Although social media serves as a platform that helps us connect with others, a little too much of it can hurt us. That being said, it’s good to take breaks from time to time and vow to live in the moment. If you’re looking to take time away from social media, here’s how to let the cleanse help you, as well as prevent you from revisiting your apps!

Delete your apps.

Not your accounts, I promise! But you should delete your apps, your bookmarks, anything that gives you easy access to social media. Do not give yourself the constant reminders that these platforms exist and that you should be checking them. And while you’re at it, change your e-mail notifications too. By default, social media platforms send out a lot of notifications, which exist to drive engagement. But you can resist the temptations by removing them, allowing you to focus on what’s more important to you.

Consider why you’re doing this in the first place.

There are many reasons why we want to spend time away from social media every now and then. Much of the time, the answer is not always obvious. We may understand that social media is making us feel bad for ourselves in some way, but we may not think about the connection or why that is.

If this describes you, take time to reflect on what is upsetting you about your social media presence. Ask yourself questions about your browsing habits, how much time you spend on the platform, and who you’re interacting with.

Do you realize that you’re spending too much time scrolling? Does that make you feel bad about not having enough time to do other things?

Do you feel bad about your life when viewing other people’s content? Do you feel as though you’re constantly comparing, and not focusing on the good aspects of your life?

Keep in mind what’s bothering you and why you’re deciding to take a break. You might want to write this down to keep as a reminder of what you’re feeling. Go back to these feelings throughout your cleanse. Ask yourself throughout, “Do these feelings matter now that I’m away?” Or “Am I worried about those things now?”

While on social media, we may place a lot of weight on these feelings. But while we’re away, it shows how little these things matter. This can ultimately help you when you decide to go back and start interacting again with these feelings minimized.

Craft your perfect day (without social media!).

You spent a decent amount of time on social media each day. Now that you’re not going to be constantly bombarded with information and scrolling through your phone, what would you like to do instead?

Not only will you have more time free, but you’ll spend less time thinking about what’s going on with everyone else. Social media time was your me-time, so what else would you like to do with your me-time? Meditation? Reading? Other work? A hobby, old or new? It’s time for you to decide what you want.

Now, make that vision a reality! How does it feel? Do you feel that swapping out social media time for other things was worth it?

Go out. Don’t post. Live in the moment.

This is something that you definitely should do, because oftentimes we want to take pictures and share the fun times we’re having. Instead, I want you to try doing something amazing and have nobody see it. Enjoy the moment. Your friends may be posting, but don’t be tempted to do the same! Remember that you’re on a cleanse.

The next day, recollect on how much fun you have, instead of how many people saw it. We place a lot of weight on who sees what we’re doing, but all that matters is that it was a good time.

Reflect on your experience so far.

You know those videos titled “I did ____ for a week. Here’s what happened.”, and they sit down every now and then and talk about what it’s like so far? I want you to pretend you have to do that right now. What are you feeling? Do you feel like you need to be on your socials right now? Are you more productive? How’s it going for you? Again, write these things down if you like.

It’s important to reflect on what you’re feeling when you’re trying to make a change. A big part of making change is not only understanding why that change is important to you but also what (if anything) is giving you resistance. If there’s anything that’s bothering you at this moment about your cleanse, I would address it now.

Write down what you’re grateful for.

In the midst of comparing ourselves to others, it’s easy to forget the good in our lives. Take out a journal and start writing down all about the wonderful people and experiences you have with you. These are all the things that make your life so unique and so great.

It’s easy to get caught in the mindset that someone else’s life is so much better than ours. In reality, we all have different circumstances and having to then compare ourselves to someone else is hard to do.

I have a spread in my bullet journal for my memories. Whenever something good happens, I write it in my journal somewhere on the page. It’s like a little collage of memories. Whenever I’m not feeling my best, I like to look back at this spread and remember all the good things that happened this year. Some people do this in the form of journal entries or notes in jars, too. Whatever you can do to remind yourself that you don’t need to compare can remove a lot of stress from you.

Think about how you will handle social media going back.

So, your cleanse is almost over. How did it go? Before jumping back in, it’s important to not let bad feelings and habits manifest once again. Take some time to figure out your strategy before returning. Do you plan on restricting your time on social media? Are you going to reduce notifications? Will you strive to post less and be tech-free more? Although it’s still good to take a break every now and then, setting boundaries will prevent you having to take breaks for the same reasons over and over.

Keep in mind with all this that the feelings you have that prompted you to take a break are completely normal. By doing a social media cleanse, you’re not letting those things bother you and instead are taking control of your life. So props to you for doing that!

I hope this post was helpful to you to start your detox. Have you ever done one? How did it go? Let me know below.

Sincerely,

Julie Anna