• HOME
  • About
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Destinations
    • North America
      • United States
        • Arizona
        • Florida
        • Hawaii
        • Nevada
        • South Dakota
        • Utah
        • Wisconsin
        • Wyoming
        • National Parks
      • St. Lucia
    • Europe
      • Faroe Islands
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • United Kingdom
    • Oceania
      • French Polynesia
        • Bora Bora
        • Tahiti
        • Hawaii
    • Africa
      • South Africa
    • Hotel Reviews
  • Travel Tips
    • All Travel Tips
    • Cultural Competence
  • Travel Essentials
    • Gift Guides
    • Packing Ideas
    • Travel Outfits
  • Travel Photography
    • Camera Gear
    • Photography Tips
    • Photography Guides
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Search

    Let's be friends!

    We’re co-creators of our life. That means, if y We’re co-creators of our life.

That means, if you don’t like your life, you have the freedom and power to change it.

👉🏼 If you don’t like your job…
👉🏼 If you’re burnt out and tired…
👉🏼 If you want more joy in your life…
👉🏼 If you want to travel the world…

…You (and only you) can change your current circumstances. This may feel intimidating, but it’s actually completely liberating. Take a deep breath!

How will you make a happy life? 🤍

#inspirationalvideos #inspirationalthoughts #travelreel #travelreelsoninstagram #travelquotes
    The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 🌺

📍Sapphire Beach & Magen’s Bay

#stthomasvirginislands #stthomasusvi #usvi #usvirginislands #visitusvi
    Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on a budget ☝🏼

Although I have stayed in some nice hostels and tasted some delicious cheap street food throughout my life, this type of travel is for a VERY niche group of people.

So what about the rest of us? Those of us who love luxury travel and meaningful cultural experiences but also love comfort, security and convenience?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to luxury travel on a budget:

✔️Travel hacking flights.
✔️Using Google Flights to track down the cheapest flights.
✔️Booking 4/5-star hotels on Hotwire.
✔️Cruises (the newest addition to my budget travel tips)!

As always, I’m here to answer any budget travel questions you have (hmu in the comments or DMs). If you want to learn my exact strategy for how to travel on a budget, click the link in my bio. ✈️

#budgettravel #luxuryonabudget #travelonabudget #luxurytravel #travelreel
    I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the wind. 🌬

Where will the wind take us next? (Hint: it’s one of the biggest cities in the US!! 🌃)

#travelerlife #travelbloggers #travelblogger
    7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊 We were o 7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas ship, and, let’s just say, there was no shortage of entertainment.

Between the free comedy shows, karaoke bars, Olympic-level figure skating, rock climbing, zip lining, surfing, pools, hot tubs, Broadway musicals and MORE, there’s no way you can be bored while on board.

Would you sail on Oasis? 🚢 

#royalcaribbean #oasisoftheseas #cruisetravel #cruisevacation #travelreel
Travel Blog

Indigo Sahara

A travel blog: teaching cultural competence through inspirational travel

  • Destinations
    • By Location
      • North America
        • Canada
        • Haiti
        • St. Lucia
        • United States
          • Arizona
          • Florida
          • Hawaii
          • Illinois
          • Nevada
          • South Dakota
          • Utah
          • Wisconsin
          • Wyoming
          • National Parks
      • Europe
        • Faroe Islands
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • United Kingdom
      • Oceania
        • French Polynesia
          • Bora Bora
          • Tahiti
        • Hawaii
      • Africa
        • South Africa
    • By Travel Type
      • Dream Vacations
      • Adventure Travel
    • Hotel Reviews
  • Travel Tips
    • All Travel Tips
    • Cultural Competence
  • Travel Essentials
    • Gift Guides
    • Packing Ideas
    • Travel Outfits
  • Travel Photography
    • Camera Gear
    • Photography Tips
    • Photography Guides

How to Maintain Mindful Social Media Use while Social Distancing in 3 Easy Steps

April 20, 2020

Let’s play quick a game. Raise one hand. (Do it — if you dare.)

