I recently did a Digital Detox in June with my church, and I haven't looked back. As I approach six months free of social media, I felt it was time to reflect on what I've learned so far. I've come up with a list of reasons I've personally benefited and decided to share: 20 Reasons to Quit Social Media.
Depending on your age, you may or may not remember a time when social media didn't exist. I recall easing into the digital world of Tumblr and Facebook in High School. Being able to experience a childhood without digital media in the palm of my hand will always be something I am extremely thankful for. But now that I've experienced half of my life with social media, it can sometimes be difficult to remember what life was like before. Do you remember what your life was like before social media became a part of your daily routine?
My Personal Journey with Social Media
As I'm sure many of you can relate, my personal journey with social media began by sharing photos of food I ate, places I traveled to, and what I did with my friends on the weekend. Oh how it has evolved. As someone who has worked in marketing and content creation through my entire career thus far, I reached a point where I would spend mornings and evenings on my personal social media and go to work to be on social media all day for clients. Staring at a phone from the moment I woke up to the moment I fell asleep was not the life I had dreamed of for myself.
Pressure to Post and Perform
In the past several years I have been a yoga teacher, meditation teacher, health coach, writer, and aspiring influencer—haven't we all been there? 😉 These various roles always seemed to require being active on social media daily. Why though?
As a yoga teacher I struggled the most. I loved teaching because I could be face to face with students, help them work through physical and mental challenges, and guide them through a class that healed body, mind, and soul. The last thing I wanted to do was go from the fulfilling experience of in-person teaching to the draining experience of creating and posting content, then engaging with other brands to try to gain followers and boost my own stats. Blegh.
I believe there are many people who are still enjoying social media purely for pleasure and decompressing. After a long day, laughing at videos from a friend's DMs was one of my favorite ways to unwind.
But for me, social media had become a heavy and dark pressure to perform, perform, perform. Whether I was teaching yoga, promoting my business, or launching a food blog ( 🙂 ) I was exhausted from the pressure I put on myself to post daily, create content regularly, and work on platforms I didn't even enjoy being on. Years of a career in social media working for others didn't help either.
I Quit and Haven't Looked Back
I decided one day I was ready to quit social media, even if it was deemed unwise to grow a blog without social platforms. I'd figure out a way to do it anyway.
It helped to know my church was doing the Digital Detox in June, but when the month ended I wasn't ready to get back on social. My anxiety had nearly disappeared, time seemed to slow down, my creativity flourished, and I felt so much presence and joy.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off of me, and I was experiencing life with more color—like a child again.
If this is what life was like without social media, then it was worth it. November will be six months without social media, and I have no plans to return.
This is my social media story. My guess is that yours is entirely unique, but that some of this feels familiar. If you're ready to take the jump and detox, here are 20 Reasons to Quit Social Media.
The Health Benefits of Unplugging
It's no secret that social media and your phone in general can interfere with sleep. The blue light from your screen can suppress melatonin, negatively impacting your sleep. If you keep your phone by your bed, you're more tempted to scroll as you fall asleep and as soon as you wake up, potentially making it harder fall asleep and get out of bed in the morning.
Social media can also have a negative effect on your mental health, increasing anxiety and depression or leading to poor self-esteem and self-image.
20 Reasons to Quit Social Media (From Personal Experience)
These 20 Reasons to Quit Social Media are based off my own personal experience, so I can assure you they are real! As I created this list, I was amazed at how true these experiences and feelings have become for me, and I hope you can know and feel these truths too.
1. There's more time for other (better) things.
It's quite simple really. The time you spend on social media platforms gets replaced with something else. Even if you plan to open an app for a few minutes, that can quickly turn into an hour before you realize it. Being free of "scrolling addiction" grants you more time for the things you always wish you had time to do—read a book, learn a new language, go for a hike.
2. Life slows down.
It's so easy for time to be wasted on social media. It's hard to control and manage your time when you're on any app. These apps are designed to keep you on them! It takes time for this new reality to fit and feel good, but suddenly life will truly move slower. The day won't go by so fast, and you will feel a sense of peace and accomplishment for a day, and time, well spent.
3. You don't have to keep up with (or compare yourself to) people you don't know that well.
When I was on Instagram frequently I felt like my head was always full of so much knowledge about what other people were doing. I knew too much about too many people. When you're off social media, your headspace is freed up for what you choose to put in it, rather than being cluttered with the lives of people you barely know. Not to mention, if you're not on social media, you have less opportunity to constantly compare yourself to others.
4. You improve your relationships with the people you really care about.
And you learn who your real friends are. Ever keep up with people by responding to DMs or stories? When you're off social media you realize who will take the time to reach out to you directly, and you get to be intentional about who you are going to spend time with and talk to.
5. You discover new hobbies and interests.
With extra time on your hands and a clearer headspace to be curious, you open yourself up to remembering hobbies or interests you used to have. Or, you may feel the urge to try something new! Since quitting social media, I have worked on my blog, started reading again, started writing my own book, and have been training for a half marathon.
6. Your work is more productive and efficient.
Social media and other notifications on your phone can interrupt the flow of your workday. Having zero interruptions helps you focus on important work, while also allowing you to be done with your work sooner! Focused work results in more free time at the end of each day.
