Social Media Detox: Week 1 Recap
Ahh I’ve made it 7 days lol. A little refreshed, a little twitchy. Did Venmo become my coping mechanism?! 😅 Let’s discuss how it’s going!
Backstory
I was feeling super antsy anxious and believed it was stemming from my increased social media usage. Since the whole TikTok fake out ban and really even before the holidays I’d say, I have felt disillusioned by it all. It was time for a break.
What I’ve Eliminated
Deleted TikTok, X, and Pinterest from my phone. Deleted and deactivated my personal Facebook and Instagram. Is Pinterest really social media? No, however I knew the temptation to scroll would lead me straight to the app and I didn’t feel like it was really going to benefit my overall goals.
What I Hope to Achieve
Really just a reset. I think ideally I’d not get back on some or all of the apps but the reality is that there are some circles of my life that utilize social media for communication and then I also run an e-commerce brand. It is not impossible to run a business without social media but I don’t know that it is what is best for my business at this moment. Again, ideally, that would be amazing. But, life is rarely the idyllic version we dream up.
I need clarity around the direction of my business and could really benefit from the mental space created by temporarily eliminating that major distraction.
And I could really use the space emotionally to help the healing process and allow a chance to reestablish some boundaries.
Week 1 Reflections
Big takeaways:
I have found myself missing some of the apps like recipes on Pinterest and Instagram stories for sharing quick little things about products my business sells. It takes a lot more work to craft an email than to throw a quick picture and caption up.
I’ve felt a weight lifted off of me from the personal social media side. Nothing to check in the morning is weird but nice. Being less inundated with the problems and distractions out side of my home means I start the day off more focused on my family and our goals. No pressure to check in or post. Also, why does it feel like pressure normally? Because it does.
Channeled a lot of energy (thanks to my go-to procrastination methods being gone) to actual things I want to get done!! Which has made me feel even better than just lighter like I mentioned above. Moving the needle on projects professionally & personally!!
The funniest outcome so far has been last weekend when I found myself having to wait for my sister and I had nothing to do and was caught up on texts etc, I legit opened Venmo and scrolled through people’s public transactions for entertainment… 🤣
Other than scrolling Venmo that one night, it seems that my constant phone grabbing now leads me to clearing inboxes when I find myself sitting in a waiting area or nap trapped haha. My inboxes have never looked better.
Headed into Week 2 of 4
Something I’m curious about is whether this detox has made my children less irritable with my husband and I, or if I’m less agitated by their behavior? Or does it have anything to do with our phone usage at all? I’m undecided but it’s definitely something my husband and I are trying to observe over the remainder of this challenge.