Scroll Less , Feel more : How I am refining my social media consumption after my break

Howdy there? Long time no see, no read. Life has been such a marathon for the last couple of months, and I had to take a back seat and re calibrate before going bonkers, and it has led us to this! I do have a lot to share, mental meltdowns included hehehehe… But before we get into the nitty-gritty, 

Have you ever taken a social media break? If not, I suggest incorporating one into your daily life, especially if it gives you minor anxieties—the “ I gotta stay updated all the time or risk looking outdated to my friends” type of anxiety. 

 While it may not be the ultimate and only antidote to breaking your addictions and giving you back much-needed time, It is one sure way to unearth a lot more than we possibly could while we are fully engaged with it. You get to learn so much more about yourself unplugged than plugged, and if the thought of taking a break scares you, consider starting small: take a day off, three days off, or a week off if you can stretch it to 21 days – kudos if you can make it longer than that – well on!

From experience, seven days has always been the sweet spot as that is where you will typically begin to feel the difference as days one to six are usually laden with withdrawal battles and mini panic attacks; you barely notice the positive change happening.

I have taken two proper social media breaks since we began the year, one being a full 21-day break, and here are a few ways I am refining my consumption habits as I transition back from my latest social media break. Pick out what resonates, and let me know what you would add 🙂

• Un-following triggers. Yes, the tea is good, and it keeps me entertained and adds a bit of pizazz to my life, but out with the accounts that directly or indirectly make me feel inadequate. I am no longer afraid to click that un-follow button.
• Keeping and following accounts that nourish me without giving me the feeling or need to measure up. I am focusing on quality over quantity.
• Setting boundaries. I have had my notifications from social media apps turned off for a year now, and that has been very beneficial to my time and focus and has helped reduce the anxiety that comes with the “ping” every time someone posts or reacts to your posts. I am barely on some apps nowadays and have noticed my interest in them wane off with time. There are numerous studies & even documentaries on how social media has been engineered to keep us stuck there. Since I decided to use myself as a guinea pig to keep off and see if the claims are true, they are true.
• I am making time for and scheduling offline activities. A famous bible verse goes 43: “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ It finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order when it arrives. ⁴⁵ Then it takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. I hope it is a bit self-explanatory. I am reconnecting with the real world through different activities that don’t involve the screen.

These are a few practices I have incorporated into my life recently, and I am already reaping the benefits. Would you like to try a social media break? Would you like someone to walk the journey with you? Let me know below.

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Love n Light 🙂

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