 02) CONSOLE your Ego … Choose to thank your ego sincerely for all it has done in your past (especially your infancy and your childhood) to keep you safe and keep you sane. Without its fearful vigilance in your youth, you might indeed have “gone crazy” or even perished. Even though it is currently trying to keep you “safe” (surrounded by lots of virtual “friends”) by destroying the only way to true Safety (selflessly Caring for others), it is still doing the best it can. So be gentle with it … Reassure it that you are not going to stop chatting on-line forever – just for this one moment; let it know that you are not going to stop “connecting” via social media forever – just for today. This approach will allow your ego to relax long enough for you to engage the all-important …

*STEP 03) TRANSCEND your Ego … Most importantly, WHILE you are still experiencing the desire to log-on and post or chat, get up, go forth, and Be Kind. You just have to DO something – anything, it doesn’t matter what – designed solely to bring another person Peace or Joy. For as long as you choose to do so, you will be completely urge-free, and at least in these moments, you will no longer be addicted to social media.

And, if you can manage to perform these 3 Steps just one time, then all that will remain to transcend your addiction is for you to simply live on joyfully until the next social media craving returns — and then engage the same 3 Steps again (& again & again & again).

The more often you do so, the easier it will become to follow your conscience instead of your instincts,

… to hear the Call of your True Self over that of your ego,

…. and to show others your Love as opposed to your fear.