19 Ways New Yorkers Can Stay Grounded When Social Media Feels Overwhelming

Social media can be exhausting. One minute you’re looking at funny dog videos, and the next you’re deep in a rabbit hole, wondering why everyone else seems to have their life together.

It’s a powerful tool for connection, but it’s also one of the biggest reasons people feel anxious and distracted.

Here are some ways New Yorkers can stay grounded when social media feels overwhelming.

Log Out After Each Use

Logging out of apps is a pain. But it works.

The small act of typing your username and password again gives you a chance to pause and think. Do you really want to check right now, or are you just bored?

It’s not as intense as deleting the app, but it’s like putting a safety latch on your own habits.

You can still get in if you need to, but it’s no longer effortless.

This trick is especially helpful at night. If you have to log back in before bed, there is a good chance you’ll give up and sleep instead.

Set a Daily Time Limit

Social media apps are designed to keep you hooked. The endless scroll, the autoplay videos, and the constant notifications all work together to pull you in for longer than you ever planned.

That’s why setting a daily limit is one of the easiest ways to stay grounded.

Most phones now come with built-in screen time settings. When the alert pops up telling you that you’ve reached your limit, it feels like a wake-up call.

Even cutting your time down by 30 minutes a day makes a difference.

That’s three and a half extra hours a week!

Instagram will be fine without you, and your brain will thank you for taking the break.

Curate Your Feed

If your feed feels like a swamp of negativity, you can fix it. Unfollow or mute accounts that make you anxious, stressed, or annoyed.

If someone’s posts always spark comparison or irritation, ask yourself why you’re giving them that space.

The mute button is an underused gift. It lets you take a break without the drama of unfriending.

Once you have cleaned house, refill your feed with things that actually lift you up. Funny memes, food accounts, travel pages, and even pottery reels.

Seeing a recipe for lasagna feels better than another post convincing you that you’re not doing enough with your life.

Turn Off Push Notifications

Every ping and buzz pulls your brain away from what you’re doing. Most notifications aren’t urgent. They’re just bait to get you to open the app.

Turning off notifications gives you control back. You decide when to check in, not your phone.

The peace that comes with silence is instantly noticeable. Your pocket no longer feels like it’s vibrating every five minutes (…or five seconds).

Life is calmer when your phone stops acting like a toddler demanding attention.

Go for a Walk Without Your Phone

Try leaving your phone behind for even a short walk. At first, it’ll feel strange. You’ll instinctively reach for it, only to realize it’s not there.

That’s when you’ll notice everything else.

You’ll hear the crunch of leaves, smell the food from someone’s backyard grill, and notice things you usually tune out.

Without notifications pulling your focus, your brain gets the break it desperately needs.

It’s a reset button anyone can press, and it doesn’t cost a thing.

Journal Instead of Scrolling

When your brain feels overloaded, journaling is a healthier outlet than doomscrolling.

You don’t need a fancy setup. Grab a notebook and any pen you can find.

Instead of absorbing everyone else’s opinions, journaling lets you process your own. Putting thoughts on paper helps you see what’s bothering you instead of letting it swirl around in your head.

Some people keep gratitude lists. Others write bullet-style notes. Some just scribble rants.

All of it counts.

Limit Social Media Before Bed

Scrolling right before sleep is like drinking espresso at midnight. The blue light keeps your brain awake, and the content keeps your mind spinning.

Setting a cutoff time, even 30 minutes before bed, helps your brain slow down.

Try replacing the scroll with a book, a podcast, or a magazine. Slowing down signals to your body that it’s time to rest.

You’ll wake up less groggy and start your day without TikTok drama stuck in your head.

Connect With People Offline

Social media is good for staying in touch, but it doesn’t replace real conversations. Talking to a friend or even your neighbor can ground you in ways no app can.

Face-to-face interactions are unedited. Nobody adds filters or captions in real life.

It doesn’t need to be a big event. Invite someone to walk with you, grab a quick coffee, or just sit and chat.

The connection you feel will linger long after the conversation ends.

Practice Deep Breathing

Scrolling often puts your body on autopilot. Your shoulders tense, your breath gets shallow, and you don’t even notice.

Deep breathing fixes that.

