5 Classes I Realized Throughout My Social Media Break

Oh, the thrill and curses of social media! I imply, you’re in all probability studying this text by way of a put up you noticed on social media, am I proper?! A social media break isn’t for everybody, however I’ve acquired a narrative for you.

I’ve made a profession out of social media with my background in digital advertising. I’ve met life-long mates by way of it, discovered this wonderful CGS neighborhood by way of Instagram, I’ve even discovered a long-lost older sister on Fb once I was in faculty (ask me about that story one other day lol).

Nevertheless, what occurs if you really feel like you may’t perform with out checking your telephone? What occurs when Instagram places you in a spot of jealousy and evaluating your life to others? What occurs when you end up “doom-scrolling” on Instagram Fb, and now TikTok…and also you discover that you just’ve “doom-scrolled” for over an hour? What occurs when your iPhone informs you that you just’ve spent over 12 hours/per week on social media apps?

…Yeah, all these questions had been relayed to me…and I used to be in the midst of a profession breakdown.

So, ya lady wanted to take a break from social media.

By the point this text is revealed, I might be on my social media detox for about 6 months, apart from participating with the CGS neighborhood in fact, and I’ve discovered a lot about myself and was capable of get my life again!

Now, I wrote about how social media can have an effect on your price range, however hey, clearly, I nonetheless wanted to work on my social media utilization, so I made a decision to do a dopamine/social media detox. Honey, let me inform you…I discovered quite a bit, however I’ll share with you simply 5 classes I’ve discovered (and nonetheless studying) throughout my social media break!

5 Classes I Realized Throughout My Social Media Break

#1 I Used Social Media for Escapism and a Distraction from Actuality

Oh, this was a tough capsule to swallow and a humbling lesson to study. You see since I’ve turned 30, life has been a bit robust for me (professionally, emotionally, and so on.), and I can admit that I turned to social media to not cope with issues that had been happening in my life.

I simply needed to be like these influencers who traveled the world free of charge on model journeys and get free make-up (don’t choose me for wanting free magnificence merchandise). I did the entire comparability of these girls who had vital others (I’ve been single endlessly lol), who introduced they turned owners (I’m nonetheless renting lol), and had gotten promotions and/or their dream jobs (the longest I’ve been at a job was 2 years, and I’ve been let go a number of occasions)…doom-scrolling on social media turned unhealthy.

It wasn’t till I began remedy, life-coaching, and working with Raya (trigger ya lady wants a village lol) and began doing the internal/shadow work inside myself that I needed to acknowledge that I used social media as a technique to procrastinate. I used it as a technique to escape my debt, to flee my low vanity points, to flee my psychological well being points.

Now, I’ve discovered that along with earnings, I can use social media as a technique to acquire data and study from welcoming communities, like this one! I’m decided to create my dream life, a life that I wouldn’t have to flee from 🙂

#2 I Have Method Extra Time

Bruh…when Siri advised me “Lena lady, you spend an excessive amount of time on IG and TikTok, return to your hobbies”, I listened lol! You guys, I used to be spending hours a day on my telephone like I used to be hooked on it, it turned a drug to me, a dopamine-spike in my mind. I couldn’t consider I wasted a lot time…I needed to do one thing.

It’s loopy as a result of I might all the time say issues like, “oh, I want I had extra time in a day to get issues finished” or “man, I want I had time to do all of the issues I need to do” or my favourite, “how do I’ve the identical 24 hours in a day that Beyonce has?” GIRL – as a result of I used to be on social media like I used to be relationship it, haha!

It was really fascinating how rapidly, I had time to do issues like learn a e book for pleasure, go on morning struts, clear out my closets, train, prepare dinner wholesome meals (I’m nonetheless engaged on that one lol), begin studying a language, and so on.…simply time! I swear, the following time you ask your self, “the place has the time gone?” The reply might be to social media lol!

#3 My Pursuits Modified

So, I ought to have talked about this earlier, however since I’m a neighborhood supervisor for CGS, I can’t surrender social media fully as a result of it’s a part of my job. Nevertheless, my break was primarily not scrolling and losing time on social media, and one in all my targets was to unfollow folks and accounts that simply weren’t serving me anymore!

I couldn’t consider that I used to be following over 5,000 accounts on IG…like, how and most significantly, why? So, you realize what I did? I began to undergo my IG and began unfollowing all of the “blog-worthy” celebs just like the Kardashians/Jenners, totally different actuality stars, public figures, and types who simply weren’t including any worth to my life.

Admittedly, I’m nonetheless doing this as a result of apparently IG locks your account for those who unfollow too many individuals at a time (I discovered the onerous means lol). Additionally, why was I nonetheless following previous classmates that I haven’t spoken to since elementary faculty?

As a substitute of following celebs and influencers who weren’t inspiring me or had been making me really feel unhealthy about myself, I’ve been following extra content material in classes like self-love, private finance (comply with CGS on Instagram), psychological well being professionals, and solely celebs and influencers who encourage me or put up fascinating content material.

Aww, I believe I’m rising up y’all lol!

#4 There’s No Time Just like the Current

Okay, this will likely go together with my earlier level about having extra time, however I’ve really simply loved being within the second and never having to do something with out posting it to my IG tales.

I can get pleasure from my mates in-person with out posting our entire hangout on-line. I can cling with my household with out posting pics of our meals, and I can simply get pleasure from my life in privateness!

#5 I Realized Who My Floor-level Associates Had been

This final lesson was robust, however I wanted to study this. Now, once I determined to go on this break from social media, I didn’t make any sort of announcement, I simply…disappeared. I knew that I wanted to have a season the place I may very well be egocentric and deal with me and my private improvement.

What did I discover? My internal circle was all the time texting me, calling me, even despatched me DM messages simply to see how I used to be. After I was energetic on social media, I used to be fairly energetic and was all the time posting on my IG/FB tales, posting selfies, and interesting with all posts on my feed.

What I discovered fascinating was folks that I didn’t even know in actual life, however they comply with me on social media, reached out to me earlier than some of us that I’ve recognized for years did! It’s been a bit jarring, however I’m studying to not take it private; as we’re all adults with lives, careers, youngsters and vital others…nevertheless it taught me that I’m doing the proper factor by specializing in myself, as a result of most individuals are…and that’s okay! 😊

Whew, I discovered quite a bit about myself and devoted a lot to myself throughout this detox, and to be trustworthy, I could ease my means again to social media, however I don’t really feel the rapid rush. I just like the quietness, the stillness, and the psychological readability. Social media might be anxiety-inducing, and I’m attempting to dwell a comfortable life in 2023!

In any case, I hope this text evokes you to replicate on how a lot time you spend on social media, and the best way to be extra intentional along with your time spent. There’s nothing unsuitable with setting limits and taking a day or two out of the week to fully unplug!

Associated: 6 Small Tweaks to Your Day to Really feel Wonderful

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-Lena

The CGS Staff