…. and 3 months free form Instagram :) — at the time of writing
Let’s be clear this is not the first time I attempted to be social media “free”, but last year October I actually made a conscious decision and here I am one year later :)
I didn’t do anything dramatic like making a post saying “I’m leaving, lots of love” type of thing, I just left (almost like when you leave a WhatsApp group)
Firstly if you make a post about leaving you will feel very curious to see if anyone commented on your post and you get sucked right back in.
How to give social media the boot
If you want to try this, some tips.
- Be honest with yourself start with small steps, cold turkey on anything seldom work out for anyone in the long run.
- If you are active on social media try to limit the times you post during a day, then for a week then for a month.
- The less active you are, the less you seek attention and the less value social media adds to your life.
The less you post the less attention you will be receiving :) The less attention you are receiving, the less social media will have control over you. — This is a good thing!
Yes, you should be valued but it is worth more if you are valued and in real-life for the real person you are.
Now that you are less active how do I stop scrolling & stalking?
Delete your app!
This part is difficult once you are less active, you start scrolling mindlessly on Social Media and stalking your friends and family. You start feeling overwhelmed by everyone's “amazing” lives and how boring yours is.
This is a bad space however there is a silver lining! Ask yourself, what would you rather? What makes you happy? What can you do to create the feeling you are living your best life?
Take the hours you normally spend on social media and DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY :)
I jotted down a few thing that I never get to do, read a book, start sketching, go for a walk, run, meditate, yoga — anything that’s at the top of your mind right now. This is usually things you don’t do often because you don’t have “time”.
Ever heard of the saying “ You need to see the trees from the forest” ? This is true for social media, to really gain perspective on a situation you need to remove yourself from the forest. If you are in the forest you don’t realise how much time you are wasting and the happiness you are taking away from you, and this is your CHOICE.
What changed for me?
There were times I reached for my phone out of habit. Once I stopped reaching for my phone out of habit, I started living my real life.
I created a new habit. In the morning I only reach for my phone to switch of my alarm (my alarm tone is birds chirping , what a nice way to wake up) or better yet is when I wake up naturally. My morning routine is vital to a healthy start.
I try to do a gentle morning yoga or a short run, have my breakfast and coffee outside on my balcony (nothing as refreshing as fresh natural air). Check my emails before I walk to work. It’s difficult winter time but in the summer (if you lucky to live close to work).
I’ll go to work and switch off data and I’m not on my work’s WiFi so it doesn’t distract me. I’ll check my WhatsApp’s lunchtime or if I am confirming a lunch date before that.
The key is not to be pulled towards your phone but you are making a conscious decision that you are gaining value by the interaction.
When I get home I’ll check in if there are any messages on my WhatsApp from the afternoon and then I’ll switched my phone on silent leave it another room.
I’ll check my WhatsApp’s again before I make ready for bed. (This doesn’t always happen as you get sucked into group chats) I am working on getting better at this.
It’s not always as clear cut but for me I always try to be better. Right now I’m not on Facebook or Instagram, this is big win for me :)
Try to only look at your phone when you NEED to, don’t enable your phone to interrupt you every time you receive a notification.
I found this great article for iPhone user to get the most out of their phone.
What are my current needs?
- Checking in on my training plan for the next day.
- Checking the weather to see if I can do an outdoor run or go to gym.
- Checking traffic and times the gym is busy.
- Anything I need to know — googling shows, restaurants etc.
Going to bed without screen time is so healthy for my sleep pattern and make it easier to fall asleep. If it’s hard I try a sleep meditation or reading.
What did I do with this extra time?
- Started running, more fun than I thought.
- Started meditation
- Back into yoga :)
- Back into Reading
- Training more
- Home maintenance (I find painting relaxing)
- Explore my city more often
Side note — with the latest iOS update you can track your screen time!! This is a beaut. You can see the apps you spend most of your time and you can set limitations on the usage of specific apps :)
This is me out :) Let me know if there is anyone else out there that’s trying to be free from social media and how you experience this journey.
