Social media is a beautiful thing, truly, it is. Especially considering we are living in COVID times and aren’t always able to go visit and see our loved ones in person. Social media has the power for good. It can be a source of information and awareness, inspiration, encouragement, connection, and so much more! Unfortunately, it can also be toxic, draining, and exhausting. Like everything in life, I think social media requires a balance. It is important to appreciate the goodness, but also to know when to step away and take your space. Breaks are good for the heart and mind. I just took an unplanned and unintentional break over last weekend and I’m so excited to share my experience with you (ironically through a form of social media lol).
There is a popular phrase that always comes to mind when I think about taking breaks. “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” I hear myself repeating that to others so often, but always hesitating to take that advice myself. While I’m not very good about this myself, it is definitely something I’m working on improving. I think social media breaks can play a huge role in self-care. Below I listed the four main benefits I experienced during my social media break.
- Less Comparison
You know what they say… “Comparison is the thief of joy”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Social media can be discouraging sometimes because all you see are highlight reels and it’s hard not to compare. I’m just as guilty of this as the next person. I love when someone shares new and exciting things happening in their life, but it’s hard not to feel a little pang of jealousy. You can be so happy for someone and in the same breath wishing it was you that was getting engaged, buying a home, having a baby, getting a promotion, etc. I think this feeling is inevitable even if you are truly happy and secure in your life. The reason is because you know your everyday mundane life- the good, the bad, and everything in between- but what you see on social media is what everyone else wants you to see and not their everyday mundane life. Not their low points or boring moments, which believe me EVERYONE has! Taking a step away from social media reminded me of all the blessings I have and how happy I am with my life when I am not constantly comapring it to everyone else’s.
- More Productivity
Less scrolling and more living! When I took my unintentional break I was way more productive which is saying something because I like to consider myself a pretty productive person anyway. I just found that when my phone wasn’t in my hand and I wasn’t spending as much time scrolling through apps or worrying about “creating content” I had more time to work on laundry, clean out closets, etc. without feeling exhausted and defeated at the end of the day. It’s no secret that social media can be a huge time waster. I think a break whether short or long can be helpful to remind yourself of your priorities and help refocus your daily “to-dos” which will increase productivity in the long-term even once the break ends!
- Improved Real-Life Relationships
Social media can bring so many people together and helps people keep in touch which is especially important in these crazy times. I think that’s wonderful and amazing, but I do think it can also be harmful to the relationships we have with the people right here in front of us. Sometimes we can get so caught up with our online friendships or our social media presence, our real life relationships end up taking a back burner. During my break over the past few days, I felt more connected than ever with the people in my life. I got to spend a lot of quality time with family and friends and felt present and connected to each of them. It was the best time and I’m so grateful for this break to remind me the importance of these in person human interactions. Don’t take time with your loved ones for granted ever! Tomorrow is never promised, and these moments are so precious.
- Reconnection with Yourself
Who are you? What is your purpose? What are your goals? What do you want to be known for? Every once in a while, it is good to have a check in with yourself. Remind yourself of who you are, what you are working towards, and how you want people to remember you. Taking time away from social media can help you reconnect with yourself because you can really tune in to these questions and answer them for yourself without an audience and without outside influence or pressure.
The four points listed above definitely played a role in my improved mood and clearer head over the past few days. I highly encourage you to take a break from social media at some point. How long you break and when you decide to break is entirely up to you. It can be planned or unplanned like mine was, but either way I encourage you to take a step back from the highlight reels and the algorithms and the Facebook news just to re-center yourself. If you decide to do this, please let me know! I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. And if you have any other self-care tips and tricks, please leave them in the comments below!
Xx,
