Struggling to balance your online and offline life?

Is this an actual problem? Well, barring urban millennials - for whom social media life is not separate from real life as it’s what they have experienced and grown up with- this holds true for the majority of us and yes, it is indeed a problem faced by many.

"But it's just an extension of us it online or offline so then how can you say we live two different lives" you ask.

True! But it does not matter given we have only got a limited number of hours in a day so clearly, we have a fixed time that gets spread across spending our time online and offline. Hence, the demarcation and the reason behind living two lives.

Though, for some, an online presence has opened the doors of opportunity that they never imagined existed but for many, there have also been repercussions  majorly on a personal level:

• Loosening their offline interpersonal relationships since not enough time is given to them- This takes away the social support group that would stand by you and care for you in good and bad times, and vice-versa
• Increased issues of loneliness and anxiety living an online life mostly and/or being prone to compare yourself with others
• Some platforms encouraging the culture of creating a surface level or superficial connections, instant gratification and hence lesser chances of actually building a strong relationship over time

Living a well-balanced life – online & offline – is crucial. Someone might suggest, why to bother, rather cut-back from social media altogether. If that works well for you, go ahead. To each his own.

However, for most of us, being present and staying engaged on social media is not just a choice but a necessity for so many reasons. For instance, to remain active in your professional groups online, for promoting your business online, staying in touch with our family and friends who are away or stay abroad, just to name a few.

Hence, it is not just important but necessary to give a hard look at our time spent online and recalibrate it mindfully so as to live a well-balanced life- online and offline.

This calls for taking proactive measures continuously to find and strike a balance. It’s important to take conscious efforts to expand our social circle (particularly offline) so we've got a support system, a community that we can rely upon. They will be our safety net and provide us with comfort during our down days. And you can be that from them too :)

Two simple and effective tips to do so are:

1. Limit your online time and social media usage.
2. Organize your time and actions, in other words have your to-do lists ready and prioritized for your online time.

Thanks for being with me so far, hope you find these tips useful. Also, would love to hear and discuss your thoughts, experiences, and opinions on Opined. Please do share.