Just Call Me Jess

Mood Disorders and Mindfulness

How To Detox From Social Media: 4 Easy Tips

A few years ago I did a detox from Facebook and now i want to share how to detox from social media and the great benefits it has to your mental health!

My experience detoxing from social media

It was AWESOME!

I was in school at the time so it freed up time to do other things…like you know…in the real world. Instead of scrolling through Facebook and ending up on whoever’s page I would go to the gym, read, get ahead on schoolwork or spend time with my now husband.

Speaking of my spouse he does not have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and I notice that his mindset is different from mine simply because of social media. He has more time to focus on himself and is not as concerned with celebrities, the latest trends or (my favorite) other women.

Related Post: Social Media The Good Side

How I detoxed


I did not login to Facebook at the time for about 5 months. When I returned, I was not the same. I did not post my everyday life, I did not spend as much time on the app and I did not compare myself as often to others because I was content and happy within myself.

I recently decided that I needed to refocus so I have begun to limit myself again on social media.

So, how can you detox from social media?

First, choose a social media app that takes up your time to detox or do them all.

It may seem difficulty to take time away from where you spend your time the most. This is why it should be done!

Your mind may struggle with deciding which account to deactivate or detox from and that may mean that all must go! Another route to choosing which one is to go on your accounts feed and practice mindfulness.

How do you feel when scrolling through? Are you comparing yourself to others and silently judging? You may feel happy and catch yourself laughing at the latest meme.

Whichever brings you the most negative emotions, a detox is needed!

Related Post: How To Embrace Life

Next, decide what your last day is going to be and what day you will return.

Be sure to have a personal goal for when you return, so that it does not take you back into the poor habits you may have had previously.

Then, begin to write or make a mental note of the things you need or want to do during the time you would normally spend on social media.

Learn a new language, complete a reading challenge, practice self care or journal. Any type of activity you do, be sure it is for the improvement of you! Now is the time to focus on your goals, dreams and how you plan to get there.

Related Post: Journal Prompts

After that, enjoy as much social media as possible and inform friends that will normally tag you in things or send you things on social media.

This was the hardest for me! I kept thinking of all of the conversations I would miss out on if I were not on social media. “I’m going to loose contact with my friends”!

It is tempting to go back to soon when your friends are telling you what you may be missing out on. However, I had supportive individuals in my corner and they were sure to remind me that conversations can occur outside of social media.

Remember the point is to focus on yourself not others.

Lastly, delete the app (s). Out of sight out of mind, as the old saying goes.

I would routinely go through my phone and choose whichever account I wanted to scroll through while sitting around. When detoxing I would go through my phone and only find apps for reading books, meditating or breathing techniques to calm any anxiety about not being online.

It worked wonders!


Be sure to let me know how it goes and what helped you get through your detox.

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Comments

  1. This is a great idea, a detox from social media will give me so much more time in my day. I think I’ll give it a try this December, thanks for the idea!

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  2. This is such a great post and a reminder that social media does affect us in the wrong ways. But, it’s important to take time for ourselves and love ourselves no matter what we see on social media.

    Reply

  3. This is such a great post and a reminder that social media does affect us in the wrong ways. But, it’s important to take time for ourselves and love ourselves no matter what we see on social media.

    Reply

  10. It is so freeing to get away from toxic social media sometimes. When I travel, I leave all the news outlets and social media outlets at home (I don’t check them on my phone). My mind feels so much more relaxed.

    Reply

  11. It is so freeing to get away from toxic social media sometimes. When I travel, I leave all the news outlets and social media outlets at home (I don’t check them on my phone). My mind feels so much more relaxed.

    Reply

  13. I do social media detox from time to time specially if there is an upcoming exam or if I want to finish a book. In order for me to focus on other stuff I do that. It is actually a good idea to reconnect with the world.

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  14. I do social media detox from time to time specially if there is an upcoming exam or if I want to finish a book. In order for me to focus on other stuff I do that. It is actually a good idea to reconnect with the world.

    Reply

  15. Excellent article. It is so important to learn how to take a step back from our devices and spend time with our loved ones.

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  16. Well, I have my rules for social media. I have all my notifications on my phone turned off, for Facebook and also for email. I just check both every once in a while, this way I never get interrupted…

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  17. Well, I have my rules for social media. I have all my notifications on my phone turned off, for Facebook and also for email. I just check both every once in a while, this way I never get interrupted…

    Reply

  20. I like your post Jessica, I’ve also recently written a post on a similar topic- how to relax as a blogger. Check it out on my site http://www.carinacyril.co.uk.
    You are right, we can be totally consumed by social media that we forget to live life. Life happens when we are busy on social media… I stopped going through Facebook feeds 2 years ago and it’s been great. Only use Facebook for my business and groups. Love it!
    Ha

    Reply

  21. I like your post Jessica, I’ve also recently written a post on a similar topic- how to relax as a blogger. Check it out on my site http://www.carinacyril.co.uk.
    You are right, we can be totally consumed by social media that we forget to live life. Life happens when we are busy on social media… I stopped going through Facebook feeds 2 years ago and it’s been great. Only use Facebook for my business and groups. Love it!
    Ha

    Reply

  22. Great tips to get off social media. I found if I don’t pay attention to what I am doing I can waste so much time on Facebook. I think that one would be my first detox if I decided to take a break.

