These are my thoughts completely jumbled….about a social media cleanse. There’s been a lot of talks lately about putting our phones down. I agree. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and chatting with a few of you about it. No one ever talks about the stress it is to keep up with this social media game.
The stress of having the perfect feed, gaining more followers, keeping the followers you have, posting enough, having engagement, being “authentic”, being “real”, being yourself, being everything to everyone. It’s demanding. And at times it’s not fun.
Let’s be honest. Social media is depressing. I can personally admit that I get way to caught up in what everyone else is doing instead of focusing on myself. Not being appreciative of what I have, because someone else has something “better”.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah
When I wake up in the morning, I do what most people do. Check my phone. I start my day negatively by watching what everyone else is doing. The same thing happens before I go to bed. So I end my day negatively too. I need to be more focused, more productive, and less scatterbrained.
I have known I need to start practicing self-care for years now. Hell, I haven’t even been able to lose weight for over 4 years. Part of self-care is mental too. Jealousy, anxiety, stress, etc. I always just tell myself to let it go and not let it stress me out. But it doesn’t work. If I’m on the social platform, I still feel jealous, still, feel anxious.
I started to hate the person I had become – overweight, always tired, lazy, unproductive. Why couldn’t I be that girl that worked out every day, got dressed, did her makeup, had a clean house, ate well and slept well? Why couldn’t I be the person I wanted to be? Nothing was stopping me. I just had to do it. It sounds so ridiculous to admit, but it’s true. Instead, I spent hours a day with my nose in my phone. Wearing yoga pants even though I’ve never done yoga. Looking at all the half-done projects around our house and the pile of laundry in the closet.
Instagram is not my job. Luckily, I have the option to just walk away. And really, I’d still be decorating my house whether Instagram is watching or not. My blog doesn’t stress me, it’s my happy place. It’s different because all the work is done on my computer, same with my email subscribers. There’s no ease of picking up the phone and getting lost down a social media rabbit hole. And with Facebook, I can use the Facebook Page app to monitor and post to my page without having to actually use and scroll through a Facebook feed.
I’m a stubborn person by nature, so if you tell me not to do something or tell me no, I will find a way to do it and prove you wrong. The same goes for when I tell myself no. It wasn’t as simple as just not picking up my phone. I kept telling myself “don’t pick up that phone Allison, don’t do it” only 5 minutes later I’d pick up, open the app and start scrolling.
This article really helped me put into words and really understand what was going on with my brain and how I am feeling. The first 2 signs – being uninspired and never finishing a to-do list are my biggest issues! Number 10 and 11 spoke to me too.
And this article reminded me that a social media cleanse is different for everyone. It’s not indefinite. It’s just a cleanse. I’ve chosen to give up Instagram because that’s my personal vice, but I’m keeping my Facebook page and my blog because those don’t distract me and still bring me joy.
I’m interested to see where this journey will take me. How long will it last? I’m not sure. I suppose when I finally feel like it won’t distract me from my goals.
I was off social media for 11 months. It was fabulous!! But I got tired of not knowing what was going on and not feeling included in conversations that always seemed to include the phrase “I saw it on Facebook…Instagram…etc”. So I caved and slowly got sucked back in.
When I picked up my phone a few minutes ago, I told myself I shouldn’t open any social media, but I did anyways. And this was the third thing I read.
So, I know what I need to do. Interestingly enough, I enjoy Instagram much more than Facebook. If I were to keep one it would be Instagram. ??
I wish social media would get boring for everyone and we could go back to being productive individuals again!
That’s awesome! Instagram is my favorite too but it’s the one I also spend and waste the most time on. This is def not permanent – I just want to see how it goes.
Don’t we all need a cleanse like that? It’s so refreshing when it’s done! I always push my friends into doing it too, but yeah, it’s true: each person has their own way of doing so.
Congratulations, Allison! Any decision we make that frees us from artificial anxiety is a good one. Social media is in many ways as much a rabbit hole as it is a communications tool. I’ve walked away from a number of sites that have questionable policies and/or member behavior…or are run by questionable individuals in my book. I feel fine being, in my case, on permanent hiatus. I’d much rather connect with real people in real time. Blogs, however, are very different. They are the one type of social media that I thoroughly enjoy and anticipate. Bloggers like you engage readers like me, so thank you. Again, congratulations, and enjoy your time off, your “you” time .Cheers, Ardith
Aww thanks so much Ardith! That means a lot!
❤️No matter what, I support you. Yes, sometimes we forget to be mindful and get wrapped up in SM. By taking a step back, realigning yourself with your goals and putting yourself FIRST, You already started something amazing. I’m so proud of you. Love you!
Hi Allison! I just read your post and I want to thank you for putting into words exactly the way I’ve been feeling!! I too am on a “cleanse” and it feels wonderful! We’re doing a kitchen project this weekend and it feels good to know that I’m doing it just for our eyes! No worrying about what others will think or getting that just right picture! I’ll miss you but it’s good to know that you’ll still be blogging! Take care! xo, Kathy
Thank you Kathy! I miss my IG friends but needed a break! I’ll be back soon. Can’t wait to see your kitchen!