How to Effectively Detox from Social Media.

I truly believe that social media is one of the most influential forms of media today. It's how people are getting their news, watching movies and shows, and staying connected with loved ones. Some have even created careers by making videos and writing content on numerous platforms.

But when you feel like you have to check your phone every 2 seconds and you can't leave the room without it your hand, or you have an intense urge to check Instagram or TikTok. It may be time for a social media detox.

In a blog post, I wrote called, "5 ways to have Better Mental Health in 2020." I briefly touched on how I did a social media cleanse for a whole week. It was something I not only wanted to try for myself but also to see how much I relied on it throughout my days and even life.

Today, I would like to talk more about the experiment and explain the results more in-depth.

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The Experiment 

 The first day was honestly the hardest. I constantly wanted to check my phone to see what twitter was up to or see if certain people had uploaded a video on YouTube. I tried to use the excuse of, YouTube being like watching tv It's not real social media, checking my analytics to see how well my last post on Instagram did. Great Excuses right? Well, the trained disciplined side of me was not buying it. As I put my computer and phone away, I felt this urge to give up. I wanted so badly to scroll down my many feeds for hours of mindless enjoyment. But then I thought, "What would I be accomplishing in that period of time?" Nothing.

 The promise to commit to this experiment kicked in once more and I soon began to feel motivated.

  I usually go to bed around 9:45 pm and watch youtube until I fall asleep but this time, that was not an option. I couldn't listen to my music because all of it was on my phone and computer, so for 3 hours of the night, I tossed and turned while listened to the sound of strong wind.

 The next day, I was pretty exhausted, but the urge to grab my phone was still going strong, I even almost opened my computer to check my e-mails but caught myself before I could even turn it on.

Slowly yet surely, I found myself becoming more and more productive throughout the week. I noticed I wasn't as stressed out or depressed about what I looked like or what I was doing. For a week, I didn't have anyone to compare myself to but myself.

I wrote so many poems and chapters for my novels. I even started meditating and even exercised when I was bored. When Sunday arrived and the experiment was over, I documented what I noticed throughout this whole ordeal.

The Results

 Monday-Tuesday: Were the hardest days as I constantly felt as if I was missing out on something. I was more irritable and angry for no reason. Plus extremely frustrated due to lack of sleep.

 Wednesday-Thursday: Much better compared to days 1 & 2. I wrote more poem entries for my book and by Thursday was ready for 1st round of edits. I learned to meditate on positive thoughts and the sounds around me which were the most peaceful moments I've had all year.

 Friday: I woke up around 7:55 am and went for a walk around the park. It was nice to enjoy the trees and the sounds of nature that surrounded me. Most of the day I read and wrote.

 Saturday: This Experiment ended and if I can be truly honest, I wish it was longer. My mind felt so clear and free, and the best part is the anxiety or fear of missing out vanished

Conclusion 

I realized that social media is honestly nothing short of a waste of time if you're not using it productively. Of course, I love looking at the phone photo's of dogs and watching IGTV videos of animators. But if you're not careful, you can wind up doing that longer than you think. What may seem like a couple of minutes could turn into a couple of hours of mindless scrolling and double-tapping.

I highly recommend everyone do this at least once a month if they can. Detoxing from the digital world and stepping into the real world can be refreshing, centering, and can give you a clear sense of self again.

Some of are going full force into our business plans for the new year, some are tackling their resolutions that they may or may have given up on already, but there are some that planned to make 2020 a year of good health mentally & physically and a year of good change and a new start.

So, I've comprised a list of 4 things that can make your mental health much better in 2020! I'm no doctor, I've just done and will be doing these things into this year and the next decade!

1- Remove toxic people

Turn the block and unfriend buttons into your best friends in 2020 (and honestly whenever you need it.) Let's face it, there are people out there that are honestly horrible for you. I've recently had to end a friendship this year because they were feeding me (metaphorical) poison. I believed the lies this person would say, in turn making me feel horrible about myself. Once I stopped talking to this person, I began to feel a huge weight lifted off me.

How I see it is, if a person doesn't make you feel good about yourself, or always says snarky or gives you back-handed compliments about your looks, weight, etc. Odds are they aren't healthy for you (or themselves for that matter). They've had no trouble hurting your feelings so don't worry about hurting their feelings if you block them.

2- Get away from social media!

I did this in October and I can tell you it works! At first, I did have the itch to check my IG or see everyone's new uploads on YouTube. But after the first day, I got the hang of it. I honestly felt so much better through the week. I read more, wrote more, and took better care of myself, meaning I exercised for a longer period of time because It felt great and caught up with some people I haven't spoken to in a while.

At the end of the week, I felt so refreshed, and sound of mind. I realized how addicted to social media I was. I tried to blame it on my job, but I couldn't; there was no excuse. I'm going to do it again in January but probably for not as long just to recharge and star3- Go to Therapy (If you can afford it.)t the year fresh!

3- Go to Therapy (If you can afford it.)

I know better than anyone that this can be extremely hard to do. From a financial standpoint, if you have insurance you could be in the clear but if the doctor isn't in Network you could still be paying out of pocket. Some therapists have sliding scales, but sometimes there cheaper slide might be still too expensive ($250 a session.) But if you can, talking to a professional can really help you get through difficult times. If it's hard to get therapy sometimes getting into a support group, calling warm-lines and talking to a friend can help. It's important that we never hold our feelings in. Because it's not only tormenting your mind, it can also start to manifest itself in your body.

4- Make Your Self- Care A Priority

Sometimes we get so busy making sure others are okay and nurtured that we forget to check in with ourselves. It's important that we take some time to take care of ourselves as we would a friend. If you work a 9–5, on the weekend or whenever that off day is, try to find time to rest, take a relaxing bath, exercise, go on a mini-vacation for the weekend (if you can) or whatever self-care looks like to you. For me, Self-care is turning off my phone, journaling, and sleeping for at least ten hours. Sleep is huge for me as someone with depression and chronic illness, sleep actually helps repair and heal damage in the body. So whenever you accidentally oversleep, know that your body thanks you for it!