I won't begin by saying I completely understand you, where you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually at this very moment in your life but...maybe you're at a point where you feel like you're being caved in.
- You're 9 months pregnant and getting bombarded by pics of girls with waayy slimmer bodies than yours.
- You're bench pressing 100 lbs and viewing photos of your gym buddies pressing 450.
- You're working your boring but stable 9-5 desk job and following people who travel and do the job they LOVE to do.
All those posts, comments, likes, reactions!—it's all so LOUD and you can't hear your own voice anymore...
Maybe all the above are over exaggerations for you...maybe they're not.
My last post was 4 months ago. And that wasn't only for my blog. I took a social media break altogether! I still looked at it from time to time, but I didn't post anything. I didn't even feel the need to post anything.
The past 4 months were some of the most rejuvenating times in my life (that's including giving birth to my 5th child!). You may ask,
- "Didn't you miss the connection?"
- "Didn't you feel like you were losing to your competitors?"
- "Didn't you feel like were letting your followers down?"
I'll be answering those questions with the below 5 reasons of why you should take a social media break from time to time.
1. Social Media Elevates the Comparison Game
As you saw with all the above examples, comparison is the key problem. Social media gives you an endless amount of people to compare yourself to just by the simple action of scrolling with your fingertips (which is way easier than actually doing something meaningful). It sucks you in for minutes that may lead to hours of reading about other people's lives instead of actively living yours and doing great things! Click here to read more of my thoughts on comparing yourself to others.
2. Social Media Can Discourage True Connection
Yes, social media can be a great tool for connecting with family, friends, potential customers, peers, etc. However, it should never take the place of face-to face conversations where you can truly deepen your connection to someone by reading their tone, body language, and facial expressions. If you get to the point where your face-to-face interactions are shallow to say the least, it might be time to stop hiding behind the monitor or your mobile device and learn to share with those directly surrounding you.
3. Social Media Keeps You Sitting and Gaining
That's right! Itching to lose that extra weight? Wanting to even stay afloat and be overall healthy? This ain't helping you. In the Washington Post , according to an analysis published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, adults sit on average 6 1/2 hrs. everyday. Yikes! This kind of lifestyle can lead to all sorts of health risks we're just asking for like the coveted diabetes, drama-inducing heart disease, etc. Need I say more? Get out and take a walk in the fresh air.
4. Social Media Can Be an Addiction
Just as gambling, drinking, and smoking can have negative effects on you physically and mentally, so can social media. Have you ever felt your mood shift to a low after seeing you didn't get the amount of likes and comments you were expecting from what you thought was your best post ever? I don't know about you but I've caught myself looking for notifications from my social media apps in the morning and feeling a tingle or a small high when I did. It's like pulling down the lever at those slot machines and watching the fruits line up in your favour. Now more than ever, with the rise of mobile usage, our addictions are a hand's length away.
5. Social Media Can Keep You from Sleeping
How many of you want to look like this cat? Can't you just see the smile crinkling his eyes. A sleep free of anxiety, free of worrying whether you're going to get the engagement you expect or require. Do you think you can truly give your followers value in your content if you're not valuing yourself by running yourself ragged with worry about how high you're ranking?
I say let your competitors run with the ball for a little so you hang back and rest, breathe the fresh air. Be present, not in social media, but with the people immediately around you, whether that's your partner, kids, or the coffee barista you see every morning on the way to work. What say you?
No, I'm not saying stay away from social media all together. It's an integral part of life that just needs boundaries so we can be running the show, not it running us.
Was there a time when you took a social media break? Did you see any positive changes in your demeanour and overall happiness?
Comment below and share what you learned when you did. And if you haven't, try it out. You may just find your way back home.