My phone beeps and buzzes. I wake up and shut it off. Looking at the screen, I see notifications from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Messenger.

Immediately I scroll through Facebook. Forty-five minutes pass.

Jumping out of bed I panic, “Now I’m going to be late for work!”

Throwing my hair in a bun, I skip my morning routine: yoga, journaling, and breakfast.

I get to work just in time. When my break comes I spend it scrolling through social media.

“I want those new leggings.”

I buy the leggings even though they aren’t exactly in my budget...

By the time I get home from work, I’m exhausted. As a family we sit on the couch, watch TV, and eat the supersized meal I picked up on the way home.

Again, I open my favorite social media platform.

I scroll to an influencer’s picture. “I wish I looked like her,” I sigh.

An advertisement pops up. “The next iPhone is out. I need it!”

Buzz goes the phone. It’s a notification from my Bible app. I read the suggested verse for the day.

“Great,” I say, “ Now I can check off I spent time with God.”

This is a picture of my life not long ago.

One day turns into a week. A week turns into a month. A month turns into a year. Social media can distract us from focusing on the life we want to build. Bad focus is an Oola blocker and it takes two forms:

1. Lack of Focus

2. Misdirected Focus

When social media is utilized poorly it results in an un-Oola life by distracting us. Social media can also fester into an addiction which misdirects us from the Oola Life. Addictioncenter.com estimated that 5% - 10% of American’s meet the criteria for social media addiction.

If you find yourself losing focus in any of the 7 F’s, it might be time to change how you approach Social Media.

Maybe you need a break. Take what you need; a week, three months, or whatever you decide.

Or try setting boundaries such as:

• Social media free Sunday

• 10 AM opening time for Social Media

• No phones at the dinner table.

The good news is you get to make the rules to avoid bad focus and utilize this tool to your advantage.

Used properly, social media can enhance living the Oola Life. In fact it’s a very powerful tool. During this Covid-19 pandemic, social media has proven its worth. Different platforms provide different opportunities to excel in the seven F’s: Fitness, Finance, Family, Field, Faith, Friends, and Fun.

Here are some ways social media can enhance the Oola Life:

• Connect to communities with like-minded people

• Showcase creativity and uniqueness

• Spread social awareness and advocate for movements

• Learn new information or a skill

• Attend school online while traveling the world

• Discover new recipes and ways to get active

• Opportunities to earn an income

• Stay connected to long distance friends and family

I find myself in a completely different headspace when I utilize social media to enhance my life instead of running it.

Finding balance, between being present in the current moment, and planning as if I’m going to live forever, is Oola.

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Hannah Minchew is a Certified Oola Life Coach. You can reach her by email at hannahminchew@gmail.com.