Is It Time for You to Take a Social Media Detox?

Declutter your mind!

by MAYA CAMPOS ★ JULY 20, 2021

How often do you reach for your phone first thing in the morning to check your Snapchat notifications or how many likes and comments your last Instagram post got? How often do you say, “hold up, let me take a picture” before you enjoy a meal? Believe me, I love a good Instagram photoshoot as much as anyone. I’ve spent countless hours editing photos just so I can meticulously plan when to post to maximize my likes. But what is it all for? Does trying to create your perfect life on Instagram come in the way of actually trying to live your real life? We all know Instagram isn’t real life, but do we actually believe it? 

We’ve seen juice cleanses and health detoxes, but now it’s time to try a social media cleanse that is just as good for your health as an all-Kombucha diet. Just any routine or workout, it can be hard to start, but don’t worry--it’s not as hard as it sounds. 

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What is a social media detox?

A social media detox is a conscious effort to eliminate the time you spend on social media. I know, I know...but hear me out. You don’t necessarily have to stop cold turkey and delete every social app you have on your phone (I could never!!) but if you start to monitor yourself, you can limit the time you spend on those apps. If you feel like every time you log onto Instagram, you wish that you were off drinking wine on the Italian Riviera or going out to the hottest club in NYC instead of laying in your bed endlessly scrolling, this might be your sign that you need a little break.  

Constantly comparing yourself or feeling like you are lacking experiences, clothes, clear skin, or shiny hair might be a sign that you need a social media detox to clear your mind and center yourself again. It’s so easy to get swept up in the world of constant likes and views, but when we take a break, we realize how important that really is. 

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Benefits of a Social Media Detox

Free Time 

When you first start to detox from social media, you might find yourself a little bored. You’ll probably have the immediate impulse to pick up your phone and scroll for “just a minute…” and soon enough, that minute turns into 30 minutes, and pretty soon it's an hour and you have done absolutely nothing. We’ve all been there. The amount of time you spend scrolling and swiping through your phone can be spent in other ways that are way more productive. Once you start really monitoring how much time you spend swiping through people's stories, you’ll start to notice you have a lot more free time to do other activities you might have not had time or pushed off. 

Better Sleep 

For most people, their phone is the last thing they see before bed and the first thing they look at when they wake up. It’s easy to turn off your alarm and instantly open up TikTok and scroll until you're actually awake. First off, let’s be real--that's probably terrible for your eyes, and second, when you look at your phone at night, you’re keeping your brain awake. Once you shut off and are ready to sleep, your brain is still up and processing all of the information you took in before you shut off the light. A helpful and easy way to detox from your phone is to put it away 30 minutes before you go to bed.

You might ask, what will I do for that 30 minutes if I am not checking my phone for updates?? Instead, take that time before bed to treat yourself to some well deserved me time-because hey, who is gonna treat you better than yourself? Do your skincare routine, cleanse your crystals, journal, or read a book to wind down your mind before you sleep, and I promise you your sleep schedule will thank you.

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Less Anxiety / FOMO

It’s hard to not look at other people's Instagrams and wonder, “why aren’t I doing that? Why don’t I have a ton of friends to go out and party with?” Especially in the summer when you might just be at home with nothing else to do BUT be on your phone, it can be really hard not to compare your life to what you see on everyone's curated feeds. It can be hard to remember people are only posting THE BEST parts of their lives because really, who wants to see someone on their 3rd mental breakdown of the week? (Actually, scratch that--that might be kind of entertaining…) When you take a break from constantly checking in on what other people are doing, it gives you so much more time to focus on what you are doing.

The first step to taking a social media detox is simply trying it out. Whether that be for an hour or a week, giving yourself that space away from our phone and social media can help you reground yourself. We all care about what people think of us, we all want to be liked and we all want to feel accepted. Social media amplifies that need by 1000% without us even realizing it. By taking a social media detox, you can take back control of some of your own habits and thoughts and become more centered and calm. You might find that unplugging will help you focus on yourself and live a better life off screen.