Put a finger down if your screen time has gone up in the past month.

Put a finger down if you have posted on social media sometime during the current coronavirus outbreak (could be a static post, Story or even an instant message).

Put a finger down if you have watched a TikTok video (or 100+) in the past month. (Maybe you have watched so many that you actually understand where I got my idea for this intro…)

Put a finger down if you have scrolled on social media in the past four hours.

Put a finger down if you have been wanting to do something specific while at home (i.e. read a book, exercise, watch a new movie or play a game) but have chosen to pick up your phone instead.

Out of fingers yet? Yeah, me too.

In a world that is entirely stuck in social isolation, how are we supposed to obey state stay-at-home orders, stay connected with friends, keep our mental health in check and still limit our social media use all at the same time?

Well, what if I told you that using social media mindfully while social distancing can actually help you accomplish all of these demands? Here’s how to be mindful in your social media use while social distancing.

1. Detox your social following.

(*Cough*) We’ll call it: “social media distancing.”

There are probably a lot of people that you are following on social media that you don’t have to be following, and I promise you, from first-hand experience, that hitting the unfollow button will feel like a burden is being lifted off your shoulders.

They say spring cleaning is a good annual habit anyway, right?

Here are the accounts you NEED to unfollow:

  • Toxic ex-friends/partners.
  • Anyone who triggers anxiety, depression or harmful memories.
  • Anyone who is negative or, for lack of better words, mean to you.
  • Anyone you compare yourself to physically, financially, emotionally, intellectually or academically.

Social media is breeding ground for comparison to begin with, and that is the last thing we need when we are forcibly isolated into our own self-deprecating thoughts day in and day out.

Now, here are some other accounts that you could unfollow:

  • People you haven’t talked to in three years and will probably never talk to again.
  • That random, “cool” kid you friended on Facebook in middle school even though you never actually met them in person. (Don’t be embarrassed… We all did it.)
  • Private meme accounts. Get rid of those feed-flooding suckers. Your friends can’t see the (rarely) funny posts you share with them anyway.
Facebook gives multiple options for unfollowing. Unfriend them, unfollow them so you won’t see what they post, or “take a break” from their content.

Do yourself a favor and unfollow. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

2. Fill your feed with wholesome content.

Out with the old. In with the new.

Now that you’ve rid your social media of negativity, it is time to replace the white spaces with some positivity. While still keeping your following count minimal, follow a few accounts that aim to uplift and inspire their target audience.

I personally love following writers and content creators who are personable, genuine and down-to-earth. Hannah Rheaume from “The Sunny Side of Things” (@hannahrheaume), Sammi Robbins from Alive & Free Consulting (@sammirobbins_) and Dr. Nicole LePera (@the.holistic.psychologist) are a few of my current favorites.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hannah Rheaume (@hannahrheaume)

3. Focus on creating social content rather than consuming it.

The news is saturated and scary. Limit how often you check the news, and limit your sources of news updates for the time being. If you are consuming news-related content on social media, always remember to fact check before you panic. Anyone can post anything on social media.

That being said, creating content applies to everyone, not just “content creators.” Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram like you did less than four hours ago, try using your time to draft a post of your own.

  • Change your Facebook profile picture and update friends with pleasant description of what you’ve been up to.
  • Post a photo with some old friends, encouraging them and thanking them for their lifelong companionship.
  • Journal out what life has been teaching you lately in your captions. How are you using social distancing to better yourself? How are you keeping yourself busy — and more importantly, how are you keeping your mind healthy? Is social distancing taking a toll on you? Sharing these details with transparency will seamlessly create a sense of authentic community online.
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Indigo Sahara | World Traveler (@indigosahara)

Isn’t that exactly what we are all craving during this time of social distancing? Authentic community? You see, healthy, real community is right at the edge of our fingertips if we use these fingertips to tap (literally) into mindful social media use.

