You have just finished your evening routine, yawning with arms outstretched and getting ready for a restful night. But not just yet as your phone pings for another notification.
You open your news feed, and pretty soon you find yourself grinning as you scroll through funny memes your friends have shared. A little while later you glance at the top of the screen by chance and gasp. 3 am.
But it had only been a few minutes ago!
Is this a familiar pattern?
If you’re nodding or thinking “that looks like me” then you could be one of the millions worldwide whose sleep is interrupted by continually browsing through Internet memes.
What is intended as a relaxing activity becomes a problem when you drag yourself out of bed the following morning, then yawn all day and stare blankly at your computer at work.
What can you do when your attachment to memes gets out of hand?
Set boundaries. When too much screen time interferes with your daily functions, it’s important to impose boundaries regarding computer usage. How many hours can you spend each day looking at memes without falling short of family or work responsibilities?
Get social. And I don’t mean social media, as you well know this is what feeds your meme addiction in the first place. Instead, aim for face-to-face interactions. Doesn’t it feel better when you see an actual smile rather than a smiley, and get an actual hug instead of XOXO?
Be accountable. Enlist the support of trusted friends and family who will regularly check up on you and ask how long you’ve spent meme-watching for a given day (answer honestly!) and if you stray, lovingly correct and steer you back on course.
Change your routine. When you fall into the pattern of checking memes as a quick pick-me-up when feeling stressed at work or bored at home, recognize that you’re in this trap and get out of it quickly. How about taking a break to catch a breath of fresh air outside the office? When you’ve got too much time at home, why not meet up with nearby friends or sweat it out at the gym? Time spent connecting with others and exercising does wonders for your mood, sleep and overall health.
Put things in perspective. You want happy and fulfilling relationships? A long-overdue promotion? How about a big grin on your graduation day as you proudly hold on to your diploma? These things simply wouldn’t happen when you don’t get your priorities right.
Memes do give us the laughs. But like all other addictions, it makes the people you are close to feeling left out and make you unable to function your best at work or school. If you want to set yourself free so you can make your goals and dreams come true, then you have to make a commitment to curb your addiction to Internet memes and stick to it.
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