Ah, summer. The leaves are coming in, cherry blossoms are blooming and little puppies are skipping through the park. All of a sudden your phone buzzes — of course it's twelve notifications from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, whatever you use. Don't get me wrong, social media is great. These sites provide closer connections with friends and family while allowing you to stay in the loop with current events and news. However, you may form addictions that can be harmful to your everyday tasks.

Social media can be harmful when you're posting all the time and constantly checking on who comments and likes them. I, for one, am anal about my Instagram pictures. To be perfectly honest, they give me a sort of validation that I'm not so proud of and I'm sure that's true with many other people. If you're the kind of person to get hung up on these sites, here are some ways you can unplug and enjoy your summer.

Limit your posts to once a week

Sure, that sunset looks great and your butt is popping in that bikini, but Facebook and Instagram probably have enough of those pictures floating around. Decreasing the number of posts you publish can not only decrease your notifications, but also prompt you to pull your phone out less when on vacation.

Turn off notifications

I've listened to my notification buzzes so much that I can actually tell which app is making which buzz. You do not want this — it's crazy people stuff. Try turning your notifications off for the time being and enjoy your day reading at the coffee shop. Yes, your Tinder matches will have to wait to be graced with your presence but at least you'll get some peace for the day.

I would not turn them all off though as that would be overkill. Friends and family may attempt to contact you with general questions or inquiries through these sites, which of course, you would want to receive.

Be a Busy Bee

Buzz around town like those emerging summer bees. Pack your to-do list with errands and projects you've put off during the year. Make a run to the grocery store and try meal prepping for the week or attempt (and probably fail) that DIY headboard project you saw in the magazine. Making yourself busy will distract you from your phone and give you a clear mind to focus.

Bring Things Offline

Do you have an app for a to-do list? The news? Your coffee shop? Bring these things offline and use a good ol' paper and pencil for your lists, a newspaper for the news (it's even in the name!) and order at the coffee shop. Yes, you do take up more time, but do you always have to be efficient in the summer? Taking time and manually doing these tasks require no phone and give you time to sit back and relax.

Set Bedtimes

Set specific times during the night when you stop using your phone all together. The blue light from smartphones and tablets have been proven to keep you up at night and give you a restless sleep. Doing so will just lead to more time on apps and less time catching up on that beauty sleep.

These seem easy enough right? Although they seem manageable on paper, few people can actually go through with them. So, what do you say? Let's unplug for the summer.