30-Day Social Media Detox Reduces Anxiety and Increases Happiness
Is Social Media Making Me Anxious?
For years, I’ve spent much time leveraging the power of social media to connect with others. As an entrepreneur and small business owner, I learned how to grow and expand by staying consistent with Facebook posting, Instagram stories, and messenger platforms.
Overtime I’ve built skill and a strong self- discipline to maintain balance between work and life (ex: turn off notifications, practice limited social media ‘office hours’, delay message responses, etc.)
As a Life & Health Coach, I am very aware of the need to unplug from screens and mental clutter.
It’s something I advocate for my own clients, and while I unplug religiously in the evenings and am mindful of my habits… the noise and clutter of social media was very much a part of my life even without being on it in that moment.
The notifications, a group message, someone lost their cat, someone found a cat, the person who lost their cat has been reunited…
Absolute life distractions, yet I could lose minutes -to hours- of my day reading, scrolling, clicking, liking, commenting…
It wasn’t until recently I truly believed I could take a break from social media (SM) -I mean REALLY unplug: a full 30- day break from all SM: no Facebook, no Instagram, no TikTok, etc…
30-Day Social Media Break
The idea to truly sign off for a while came after my partner decided to do it so himself. He’d mentioned feeling addicted to social media, was constantly checking his phone throughout the day, and wanted to cut it out for a bit.
I was envious. I felt so compelled to be on social media as a business owner, but the noise and constant mind-cluttering is simply unavoidable. I decided on an experiment to see if taking a short-term getaway would impact my overall well-being, especially my mental clarity.
I timed it out with my business plans. I gave everyone a heads up – my team, friends, and announced it in a public post. I was ready to jump.
Day 1
Absolute liberation. For someone who has felt compelled for years to be on SM platforms for business- this was like clocking out of the office for a month. I was still working and running both my businesses, but I no longer had to blast “Life in the Fast Lane” morning, noon and night.
I had no IG stories to share, no need to check my phone for notifications.
Phew- what a relief!
However, I noticed my subconscious behaviors that first afternoon- when I typically hit a lull in my day and tap into my SM to scroll for a few minutes… I found myself looking in the space where my apps used to live. Even though I’d removed the apps, my brain was automatically trying to bring me to them- as it had done millions of times before.
(This experience of me subconsciously trying to check my apps would continue to happen countless times over the next 30 days.)
I realized quickly it was a habit loop that’s been hardwired into my daily behaviors. I’ve learned that when I’m bored (along with a dozen other triggers ) I open my social media apps, am served up something interesting, and BAM my brain is rewarded with escape, stimulation, and a hit of dopamine.
Day 2 - 4
The next few days I was feeling a little depressed- nothing intense – but noteworthy. My brain was searching for the habit loop- it was yearning to fulfill it. Boredom would strike, or just a moment of transition- and I’d catch myself subconsciously opening my phone screen to click on the apps… (that weren’t there!)
The depressive feelings were subtle, and I soon began doing other things instead. I would wash the dishes, straighten up a room, or have a 10-minute walk outdoors. I even started Facetiming my partner rather than texting him (after all I couldn’t view his profile or stories)!
The bored feeling triggered my urge to just DO something- refresh my brain & current experience- and lately that response to boredom had been SM.
Day 5 - 9
Gradually I felt I was relearning coping behaviors for boredom and transitions. I was SO SURPRISED to report I wasn’t experiencing any type of “social withdrawal”- in fact not seeing and hearing about the lives of so many others provided me with this incredible sense of calmness.
A clarified mental state is the best way I can describe.
Like wiping my slate clean.
However, I was even more mindful and aware that I continued to check my apps (not on purpose- just from that trained brain). I would simply laugh at myself in the moment- and took note as I knew this was something worth sharing with others!
Day 10 – 17
The subconscious checking-my-phone stuff has decreased (but still happens a few times a day).
My mornings are so much calmer.
I am not inundated with news of the outside world- and my home feels like my HOME so much more these days. All that is on my mind is what is in my real world. My children, my partner, my clients, my family, my friends, the humans I see in person at camp or daycare, the people at the store, in the parking lot…
My patience- likely due to feeling less overwhelmed and mentally scattered- has also been something I’ve been more mindful of. I enjoyed a 4-day road trip with my two daughters, and I spent each day and night so involved with them- it was empowering as a mother- and fulfilling for myself and my children. What an enriched experience to give your little ones- the whole you, with a clear mind and heart.
