What I Learned From My Social Media Break
Social Media Break Breakthroughs
The Why:
For one month, I decided to take a social media break from both my personal and professional social media channels (Instagram and Facebook).
We were coming back from a wonderful 3-week vacation, and since my “typical” routine was already off, I thought it would be an easier slide into cutting the cord. During our vacation, I spent far less time scrolling than normal and I wondered what my days would be like if I didn’t get stuck doom-scrolling and if I didn’t feel the pressure to “create content” for my business. Quite frankly, these were parts of social media that sucked the joy from me and a digital detox sounded enticing.
The Details
My personal definition of a “Social Media Break”:
No logging on the apps or desktop to scroll the feed
No posting Stories (a repost OK if someone tagged me)
No sharing Photos or Reels
It is OK to reply to messages or comments (not everyone will realize I’m on a break)
It is OK to utilize Facebook Groups as a tool (I am a part of a couple professional groups, and Facebook is the primary way information is shared)
It is OK to adjust the Notifications and Unfollow as I saw fit (if I recognized that the person/brand no longer resonated with me, I edited)
What I Learned
There is a definite ITCH to open those apps; it was highly uncomfortable and took some time for my itch to subside
I didn’t realize how often I randomly opened up the app anytime I was bored. This was an eye-opener because I never considered myself to be someone who got bored. But, if I had a tiny moment of boredom (like waiting in line at the Costco gas station) or even watching a TV show, that itch was REAL.
I used it to procrastinate more that I wish I did. This was a difficult pill to swallow, because I really love being productive. When I didn’t feel like doing something, I’d want to scroll (and somehow 2 minutes turned into 2 hours — HOW?!). But during this break, instead of scrolling, I was forced to sit there in my discomfort of procrastination and then do something else.
I wish I could say that during my regained hours of time back, I created a masterpiece or finished a huge impressive project. But, the truth is — that while there was nothing big produced, I did feel small tiny changes in focus. I had a little more space to read, work out, and sleep better. I especially noticed that shift on November 1st, when I allowed myself freely back on…and realized how scary easy it was to slip back into social media distraction.
I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY missed seeing my good friends’ posts, reels, and stories ~ especially the ones of their kiddos! While picking up the phone and chatting to catch up is fantastic, it really can’t replace actually SEEING moving video of the little ones in action.
My Social Media Safeguards
After a month off, I was reminded of the many joys of social media and I was excited to gain full usership again. However, because social media can be so distracting for me, I wanted to create intentionality behind my usage as a safeguard. (Instagram is the bigger addiction for me than Facebook, so my current strategy aligns with that). My strategy:
Utilizing the “Favorites” feature of Instagram - so when I want to quickly peek at only my friends or favorite accounts, I can!
Editing the Push Notifications
Focusing on staying in my own lane when it comes to business content creation
Do what I want, not because the ever-changing algorithm says to — my purpose and main focus is to organize and help my clients get organized; it is not to be a Digital Creator or Instagram Influencer (which can be full-time roles on their own as it is!)
Build an account that is authentically a reflection of me, so my followers and community know who I am and what they can expect when they work with me
Remember to be present + remember the quote below ❤️ ⬇️
“You cannot both comment on the action and be a part of the action at the same time.”