What I Learned From A Social Media Detox
Social media is globalisation’s boon and curse, both of which I have had my taste with. Yes, my career may rely on it and I’m incredibly grateful for it, but it’s also clearly something that’s a big player in our lives. And whether we acknowledge it or not, chances of in-authenticity and/or comparisons have skyrocketed! My thoughts on social media and its impact are rather strong and I will continue reiterating till my words leave behind a lasting impact!
I have been dabbling with sharing my personal thoughts and experiences with you for some time now and your response has been overwhelming! Going forward, I would also love to share my thoughts and opinions on topics that are relevant and critical to address, much like this one. Now the question that begs to be answered ~ how do I use social media in a manner that serves me, while not taking away from my peace? My answer ~ balance and social media breaks.
A tried and tested formula; here’s what I learned from a social media detox, and why I would recommend taking your own break from social media ~
IT HELPS PRIORITISE EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS
A heavy subject of discussion yet one that is necessary to have is a social media detox. In a fast-paced world, we tend to miss out on the little things that bring us happiness. So, over the last couple of months, Vikram and I had the intention of taking true time off. Hanging with Vikram’s cousins in our pyjamas and enjoying a little meal prepping, for instance, are minute life experiences that fill our days with happiness and laughter! That joy may come in your life in the form of watching a movie with your significant other or picking up flowers for your loved ones or even just the scent of coffee wafting through the air on a pleasant day.
It was only during this social media detox {enjoying some downtime shared with our loved ones} that I was able to truly enjoy life’s moments and realised the authenticity of each moment without drawing myself back to the lifeless phone screen that would just be a dark cloud over a happy day.
LIFE DOESN’T COME TO A STAGGERING HALT
I am sure everyone is quite aware of how meticulous and consistent I like to keep every aspect of my life; my social media feed included. I love producing content for you but I also, have over time, come to realise that I am allowed and most importantly deserve ~ breaks from it. Like any other person in a creative field, mental blocks are a natural occurrence. And, breaking away and catching a breather is a completely normal choice because churning out forced content would be a sheer disappointment for both you and me equally.
Life doesn’t come to a standstill if you don’t post for a few days nor is it the end of the world if you skip out on a few days of pre-planning your work. This valuable lesson, I have learned, when I cut away from my social media for a couple of weeks {both this month and the last} for a much-needed detox!
IT UNLEASHES YOUR CREATIVITY
Like I mentioned at the beginning, too much time on social media unintentionally draws you away from being authentic and you start to fabricate trends because the end game is a guaranteed success. Amongst all this, we have forgotten all about originality and creativity.
Nothing elicits more joy when you see your idealisation come to life and actually work successfully. This is another boon of said digital detox. Since 2018, I have made a conscious effort to draw the curtains shut on social media platforms for a bit, so that I can cut off from the overdone trends and find new inspiration in my everyday life. And might I tell you, was that a soaring success!
During this time, I would let my brain dwell in all directions till I found the one groundbreaking idea and worked from there. A refresh on my personal feed one might say, excuse my puns.
CHOOSE HEALTH ALWAYS
If you are someone who does not agree with the medical condition of scrolling thumbs, BE GONE! I am only kidding 🙂 please stay, but it is a real issue for those of us that spend a majority of our time mindlessly scrolling through our feeds, and a break from this won’t hurt. On a serious note, excessive screen time leads to a lot of craned necks and strained eyes, which we can avoid by stepping away and getting a healthy time-off by engaging in some physical activity to maintain a good balance in life.
IT LETS YOU GET BORED
I had a scary revelation when I realised that boredom has not struck me in months because I flip my phone out even if I have a second to squander. As children, we got bored more often than we were not and then came up with silly but creative ways to combat that. For instance, playing with toys or water colours gave us internal happiness which I cannot say is the case with social media. It is something that keeps us preoccupied, but that is about it. Cutting social media out for a bit can be quite uncomfortable at the beginning, but allows you to just indulge in simple acts like walking aimlessly, stretching, or cooking perhaps. Here’s to boredom and what it can bring back into our lives!
To conclude: I don’t want anyone to have or assume I have bad blood with the concept of social media because that is far from the truth. It has helped reform societies in unimaginable ways, has encouraged inclusive behaviour like never before, and it goes without saying that it is educational and entertaining like none other! I just wanted to bring to light the repercussions of over-exposure and the importance of enjoying social media within limits ~ because an excess of something is never good.
My emphasis through this article ~ What I Learned From A Social Media Detox ~ is not breaking away from social media completely, but taking short breaks in spurts to check back with reality. Things will be the same as you left them, I promise!
Are you someone who takes social media breaks? If so, when was the last time? What did you gain from stepping away?