Remember: you have control over your fingertips! Use them to plant positivity. Use them to cultivate social and virtual healthiness.

By: Indigo Sahara

About Indigo Sahara

Indigo Sahara is a full-time travel blogger and photographer who has lived abroad twice, journeyed through 10+ countries and learned multiple languages. Since graduating with her master's degree, her goal now is to make travel accessible to all.

you’ll also love

washington island wisconsinThings To Do On Washington Island All Year Round
travel gifts for friendsTravel Gifts For Friends Under $25 That They’ll Actually Use
One Day In Positano: The Perfect Day-Trip Itinerary

Get exclusive content.

Stay up-to-date & receive the latest travel guides and tips right to your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David C Piehl says

    April 25, 2020 at 2:30 am

    Another excellent article Indigo. Love Grandpa.

    Reply
    • Indigo Sahara says

      May 6, 2020 at 4:20 am

      Thank you! Love you!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

TRAVELING AND THE CORONAVIRUS: A pilot daughter’s perspective

Primary Sidebar

Meet Indigo

Meet Indigo
hello!

I'm Indigo, a 24-year-old full-time traveler who believes that travel should be accessible to all. Join me in pursuit of boundless exploration, peace, compassion and cultural competence!

Read More

Let's Be Social

get exclusive content

Search The Blog

Pinterest

Facebook

Indigo Sahara

Follow On Instagram

@indigosahara

We’re co-creators of our life. That means, if y We’re co-creators of our life.

That means, if you don’t like your life, you have the freedom and power to change it.

👉🏼 If you don’t like your job…
👉🏼 If you’re burnt out and tired…
👉🏼 If you want more joy in your life…
👉🏼 If you want to travel the world…

…You (and only you) can change your current circumstances. This may feel intimidating, but it’s actually completely liberating. Take a deep breath!

How will you make a happy life? 🤍

#inspirationalvideos #inspirationalthoughts #travelreel #travelreelsoninstagram #travelquotes
The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin The crystal clear waters of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 🌺

📍Sapphire Beach & Magen’s Bay

#stthomasvirginislands #stthomasusvi #usvi #usvirginislands #visitusvi
Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on Who says you need to stay in hostels to travel on a budget ☝🏼

Although I have stayed in some nice hostels and tasted some delicious cheap street food throughout my life, this type of travel is for a VERY niche group of people.

So what about the rest of us? Those of us who love luxury travel and meaningful cultural experiences but also love comfort, security and convenience?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to luxury travel on a budget:

✔️Travel hacking flights.
✔️Using Google Flights to track down the cheapest flights.
✔️Booking 4/5-star hotels on Hotwire.
✔️Cruises (the newest addition to my budget travel tips)!

As always, I’m here to answer any budget travel questions you have (hmu in the comments or DMs). If you want to learn my exact strategy for how to travel on a budget, click the link in my bio. ✈️

#budgettravel #luxuryonabudget #travelonabudget #luxurytravel #travelreel
I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the I hear “indigo” is the brightest color of the wind. 🌬

Where will the wind take us next? (Hint: it’s one of the biggest cities in the US!! 🌃)

#travelerlife #travelbloggers #travelblogger
7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊 We were o 7 days at sea with @royalcaribbean 🌊

We were on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas ship, and, let’s just say, there was no shortage of entertainment.

Between the free comedy shows, karaoke bars, Olympic-level figure skating, rock climbing, zip lining, surfing, pools, hot tubs, Broadway musicals and MORE, there’s no way you can be bored while on board.

Would you sail on Oasis? 🚢 

#royalcaribbean #oasisoftheseas #cruisetravel #cruisevacation #travelreel

Footer

Blog

  • Destinations
  • Travel Essentials
  • Travel Tips
  • Travel Photography
  • Camera Gear
  • Cultural Competence

Info

  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund And Returns Policy

stay in the know

Copyright Indigo Sahara © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue