Last week I decided to take a break from social media for twenty four hours. I had never done a social media detox before successfully, and decided now was the time to try. Social media can become overwhelming, and bring you down at times, so it is important to take a break every now and again. Here are reasons you should take a social media detox, and how to implement a social media detox.
Why You Should Do a Social Media Detox
A social media detox is when you consciously make the decision to not use social media for a period of time. I decided to do just 24 hours for my first social media detox, but I am sure I will implement longer detoxes in the coming months. I decided to do a social media detox as I have been feeling stressed and anxious, and social media only adds to this. I also find that social media can be a HUGE distraction in my life. I had never taken a break from social media intentionally ever, so I felt that it was something important to do.
While 24 hours is not a long time, it was long enough for me to see some real improvements in my mental health and productivity. Here are the 3 benefits I found of my social media detox:
1. I felt less anxious and worried
I felt that I was in such a better mood when I was not using social media. Social media can make us anxious and worried without us even realizing. I think part of it is that we compare ourselves to other, at least I know I do sometimes. I wasn’t worried about whether I got new followers, lost followers, received likes or any of that (and by the way, I did NOT lose all my followers because I was not present on social media for a day!).
2. I was much more productive
I actually completed 95% of the things on my to do list, which is something that NEVER happens for me! I found I was more focused in my job, and much more productive when I was doing tasks.
3. I spent much less time on my phone
When I wasn’t checking social media every few minutes, I found that I actually did not use my phone as much. I think this alone helped to improve my mood, as I was not staring at a screen for most of the day. I was much more present and able to enjoy my time.
How to Implement a Social Media Detox
The night before my social media detox I logged out of all my apps, so that I wouldn’t accidentally find myself on them out of habit. If you are planning to do a detox for a few days or weeks, I would recommend deleting the apps, to remove any additional temptation. The three main forms of social media I use are Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, so I made sure to log out of them, as well as Snapchat. I found that a couple of times I actually clicked on apps mindlessly, so it was important that I had logged out of them.
It is important to tell someone you are partaking in a social media detox to help hold you accountable! Too often we tell ourselves we will do something, but we are not disciplined enough to see it through. By telling someone of your intent to partake in a social media detox you are more likely to stick to it. If you are planning on doing a social media detox for an extended period of time, it is important to let your friends know, and give them an additional means of contacting you. You can easily do this by posting on your Instagram story, messaging them, or sharing a quick post.
Overall, I found a social media detox to be so important, and is something I will definitely be implementing on a more regular basis. If you need to be productive, whether it be for school, work, or in your personal life, implement a social media detox, and you will be amazed at your increased productivity!
I hope you found my post on why you should do a social media detox useful! As always, thanks for reading!
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