Social media has been around in our lives for over a decade now. And in the past few years, with the advent of multiple apps like Instagram and Snapchat, we are getting even more hooked on to our smartphones. Moreover, the negative impacts of social media on day to day lives at an individual level cannot be overlooked. Hence, it is high time that we plan a ‘social media diet’ and start detoxing ourselves from this situation. Try something new for a change! Better still, go on a no social media for a week challenge, and see where it leads you to!
Why do you need a social media detox?
Cut the negativity out:
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Social media, in most instances, is nothing more than a self-esteem wrecker. Everyone is flashing the best faces of their lives around via their posts with no one willing to share the real face of struggle and the ugliness that comes with it. This is enough reason why you must willingly steer clear of social media every once in a while, for your own selfish motives. Negativity is one of the major reason why many people are searching for how to do a social media cleanse.
Feed your mind well:
If you are willing to grow and prosper in life, it is best if you feed yourself with the most beneficial soul food out there. Non-fictional books, articles, podcasts, motivational talks, and informative courses are only a few such examples as to how you can start off with your social media diet. Long story cut short, if you wish to get a gist of what your future looks like, have a look at what you spend doing all day long and what you feed your mind with.
Wastage of time and talent:
As mentioned before, a huge chunk of people while away their time on apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat without giving a second thought as to what its consequences will be. Unless you use social media to broadcast your creativity, look for ways to improve your skill, or make money from affiliate marketing or advertising your own business, you are pretty much just whiling your time away. Make sure that you replace social media with such advantageous ways of learning so that you prevent both your talent and time from going down the drain in the long run.
Grow in your own space:
Staying away from social media gives you enough space of mind to grow and develop at your own pace. It cuts out all undue competition and unhealthy comparison with your social media friends and gives you a good state of mind to go on and achieve your goals.
How to do a social media cleanse?
Give yourself healthy replacements:
Newspapers, TED talks, documentaries, self-help videos and articles, and podcasts are a great way to relax and learn at the same time. If you are a reader, then both fiction and nonfiction must be on your list. Everything mentioned above is amazingly healthy for recreational learning and multiple times better than switching to social media on and off. This is the foundation of a good and healthy social media diet. If kept up, it is bound to pay off in the long run. In other words, check your content consumption and monitor it closely.
Avoid posting right away:
This is exclusively meant for most millennials out there. When out with your close ones, take all the pictures you want. But refrain from posting them right away in real time. Editing these pictures, framing captions, looking up for hashtags, and seeking approval from fellow mates before posting them online all take time and effort. Even if you are a Youtuber, blogger, or social media influencer, set aside those tasks for later when you are all alone. For now, choose to live in the moment at hand. On second thoughts, try to not post anything online while you are on the no social media for a week challenge.
Driving and Dining:
Lets make it a trend. Using cell phones while driving and dining must be termed illegal. However, the latter can be excused if you are dining alone. It is sheer bad manners to have your phone on the table while having a meal. Not only does it come off as disrespectful to the ones sitting down with you, but it also takes away your attention from the meal. Also, while driving, remember to place your purse in the back seat to avoid reaching out for your cell phone as soon as you hit red lights. Make this an important part of your social media diet.
No – WIFI – Getaway:
Plan a weekend getaway to some far-off place where there isn’t any Wi-Fi. For example, look up for a beach or a resort that is not accessible for the internet. Save the internet work for later when you come back home or to your hotel rooms. You are bound to feel much more relaxed and reenergized with this method. Better still, make it a part of your one-week social media diet challenge, and you will surely witness good results at the end of it.
Final Verdict:
Bloggers, YouTubers, and other social media influencers do need to be practically hooked onto their screens for the most part of the day. But this social media detox diet applies to them too. Irrespective of the fact whether your income relies on your online presence or not, you need to go on a social media detox occasionally. In addition to that, make it a point to stick to a healthy social media diet on a regular basis instead of going back to consuming every content there is out there.
Remember: what you feed into your system now will make its way out a few years down the line, in the form of your personal and professional success. It not just kills useful time, but also wastes away a good portion of the potential of your mind and body. Replace your unnecessary junk diet with worthwhile food for your system, and your mind and body will thank you in the years to come by.