While cellphones are arguably the most convenient tool of the century, they`re also the greatest enablers of your social media addictions. After all, what could be easier than just the tap of your finder to open up one of our many online profiles?

The problem with using social media is that it is all too easy to overuse it. We get sucked down into the rabbit hole of keeping up with others and what they`re doing while forgetting to live in the present moment of your lives.

If you want to curb your social media addiction, or if you`re looking for ways to merely reduce your social use, look no further than these 7 tips.

1. Turn off your notifications. More than likely, your notifications are the primary way in which you`re pulled into using your social media platforms. After all, who can resist the ping of a notification on their phone? It could be your crush commenting on a cute pic of you! Eliminate distractions like these quickly by turning off your notifications, or at the very least reducing them significantly. When you`re not constantly getting alerts on your phone about what`s new, you won`t be as tempered to open your social media profiles.
2. Set a daily time limit. While it`s ok to use your social media from time to time, it can quickly get out of hand and become more of a lifestyle than a pastime, Limit your social media usage by allotting only a certain amount of time daily for you to access it.
3. Delete social media apps from your phone. Think about when you stand in line, or when you`re merely passing the time at your desk or on the couch. One way to reduce your social media usage immediately is to simply delete these apps off of your phone. As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
4. Limit your post frequency. If you`re someone that likes to update others on a moment-to-moment to the basis through status updates or tweets, try to limit it. Instead of twice a day, try once a day, and then scale it back to once every two days, once every three days, and so on. When you`re posting less, your engagement with others online will naturally decline, which means less notifications, and thus less distractions.
5. Resist the urge to “check in.” Bottom line: it isn’t worth compromising your safety, especially when others can predict your locations based on your previous check-ins.
6. Find other, healthier distractions. Check the news online, look up new recipes to try or read a book on the app.
7. Use other modes of communication. Instead of using built-in messenger apps to chat with friends online, stick to other modes of communication. Better yet, meet up with them in person to catch up!

That being said, there are a few things you can do differently to keep a healthier relationship with your social media. Don`t turn into a nerdy misfit, come out of your shell, and remember that live communication is better.