7. Your brain is less fuzzy and overwhelmed.
One of the most powerful benefits I've experienced is having my attention back. My brain on social media felt fuzzy, chaotic, busy, and loud. I was overwhelmed with useless information and constant distractions. My brain since has felt quiet and open. I can focus my attention on one thing completely, and I feel clear-headed and able to receive creativity and fresh ideas.
8. You want less and spend less money.
Shopping ads are everywhere, but on social media they seemed to be portrayed in a way that felt more alluring to me. It is so easy to shop on social platforms now too. Being off social media means seeing less stuff you might want and think you need, and therefore spending less money. Living unplugged results in more contentment.
9. You spend your energy how you actually want to.
Social media is incredibly draining. If you don't believe me, consider how you feel before and after scrolling. Not only do you get to spend your time how you want to when you're off social media, but you get to spend your energy wisely too. You can replace social media with activities that fill your cup back up.
10. You finally make progress on your goals.
I've already mentioned that when you're free of social media you have clear headspace, more creativity, more energy, more focus, and more time. These are exactly the things you need to finally move forward toward your goals!
11. You feel less anger, hostility, judgment, (insert other feeling here) toward others.
Immediately after opening a social app, it's tempting to cast judgments on others—especially when it comes to politics. Being on social can open you up to all kinds of strong, negative emotions toward others. Being off social media requires having dialogue with others in person, leading to more respect and understanding.
12. You create your own observations and opinions.
With so much information on social media, it can be hard to tell whether the opinions you hold come from your own mind or from persuasive content on social media. It's easier to come up with your own observations and opinions when you're off social platforms and able to think for yourself.
13. You realize JOMO is way better than FOMO.
Social media shows you everything that your friends, acquaintances, and people you don't know are doing at all times. Unsurprisingly, social media can cause FOMO (fear of missing out). When you're unplugged from social media, you get to choose how you want to spend your time and who you want to spend your time with. You experience JOMO (joy of missing out), because you feel confident that you're doing what you want to do, not what others make you think you should be doing.
14. You experience true rest.
Do you regularly feel longing for a break, to unplug, simply to rest? Being off social media has given me true, prolonged rest. My mind is quieter, I feel like I have less on my plate, and I have noticed myself having more restful moments throughout each day.
15. You experience true presence.
When you're on your phone your attention is pulled away from everything else around you. Have you ever walked into a room and no one looks up from their phones to greet you? There are sunsets, animals, colors, sounds, and people everywhere you go—being present to observe and appreciate these things is better than anything on your phone.
16. You have time to think, wonder, imagine, and dream.
This may not happen right away, but after a little while, you catch yourself having long moments of thinking. Through this thinking you may find healing, you may move on where you need to, you may come up with new ideas. You may start to wonder, imagine, and dream like you never have before.
17. You have less notifications, if any.
How many times a day do you look down at your phone to check notifications? If your phone lights up, is your attention pulled away? Not having social media notifications is a weightless feeling, but you can go one step further and remove email notifications and set do not disturb hours.
18. Life becomes more positive.
Social media has many beautiful corners to it. But it's also full of negativity, especially complaining. With social media out of sight, life becomes more positive. I find I have less to worry about and be ungrateful for. Social media tends to remind you of things that cause division and anxiety.
19. You become less of a consumer and more of a creator.
Being off social media frees you up mentally and energetically to pour yourself into passion projects. With increased creativity, you will be more drawn to produce your own creations versus consume what others do and sell.
20. You get to focus more on taking care of you.
Taking all of the previous points into consideration, being free of social media frees you up to focus on taking care of yourself and investing in what matters most to you. If you want to prioritize your values, quitting social media can be a great way to shape your life around things and people that bring meaning into your life.
How to Make Your Smartphone Dumb
Our smartphones are designed to keep us on them. One of the best things you can do for yourself is make your smartphone dumb. I use the Focus and Screen Time features to set do not disturb hours, and I have all of the notifications turned off on my phone except for ones that feel essential (like our home security). This means no emails or other notifications ever pop up on my phone except for texts and calls within the hours I choose. When I am in do not disturb, only select people can get through to me if needed. You can also turn your phone to grayscale so it is less alluring to use. 😉
Why Life is Better on the Other Side
Being free of phone addiction is a freeing, beautiful thing. If I were to bring this all together into three main reasons as to why life is better without social media, it would be this:
- Moving forward, creatively: Since being unplugged from social media, I feel like I am moving forward in my creative goals and dreams. Creativity flows through me, and I feel energized to work on a handful of exciting, fulfilling projects.
- Slower paced life, distraction-free: I don't know if it's that I am saving time by not being on my phone or if it's simply that I am more present for the time that I have, but I love how I get more done in my day and have time for relaxation every day.
- Presence and awe: My eyes are open to the world around me, and I live in awe every day from what I see. I am thankful that I don't have anything distracting me from appreciating each present moment.
If you are interested in a digital detox, I highly recommend watching the impactful series through my church. It is full of science and psychology insight that I did not include here.
Practice Presence Through Cooking
Here are some of my favorite recipes to inspire you to put down the phone and spend some intentional time in the kitchen. 🙂
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