Due to the mental calmness, life feels easier.
Day 18 - 30
I don’t want to go back online.
I feel so FREE.
I feel peaceful and calm in my life.
Social media isn’t the devil- but it is addictive and will quickly clutter your brain and life with noise and overwhelm.
However, I need to be plugged into my social networks, and to a degree I want to be. I enjoy being part of a community and seeing others celebrate, announce engagements, have baby’s, open businesses, make strides, and offer my own support and inspiration!
I recognize now that maintaining this calm clear mind requires more than “mindful” usage (as even after 30 days.. I continue to pick up my phone subconsciously to check notifications.. even though they haven’t been there for a month!!!!)
Our brains become hard wired. I have provided my brain and body with some time free of its habitual patterns and created calmer outlets when I sense the urge to seek stimulation- I very much want to foster this new way of living and fortify my SM boundaries more so than ever as I move forward.
Cutting Back on Social Media
Honestly, If I weren’t a business owner- I’d remain unplugged indefinitely (yup, it feels THAT good).
However, given my circumstances and responsibilities I ‘ve decided a minimal yet consistent schedule with social media is the way to go.
So I’ll make a plan that works for me, my family, my clients & businesses. (perhaps a Tuesday & Friday check in may be more ideal than daily posting?)…
I intend to explore marketing strategies as well. Racing around to post stories all day long has seemed like an easy way to run marketing (and is key to MLM success stories), but it hadn’t come without a price. I believe there is a way to have both mental clarity and business success- but it requires creativity and experimentation.
My mental clarity has opened my eyes to the impact this decision has made.
I am without a doubt more mindful. This has gradually translated into a deeper patience and a calmer overall functioning throughout each day.
No time has been wasted scrolling this month (consider THAT factor alone)! The most time I’ve spent on my phone aside from work and emails has been to play Sudoku or Mahjong Titans. I’ve repurposed much of my time with mindfulness exercises, play, face-to-face quality time, meditation, gratitude, and brain building activities.
Should I Take a Social Media Break?
Yes. YES. YES! Anyone who is a little bit like me- whether you’re on SM for simply guilty pleasures or run marketing for your business- you absolutely should try to unplug and experience this in some capacity that works for you (at bare minimum, watch this Netflix documentary!)
Obviously, don’t quit your job! Depending on your situation, you may need to modify and pre-schedule content, hire a V.A. or do periodical check-ins if needed. However- in my opinion our mental and physical wellbeing is worth understanding and may require what I view as a wellness investment.
If you do plan to unplug, take note of some articles out there on how to do it as you may find some tips really useful for yourself! More times than not, social media may negatively impact self-esteem via comparison to others, so stepping away from access to these self-inflicting situations will give you the chance to branch back out into your own life and reduce the negative chatter.
I’ve learned so much from it- and am feeling so GOOD! I will make SM breaks a reoccurring event moving forward. While I was unplugged, I went camping, hiking, started my post-certification studies, took on new business endeavors, took my kids on a beach road trip and water park, an animal safari, flew to Florida for a few days, and taught a workshop at a women’s retreat (it was the BEST month I’ve had in years!).
CONCLUSIONS:
This experiment has proven that social media has an impact on overall health and wellbeing.
I used a Likert scale before Day 1 and self-reported my overall mental stress/overwhelm at an 8 out of 10 (1 being lowest, 10 being highest). On Day 30, I self-reported my overall mental stress/overwhelm at a 4 out of 10. Each day I documented observations of my daily experiences, my mood, attitude, and overall stress coping behaviors.
I made adjustments to my living circumstances by changing my environment (removing SM apps), and substituting with alternative stress or boredom-coping behaviors that support mental and emotional wellbeing vs. induce more stress/overwhelm.
Habits die hard (something I’ve known to be true with other tricky habits like binge eating). Even with the strongest intentions to unplug or not look at our phone, we may surrender to the micro-habits we’ve repeated countless times. Making a designated commitment to step away from an undesirable behavior will help you gain insight and explore how to rearrange and make change in your own world, so you feel better and live the life best designed for you.