Why & How You Should Take A Social Media Break
Taking a break from social media and technology in general is super important for our mental health & life in general. It’s so easy to get distracted by the internet and not concentrate on spending time with the people around you or yourself.
This post has come at a great time as I am sort of on a social media break while you’re reading this. I won’t have access to Wi-Fi for the next few days as I am moving house – so I’ll probably be a bit quiet on social media (but will still post when I can).
And don’t worry, I completely see the irony in me writing a post on the internet and sharing it via social media, talking about taking a break from that exact thing.
I personally don’t hate social media – I actually really enjoy it. I love seeing the adventures that people get up to, places that people have travelled to and just general day-to-day stuff (I’m quite a curious person). Also, as many of you know I live in Liverpool and the majority of my friends & family live in Wales – so social media is one way that I keep in touch with them.
But how you use & see social media has an impact on how you often see yourself and the world.
I am currently (and have been for a while) unfollowing people on social media whose content no longer brings me joy or aligns with who I am & want I want from life. By doing this, my social media feeds are now filled with content that I want to see, from people I want to see content from. I only want to follow people who share real life, the ups & the downs, through their content. It’s a long process, but I’ll get there.
This is definitely something that I recommend you do too, if you notice yourself comparing your life to those you are following. Lots of social media users just share their best bits online and don’t show how they’re really feeling or what they’re doing. However, there are users out there who share real life – including the bad bits.
And this is also what I want to do with my content. I am always honest with what I talk about and am open about when I’m happy, when I’m sad and every other emotion in-between.
So, lets look at some tips & ideas for your social media detox.
Do Something That You Wish You Had More Time For
I’m constantly saying that ‘I want to read more, but I never have enough time’. But I can sit, and binge-watch shows on Netflix, or scroll Instagram & Twitter for hours. I generally do these things when I’m tired and I want to do something that takes little energy. But I could still be using this time for reading or other easy activities. I have started to get better at reading though, as mentioned in a recent blog post.
So, whether you want to read more, go on more adventures or do some spring-cleaning – whatever it is that you want to do, see what happens if you take some time away from constantly scrolling.
Delete/Move The Apps
Going on social media can be more of a force of habit than a conscious decision. It feels like your thumb does it without control. If you delete the apps or just move them to a different folder, away from where they usually are, this can help reduce the chances of you mindlessly using them.
Take note of how often you pick up your phone & hover where the apps used to be. It can help show you how much you use them.
You can even download apps that limit your phone use. I’ve heard of one where you grow a tree while not using your phone – and then it dies when you use it. I don’t need that kind of sadness in my life, but I know a lot of people love it!
Make It Work For You
If going completely cold turkey and not using any sort of social media or technology is too much for you; don’t do it! Focus on allocating yourself short snippets of time throughout the day to use social media. This could be as small as leaving your phone in another room before you go to bed, so it’s not the first thing that you look at when you wake up. I personally use my phone as my alarm as I’m yet to find an alarm clock that doesn’t just irritate me with it’s ringing first thing in the morning…
However, I am getting better at putting my phone down before getting wrapped up in bed and reading a book or chatting to my other half instead (although since lockdown I have started playing Sims FreePlay again, so I always end up on that for a little bit).
Last year I took part in Digital Detox day which was organised by the team at Zoella and IAmWhole. I gave myself time to have a super relaxing day, taking care of my mind & body and just being in the moment. I did really enjoy doing it, but I do think it was linked to the fact that lots of people were doing it – so I wouldn’t be missing out on much, as there wouldn’t be many people sharing online.
However, since then I have started reducing how much time I spend on social media. On weekends I try not to share anything at all (if I’ve had a busy week & have been quiet on socials, I will sometimes share on the weekend to sort of make up for it). I also spend less time scrolling, as I try to dedicate at least part of the weekend to blog stuff – whether that’s writing blog posts, planning future things or just doing some general admin bits. I am also so much better at not scrolling while watching something (although my other half needs a bit more convincing to do the same).
What’s your relationship with social media like? Do you find is easy to take a break or do you struggle to put your phone down for more than a moment? Let’s chat in the comments!
Cerys x