Take a slow inhale, fill your lungs, and release it fully. You’ll feel calmer within seconds.

The best part is you can do it anywhere: on the bus, at work, and even mid-scroll.

Nobody will notice, and yet your body will thank you for it.

Try a Social Media-Free Day

Going a full day without social media might sound impossible at first, but it’s easier than you think.

Once you commit, you realize the world keeps turning, and you didn’t miss much at all.

Picking one consistent day, like Sunday, makes it feel like part of your routine. Over time, your brain starts to expect and even look forward to that break.

Without constant input, you suddenly have time for hobbies, rest, or just sitting in peace without reaching for your phone every few minutes.

When you log back in, you’ll probably laugh at how little you missed.

Keep a Gratitude List

Comparison is one of the biggest stressors on social media. Seeing highlight reels from other people’s lives can make you feel like you’re falling behind.

A gratitude list flips that perspective.

Write down three things you are thankful for each day. They can be small. Maybe it’s your morning coffee, a good playlist, or finally getting a decent parking spot.

Over time, you train your brain to notice the good in your own life instead of constantly measuring yourself against someone else’s.

It’s a small practice with a surprisingly big impact on your mood.

Use Airplane Mode Strategically

Airplane mode isn’t just for flights. Turning it on for an hour or two is an easy way to create space from your phone.

During meals, workouts, or family time, flipping that switch helps you stay present. Nobody really needs to be reachable every second of the day.

The imagined urgency is usually just that—imagined.

Most things can wait until you’re done eating or finished with your walk.

Think of airplane mode as a quick boundary that tells the world, “I’ll get back to you later.”

Replace Scrolling With Reading

When you’re bored, scrolling feels like the default, but reading changes the pace completely.

A book, a magazine, or even an article holds your attention in a healthier way.

Reading slows your thoughts instead of speeding them up. It takes you out of the fast dopamine hits that apps are built on.

It doesn’t have to be long. Even 10 minutes with a story is more grounding than another 50 posts in your feed.

You probably won’t remember most of what you scroll past, but you’ll remember a good book.

Focus on One Platform at a Time

Trying to keep up with every app is exhausting. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn all have their own tone and their own drama.

Instead of juggling them all, pick one platform you actually enjoy and let the others sit for a while.

Your brain will feel lighter, and your time online will feel more intentional.

It’s not about being less social. It’s about protecting your energy.

Redecorate Your Home Screen

Out of sight really does mean out of mind. Moving social apps off your main home screen cuts down on autopilot scrolling.

Put them in a folder, or move them to the last page where they are harder to reach. The small inconvenience forces you to pause.

While you’re rearranging, try putting helpful apps on your main screen instead. Notes, books, or a meditation timer are great choices.

It’s a simple shift that makes your phone feel less like a distraction and more like a tool.

Practice Saying No to Trends

Not every viral challenge, dance, or hack is worth joining. Social media thrives on trends, but that doesn’t mean you need to chase all of them.

Learning to say no gives you mental space back. It also means you won’t feel pressured to constantly keep up with what everyone else is doing.

You can still enjoy watching trends without feeling like you have to participate.

Sometimes being a spectator is the most relaxing role of all.

Take Breaks During Work Hours

Scrolling at work seems harmless, but those “five minutes” add up quickly.

Before you know it, you’ve lost an hour and your to-do list is still sitting there untouched.

Setting clear boundaries during work hours helps you stay more focused. The bonus is that you feel less stressed later because you actually accomplished what you needed to.

Social media can then feel like a reward instead of a sneaky distraction.

Separating the two brings better balance to both your job and your downtime.

Meditate, Even Briefly

Meditation can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be long or complicated. Even sitting quietly for two minutes with your eyes closed makes a difference.

You don’t need an app or a course. Just breathe, notice your thoughts, and gently bring your focus back when your mind wanders.

It’s less about perfection and more about giving your brain a chance to rest.

It grounds you in the moment and reminds you that you’re more than your feed.

Remember Social Media Isn’t Real Life

The posts you see online are curated, filtered, and edited. People are sharing their best moments, not their everyday reality.

It’s easy to forget that when you are scrolling, but keeping perspective makes all the difference.