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  25. It’s a little tricky to do this as a blogger because I want to market my posts and I have family that are spread about the world, so it helps me stay up to date with them all. But I have a rule for myself, not to use any electronics when I’m with people because I would rather give them my attention.
    detox and balance is very important! Nice post ; )

    Reply

  26. It’s a little tricky to do this as a blogger because I want to market my posts and I have family that are spread about the world, so it helps me stay up to date with them all. But I have a rule for myself, not to use any electronics when I’m with people because I would rather give them my attention.
    detox and balance is very important! Nice post ; )

    Reply

  28. I have always felt more confident and happy when I have stayed away from social media for a while. I like the idea of planning out my time on social media instead of mindlessly scrolling, wasting time.

    Reply

  29. I have always felt more confident and happy when I have stayed away from social media for a while. I like the idea of planning out my time on social media instead of mindlessly scrolling, wasting time.

    Reply

  30. I do biz dev for Socialdraft and even I have to admit it is difficult to allow myself to detox from social media, I think for those of us who work in the field (community managers, ad people, digital marketers) it is so important to detox from time to time.

    Reply

  31. I do biz dev for Socialdraft and even I have to admit it is difficult to allow myself to detox from social media, I think for those of us who work in the field (community managers, ad people, digital marketers) it is so important to detox from time to time.

    Reply

  32. Thanks for the idea! This is very inspirational. I may have to push myself to try this during the holidays so that I can focus on my family instead of scrolling through FB to see what others are enjoying. I alos like your idea of deleting the app. This helps avoid the temptation and it so easy to redownload when ready to return.

    Reply

  33. Thanks for the idea! This is very inspirational. I may have to push myself to try this during the holidays so that I can focus on my family instead of scrolling through FB to see what others are enjoying. I alos like your idea of deleting the app. This helps avoid the temptation and it so easy to redownload when ready to return.

    Reply

  34. My phone has started tracking and telling me my average screen time every week which has been eye-opening! Each week I’ve been working to “Lessen” the amount of time I’m on my phone. 95% of the time I’m using social media, so it’s been a great way to dial back.

    Reply

  35. My phone has started tracking and telling me my average screen time every week which has been eye-opening! Each week I’ve been working to “Lessen” the amount of time I’m on my phone. 95% of the time I’m using social media, so it’s been a great way to dial back.

    Reply

  44. This is a good idea.. I think my social media of choice to detox from would be Facebook, though I do not use the app itself, I do tend to spend a while on it.. others, not so much as to worry about..
    Like yours, my DH does not have (and when he does, he does not spend too much time on) social media accounts

    Reply

  45. This is a good idea.. I think my social media of choice to detox from would be Facebook, though I do not use the app itself, I do tend to spend a while on it.. others, not so much as to worry about..
    Like yours, my DH does not have (and when he does, he does not spend too much time on) social media accounts

    Reply

  48. As much as I want to, I can’t delete my social media apps. 50% of my blog readers comes from my social media accounts. To be more productive, I just limit the time I spend on sharing my blog posts. ^^

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  49. As much as I want to, I can’t delete my social media apps. 50% of my blog readers comes from my social media accounts. To be more productive, I just limit the time I spend on sharing my blog posts. ^^

    Reply

  56. Great post! I deleted Facebook too a few years ago. And now I just use it for my blog and that is it. I am still spending a lot of time on Instagram, but I really love doing it. As soon it doesn’t feel right, I just put my phone away.

    Bettie

    Reply

  58. I have a fiance who doesn’t get social media at all. He has it but never uses and can’t see the appeal at all. I now use it much less because of his influence but I predominantly use it to support my blog.

    I don’t think my blog would survive without social media but I also know how good a break is for our soul x

    Reply

  59. I was a religious fb user. It got to the point I would get depressed from seeing everyone “having a time” all the time. For some reason I just couldn’t figure out why my life wasn’t as great as theirs. Once I backed off FB I too started feeling better about myself. I think more people should take time away from it all.

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  61. It is difficult to detox from social media when my work is all centered around it, however, I have been getting better at setting aside time to log off and unplug. This ranges from an evening relaxing with my husband to a week camping out in the middle of nowhere.

    Reply

  62. I think this is a great idea. I often detox from all social media sites and sometimes even just switch my phone off. I think it is great for mental health. I also find that I too am less interested in posting my life on social media and would rather enjoy the moment then and there rather than trying to get the perfect Instagram picture!

    Thanks for sharing x

    Reply

  64. I’ve done this before with Facebook and it was AMAZING! My therapist actually suggested it, since she said sometimes when you’re feeling down, it can be harmful to only see what good things people are posting on FB. I still have the app, but I hardly check it, and honestly, I’m much happier without it. I wish I could delete the app entirely, but it’s one of those social media apps that some of my friends are only on, so I don’t want to lose that connection with them entirely. Maybe someday I’ll be able to delete. 🙂 Great post!

    Emily | https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] Your eyes are looking at a screen instead of resting or looking at a book. Your posture is poor as you look at your phone and your self-esteem decreases. Social media can become a way of competing or comparing and when that happens it is a red flag to you that detox is needed!  You could read some of my tips here on how to detox from social media. […]

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