In full disclosure, I never really used Twitter, but this post is about social media in general so I wanted to include it.
So…in August 2019 I officially logged off Instagram and Facebook. I never did an official log out for Twitter because I didn’t even remember my log-in. Anyway…my life has drastically improved since then.
At the time, I was so excited to get off social media. I originally planned to do it September 1st, but instead did it August 20th. I would refer to social media as “the devil”. It felt so great to know, then execute, getting off social media that I wanted to share my experience.
Since getting off, my life has changed drastically and for the best!
· I have more time to do other things – read an ebook, listen to an audiobook, walk and actually see where I’m going, practice yoga, get off my phone in general, and exercise more effectively (to name a few).
· I am not triggered multiple times throughout the day – seeing terrible news posted or a picture that’s disturbing easily triggers me. Posts about abuse of children, women and animals especially. Seeing/hearing about abuse – mixed with the constant reminder of the state of our government – was enough of a reason for me to go without.
· I didn’t compare myself as often to others - seeing others buying houses, traveling, taking vacations, buying big-ticket items – it was hard not to compare. Now, for the most part, the most I compare myself to is other women’s outfits I see out, and that’s okay with me.
· I don’t feel the need to broadcast my life – the pressure of having to take a picture and document all my best experiences was too much. I live in San Diego so there’s endless things to do and see, and I felt I needed to share it all. After not having the pressure to post, I was able to relax more and enjoy my experiences. I don’t care about likes or comments or how many times my videos were viewed. Not having the pressure to produce great content has given me a sense of release that’s hard to explain.
· I was not upset daily – or every few seconds, minutes or hours. Similar to getting triggered multiples times throughout the day – I found myself being upset long after seeing disturbing posts. Or still comparing myself/my life to others hours/days after seeing the posts.
· I no longer obsess – similar to comparing myself and the pressure to post – I no longer had to think about other people’s lives constantly and what they were doing that day/week/month - that would lead me to think of all the things I am not doing that day/week/month. That obsession that led me to feel rushed to live my life, instead of slowing down and enjoying the ride.
· I have more of a push to meet people face-to-face. I know a lot of people thought I was crazy to get off social media because it would hurt the opportunity to market my business. But the truth is – I don’t want to work with social media obsessed women. I want to work with women who are too busy to be on social media every hour of the day. Knowing I’m not generating leads online means that I need to push myself even harder to go out there and make connections face-to-face (which is more fun anyway!)
· I learned the people who matter will still be keeping in touch. I often hear “I could never get off social media, it’s how I stay in touch with people”. Well….how did people stay in touch before?? They picked up a phone! And considering it’s 2020, it’s even easier. Get their phone number, pick up the phone and call them or send them a text message.
I don’t miss social media – not even a little. After about 3-4 days, I stopped grabbing my phone to go check Instagram or Facebook (see obsessed above). It took me about a week to completely forget I even cared about checking it. I feel free from the chains of social media. I feel more relaxed and less judgmental.
Do you think you could get off social media? What about a social media detox?
Comment below – I’d love to know more!!