I’m Tired Of Social Media

A social media detox guide

It’s not uncommon to hear people say that they’re tired of social media. We all feel the pressure to be online, and we often need a break from it. This can be especially true if you work in the social media marketing or have an audience on social media.

Social media can be an excellent tool for networking, connecting with friends and family, or just passing the time. But if you find yourself spending hours on your phone scrolling through feeds without actually interacting with anyone, it might be time to take a break from social media.

This article will explain how to do a detox and get back your sanity so that you can enjoy life offline again.

“Facebook has been spreading across the continents faster than a highly contagious Asian bird flu!” ― Gemini Adams

Part I: What is a Social Media Detox?

A detox is simply taking some time away from technology in favor of healthier activities like exercising, reading books instead of watching TV shows (we know those aren’t mutually exclusive), pursuing hobbies or interests outside of technology (like painting), learning something new (such as coding), volunteering at an animal shelter…the list goes on.

Whatever we choose to do during our detox won’t involve screens or social media. Detox can be as long or short as you want to make it. You might decide that a couple of hours offline is enough for one day, while other people may take off an entire weekend from technology before logging back on Monday morning to get back into the swing of things at work.

The important thing here is to set your own guidelines so that you’ll feel comfortable during your time away from devices and alerts.

Part II: The Process

Set a goal for the length of time you want to detox from social media

There’s no right or wrong answer here; it really depends on how much you usually use social media and what your reasons are for wanting to detox. If you’re feeling burned out, taking a couple of hours away from social media might be enough to recharge your batteries.

If you think that it’s interfering with work or other responsibilities and want to take an extended break for self-care, then detoxing for the weekend (or more extended) could help reset your mindset and give you some perspective on what matters most in life.

Consider contacting friends and family before your detox to let them know you’ll be offline

You might want to send a text, Facebook message, or tweet to not worry about where you are if they try to get in touch with you. You could even set up an out-of-office email reply.

Another idea is to schedule time for specific tasks on your calendar during the days of your detox (like working from a coffee shop one day and catching up on chores another).

That way, anyone who needs something will have a hard time reaching you, but there’s still structure around when things can be accomplished.

When it comes down to it, though, any messaging system allows people who need immediate assistance to reach us quickly — either by phone, in person, or via another messaging platform like WhatsApp.

Evaluate what you do with your time and how you might be able to spend it more effectively

After detox, we often find that our lives seem full when looking back on the days before social media was dominating them because we’re actually doing things instead of scrolling through feeds (it’s really easy for hours to fly by while aimlessly browsing).

If you notice that there are specific tasks during the day where all you do is pull out your phone and mindlessly scroll, consider putting an end to this cycle so that these moments can be used constructively instead.

Maybe set a timer during certain activities so that if it goes off and you have completed anything yet, put down your phone and do something else.

Some people choose to replace social media with a healthier activity during the detox, such as working out instead of scrolling through feeds. It’s essential that whatever you decide to do is constructive for your life.

Whether reading or meditating, make sure that what you’re doing doesn’t negatively impact other areas of your life — like staying up late at night browsing instead of going to sleep when we should because we know there’s always “one more thing” on Instagram.

What tools and strategies can be used for a social media detox?

Download an app like Forest or Momentum that will help keep you off of social media when needed. Put your phone on airplane mode or do not disturb so that you don’t have to see alerts.

Turn off all notifications from social media apps and turn down the volume on your device. Once it’s turned back up, you’ll know it’s time for a break again.

Use a site blocker, such as Freedom. This will allow you to visit other sites besides those related to social media while keeping the rest blocked during certain periods of time (such as when working).

You can also use this tool for purposes like doing a hobby or a side-hustle without fear of scrolling through Facebook accidentally mid-episode.

How Can I Make Sure I Stick With It?

Setting clear expectations will help ensure success with any new change in life! Here are some tips:

• Set boundaries between yourself and others who use social media heavily (this means less fighting over whose turn it is on the phone!)
• Set boundaries with your clients with whom you may be required to keep in touch and coworkers who might try to contact you during the detox time period.
• Put a note on your front door, mailbox, or anywhere else that will remind others of your social media detox.
• Turn off notifications for texts and calls, except for emergency calls only.
• Use an app like Freedom to block sites and apps from certain periods so that you’re less likely to use them when trying to complete other tasks.
• Make sure to have plenty of books on hand in case someone needs you. If they know where your book collection is, it will be easier for them to wait until later.

Track your progress

Keep a journal, spreadsheet, or blog to help you see how much time has passed since your last social media visit. This will be helpful as the detox continues and can also serve as a resource for others who want to do one themselves.

Use apps like Forest to make it more fun by rewarding yourself with progress bars when you truly leave all screens alone.

Be patient. It might take some time before you feel “back in the swing” of things again after taking off from technology for an extended period of time. You’ll probably miss out on something during this time (whether it’s catching up on current events or reading Twitter comments about what’s happening), but at least now you know that life still goes on without social media.

“Facebook is big. Bigger than Justin Bieber or Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter following. Hell, it’s even bigger than obesity and possibly just as lethal!” ― Gemini Adams

The Bottom Line

All that’s left now is deciding when and how long your detox should last! It might be a good idea to start with just an hour per day or even one weekend each month.

Sometimes the less time spent away from technology, the better — at least initially because breaking old habits can take some time if this isn’t something you’ve done before.

We’d recommend trying different lengths of time depending on what works best for you so that eventually if you build on building it up to 24 hours offline won’t feel like such a daunting task. Good luck!

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Originally published at implementationofwisdom.com