Quitting social media - is it worth it?
Last month I quit social media. Well, mostly. I still have Snapchat and Facebook, but I decided to part ways with Instagram and TikTok (for now). It has been one whole month since I decided to kick my bad habit of logging into Instagram and doom-scrolling, only to leave feeling worse about my time management skills and my brand.
“I’m clearly not doing enough.”
“Why am I not as successful as they are?”
“Why does social media work for them, but not for me?”
These are the toxic thoughts that would swirl around my brain daily since I decided to try leveraging my social media for my health coaching brand in 2023. It is so easy to feel the pressure of other peoples’ success, but it is so important to remember that influencers and content creators will only let you see what they want you to see, no matter how “transparent” they may seem.
All of 2023, I felt like I had tried it all. Posting certain times of day, posting consistently, posting and ghosting, popping on my stories and lives often, the works. And I wasn’t seeing any progress, which started to weigh on me. So shortly after the new year, I decided to take a chance and let myself breathe and deleted the social media apps that affected me most negatively - Instagram and TikTok.
So, it’s been 30 days. How do I feel? Has it been hard?
Short answer: I feel great! And it’s been so easy!
But just like everything you see on social media, it’s not that simple.
Yes, I feel like I have more mental clarity, less anxiety, and better focus, which is surprising for me this time of year. Could it be the sunshine…? Maybe. Or could it be that I am not scrolling right before bed and right when I wake up? Maybe my cortisol levels are going back to normal? Who knows, but I do know that I feel a lot more clear-headed this month with less anxiety and stress.
Underlying the positives, however, I have found hidden layers of guilt around not being able to form a “healthy” relationship with social media. All my friends still use it - why can’t I have my cake and eat it, too? This comes with reminding myself that I can, and that it is perfectly okay to detox from social media for a while. How long that might be, I’m not sure, but I know that I want to return with purposeful intentions such as creating content that I enjoy and not letting the voices of others influence my decisions for how I decide to interact with my page.
If you can’t take a complete break from social media, then I instead recommend trying out a few apps that I have found useful for curbing my social media addiction: Opal blocks certain apps from being used on a schedule you create and it is stricter than just using the Apple time limits, and ClearSpace makes you take mindful moments before opening specific apps throughout the day.
Anyway, I hope this serves as a reminder to you that it is okay to take breaks from things that also bring you joy. Taking breaks is a great way to return with a fresh perspective and newfound gratitude.