So, when I was around 13 - last year - i had a question, and it's stuck with me ever since for reference, that question being "why do i feel like i repeat the same cycle of life every day?"
And, let me be unfiltered with you, last year I was just like most of my friends - addicted to games, scrolling through social media, listening to music - and don't get me wrong, this is all good to do - but in moderation. And so it got me thinking, why am I addicted to music? Why am I addicted to mindless scrolling - note how i said mindless, i'll get back onto that later.
so,I decided to do a bit of research, and then I found out this science term called 'dopamine' - in short definition it's like your brain's reward system to instant-gratification activities. The reason you find social media addictive is because you have a shot of dopamine released every time you do it.
But hey - I coined a little cheat to be more productive by utilising second order consequences which ultimately practises your awareness and mindfullness. I'd like to share it in the form of an analogy - i call it the TV analogy. Let's say you buy a TV for £2k, right. What's the second order consequence? Well, you have to think what happens next - that being now you need to feel obliged to spend time watching the TV, right? Wait, so now that means you can't do what you planned to do for the rest of your day, oh wait- that also means you therefore become unproductive, right??!
This is where you mindfullness practise comes in, by thinking in second-order consequences, you're resetting the awareness levels of your brain, it's almost as if you've taken a break from something addictive completely, but thats not what we're trying to do. By utilising this technique, you're making yourself more aware of your actions, you'll know once you enter that game that "hey I might become addicted to it", but you can control it now. But, second-order consequences could be implemented in any scenario of your life, this process applies in any situation.
So, here's the deal: be aware. No need to quit social media cold turkey - I still use it too, but in moderation. You should acknowlege your social media consumption, and not social media's consumption of you. So, now that you've hopefully freed up some time - ask the question to yourself, why do you feel like you're repeating the same cycle of life every day?