Goals, Happiness, Healthy Life, Healthy Mind, Positive Living, Self Care

Should You Take A Break From Social Media?

July 21, 2021
By Stacey Lepitre

Take a break from social media and improve your well-being. Find out how and why you should do this.

Checking your phone first thing in the morning? Comparing yourself to other people on social media? Constantly feeling the urge to use your phone?

If the answer is yes, it’s time for a social media detox!

While it might seem difficult at first, separating from the social media roller coaster and taking a break might be the best thing you could do for yourself.

Did you know that more than 200 million people worldwide are estimated to suffer from social media addiction?

Social media is such an important part of our lives nowadays that we’ve become addicted to it. While it has numerous benefits, it can also have a negative impact on our lives. In fact, studies show that heavy social media use increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Therefore, you should not hesitate to take a break from social media the minute it stops being fun and it starts making you feel anxious or depressed.

Check out some of the main benefits of separating yourself from social media:

It will improve your mood: Research shows that the more time you spend on social media, the higher the chance of experiencing anxiety symptoms becomes. That’s why taking a break can significantly reduce your anxiety and improve your general well-being. Give it a try!
You will reconnect with the real world: Spending too much time on social media can make you forget that it is not, in fact, the real world. Use this break to meet your friends in person, to go out in public, or to just spend time by yourself in nature.
You will have more free time: Just think about how much time you are wasting on social media. Once you break free from this habit, you will be able to use all that time doing something productive or something that makes you happy.
It will be easier to focus: Smartphones are probably our greatest distraction. You have probably experienced the urge to check social media while working or while doing something important. It’s time to stop doing it, as it’s significantly impacting your productivity.

If you would like to take a break, but you’re not sure where to start or you think it would be too difficult, you’ve come to the right place. I am here to help you start your social media detox and improve your mental health.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Find your motivation

Why do you want to take a break?

Find your ‘why’ and write it down. Once you do this, you will feel more motivated. Then, whenever you feel tempted to pick up your phone and check social media, remind yourself of the reasons for giving it up.

Also, set a clear goal and stick to it. You can start with a short period of time, such as a day or a week, and then continue for longer if you feel the need to. Furthermore, at the end of the period, you can reward yourself if you’ve accomplished your goal.

2. Turn off your notifications

Whether you want to go offline for a few days, or just take a break for a few hours while you are working on something else, turning off your notifications should be the first step. If you do not do this, it will be extremely difficult to resist the temptation to pick up your phone every time a new notification pops up.

Also, studies show that notifications such as likes, comments, or messages make our brains release dopamine. This dopamine influx can cause addictive feelings, similar to the ones associated with drug use.

3. Put your phone away at night

One mistake people frequently make is always keeping their phone nearby, even at night.

Instead of doing this, try to put it far away from your bed or even in another room. This way, you will be less tempted to scroll on social media before going to sleep or right after you wake up. Not only will you do more beneficial activities before bed, such as reading, but it will also improve the quality of your sleep.

While it might sound a bit extreme, it is the most straightforward way to prevent yourself from using social media. Of course, you can still use the browser or the desktop to access them, but you have a much higher chance of resisting the temptation if you don’t have the apps on your phone.

Remember that this is just a temporary measure and that these apps can easily be reinstalled again, so there is no need to panic.

Final thoughts

Are you ready to take a break from social media? Start today and enjoy the benefits of the offline world. Remember that while it might seem difficult in the beginning, it can make you feel happier and more relaxed in just a few days.

Are you willing to try it? Or have you tried it before? Share your experience in the comments below!