Social Media Detox: A Week without Instagram
Hi, Polished People! I hope you're doing well. Earlier this month, I was OOO for about a week, so I wanted to share that experience with you. Since I work from home, I seem to be on social media v-v frequently, on one device or another, or working on new content. I wanted to take a week off and not have any social media for the whole week. Here's what went down.
On August 3rd, I made sure all of my affairs were in order on the 'gram so I could be on my little vacation through August 10th. At 9pm that day, I deleted Instagram and Twitter from my phone. The only exceptions to this "social media detox" were YouTube and Pinterest, since YouTube I considered entertainment and I never really use Pinterest like social media.
Now, I'll preface this whole adventure by saying that I've had an Instagram account since 2017 and I'm pretty sure I've opened it every day since. Obviously, there were a whole bunch of years pre-'gram, so I wanted to have that lifestyle back for a week.
It wasn't easy at first. I knew I could still look at Instagram on the computer and, because I was waiting on some DMs that week, I will admit that I looked at Instagram on the computer a few times. That was mostly during the first few days; I tried really hard not to do that afterward.
Something we've all learned is how much anxiety and FOMO social media can produce. Mainly, I was either worried because I wasn't posting or wondering what I was missing. So I had to really work on and remember what I'd fill time with before social media. The week was wonderful. I spent time with my family, got to relax a lot, spent waaay less time on my phone, and read more than I have in over a year.
Reading is one of my favorite things to do, but when things get busy with work and running my business, it's definitely low on my to-do list. However, without social media, books were what I found myself turning to throughout the week if I was bored. I've been reading a lot more now, since this detox. I've remembered how much I enjoy it and how important it is to me.
I have to say, I didn't miss Twitter at all. I do enjoy adding my own Tweets to the world, but it's really not a favorite or priority app of mine. YouTube I used recreationally throughout the week; since my own videos were preset to upload, all I had to do was make sure they were working and answer whatever comments I received. Pinterest was its usual source of inspirational quotes and more dessert recipes than I'll ever need. Instagram might've been difficult to let go of, but once I "forgot" about it, it didn't really matter.
I would definitely like to do a social media detox more often than once a year. I know it might not always be possible, depending on what's going on in my business, but I'd like to do it at least every month, and if not every month, maybe once a season. Quarterly would probably be more feasible for me, so maybe that's what I'll do.
Since social media has so much to do with my business, it was difficult to just let it hang for a week. What if I lose followers? What if my analytics suffer? There are so many things social media provides for us entrepreneurs and it can be, like I said, a big source of stress when neglected. But in the end, I had to remember that my business wouldn't suffer just because I didn't spend time on Instagram for five days. I know that my business is better when I'm better, so I think it's important to take time for checking up on personal wellness as often as possible.
Overall, this week taught me a lot about habits I'd like to change and ones I'd like to strengthen. Not having social media really knocked a lot of hours off my screen-time; without it, I hardly reached for my phone all week. I highly recommend taking time off social media every so often, especially if you're in need of a break or time to relax. It really helps you be less stressed, more in-the-moment, and you get a chance to do things hands-on. I really enjoyed this week off and would love to do it again.
I know this post was a little different from what I normally do, but wellness is very important to me and something I love to share inspiration for, so I figured this topic might be helpful to someone. If you have any other suggestions for wellness-themed posts, let me know!
Have you ever tried a week without Instagram? Another social platform? Comment below!
Have a polished rest of your day and be well,