Let’s Normalize Time Away From Social Media
Through the years I’ve taken a number of “social media detoxes.” Every time I take them, they seem to get longer. This most recent one was unintentionally almost a year-long and going forward I have a few things I’m going to implement to make social media a safer space.
There are many reasons I’ve taken breaks from social media, a few being:
I was feeling drained in my everyday life and needed to put my energy elsewhere
I was falling into a cycle of scrolling and comparing
I was just bored and uninspired
I felt overwhelmed
I think we all need to have this awareness that whenever something isn’t adding joy to our lives it’s time to take a step back, reflect, and really think about why we’re involving ourselves in it in the first place. I remember one time my sister and I were talking about how fed up we were with Instagram in particular. She has her own business that she shares on that platform and I work as a social media manager for businesses that use Instagram as their primary platform as well. The algorithm changes so often, it’s turning into TikTok, your followers and new people still don’t see your posts… it’s aggravating. But we both agreed that social media, in general, has lost its fun, has taken peace, and doesn’t deserve to be a headache to us. Like, how crazy is it that we even feel the need to announce we’re taking a BREAK from social media???
Now, I’m not completely against social media because I think it can be a beautiful thing if used intentionally. But I do think that when we start to lose sight of the REAL purpose of connecting with others and it starts to take away from living our real life, it’s an issue. The sole purpose of social media is to connect with people all over the world. That’s why I’ve started my platform, to find like-minded people and build relationships. I’ve met some of my best friends through social media.
But without boundaries or intention behind WHY you’re using social media, it can become a dark place fast. I’ve been trapped in the comparison game, self-doubt, endless scrolling, and the screen taking priority over the present moment. Not to mention being on the wellness side of things, there’s burnout and overload of the same information being thrown at you. At a time when I was focusing on healing, I caught myself questioning whether I should try the information I was reading or listen to my body. It can just be so much NOISE.
When things start to get noisy or you feel off whenever you open the app, please remind yourself that’s not how you’re supposed to feel and take it as a sign to shut it down. Being more intentional and aware of how I feel in real life has helped me navigate how I show up online. If I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I’m staying away from any screens because I will just feel worse from sensory overload. If I’m feeling like myself and want to connect, I’ll gladly be sharing online - but with boundaries!
I really encourage you to do the same. Take inventory of how you’re feeling, live your life first, and share it with others second. Take breaks when you need and know that your overall well-being will benefit in the long run. Moving forward, let’s normalize setting boundaries, being intentional, and not making a huge deal or “to do” about taking breaks from social media.
Let it be a joyful part of your life, rather than your whole life or something that drains you.
This is what I’m going to practice for now:
Spend a time limit of 30 minutes a day during the weekdays. Along with no screens for at least two hours after waking up
No socials on weekends
Unfollow any accounts that make me feel heavy or “meh”
Choose a maximum of 10 accounts to show up on my feed - people who inspire, are role models, and add abundance to my life. Mute everyone else
Take at least an entire week off every two months to reset
Focus on building community, sharing my authenticity - the good, bad, in between - and make socials casual and fun again
Don’t give a frick about algorithms. Trust that the people who are meant to find me will at the right time.
I’ve already started implementing most of these boundaries and find myself feeling so much more joyful whenever I show up, share, and interact. I’ll say it again - the energy and intention behind WHY we use social media is everything!
There will be times in my life when I’m feeling aligned, vibrant, and will want to share as much as possible because it feels right. There will also be times when I won’t be bothered to be online because my reality needs my attention. Both are perfectly okay and I’m going to honor what I need when it comes up!
Do you have boundaries for social media? Let me know what they are so I can get some ideas!