Social Media Fast

I am only a few days into a social media fast and I am already loving it and wanting to tell everyone about it! I know “taking a break” from social media is nothing new, but it is fairly new to me. So this has kind of been a big step for me, one that is proving to be well worth it!

When I say social media, I am really referring to Instagram & Facebook as those are the platforms that consume me most. I don’t have Snapchat and I don’t have the TikTok app (though I do have an account that is totally empty of feed LOL) so the only platform I currently am using is Pinterest which I mostly use for recipes.

Anyway, Instagram and Facebook are SO FUN for me and honestly I consider Instagram-ing a hobby because I like to post about my interests, hobbies, home, and family. I can let it consume me, though, and have noticed that my son is saying “Mommy wook!” as I have my face in my phone. Like, what could be more important on my phone than watching my 2-year-old show me something new he just learned or something he is excited about? Yeah, nothing. I feel really guilty actually for the time I have wasted while on my phone!

A few months ago, I picked up a book called The 40-Day Social Media Fast. I read the back cover and it really called to me. I knew I wanted to do this challenge but kept making excuses to put it off. Lately I have just been so distracted by my phone that I decided I was doing it right away and that was that.

Well, I have just finished day 6 and I feel like I am seeing life with fresh eyes! It’s crazy how we don’t realize how much certain things affect us until we take a step back from them. I am happier, have less mom guilt, have more free time, and just overall feel more connected to reality.

The book encourages real life social interactions rather than online ones which is something I have needed to improve for a long time now. I have been inspired to reach out to friends and family IRL (in real life) and it is so fulfilling to make those real-life connections again. I have gotten coffee + lunch with a friend, reached out to friends to check in on them, I have made plans to watch a former student show her animals at the county fair, and have planned breakfast date with my grandparents this week.

Today, I really took time to take a mental note of the little things I would normally miss out on while my face is in my phone… Morgan had just woken up from his nap and, like his mama, he takes a while to fully wake up, so we were snuggling in the recliner together while he watched Trash Truck on Netflix. Usually I would take this time to look at my Instagram feed while sipping an afternoon coffee. But this time I acknowledged my son just by doing little things like holding his hand and practicing counting his fingers with him. Instead of just drinking my coffee and anticipating the pick-me-up it would soon give me for the afternoon, I thought about the lavender sugar that was in it that my sister gave to me for my birthday because she knows I love lavender. Next to me was my social media fast book reminding me not to be on my phone at all in this moment, even if it’s just to add to my grocery pickup order.

This book has encouraged me to do more than just stay off Insta and Facebook, though. It has encouraged me to improve my relationship with God, to let fewer things distract me from time with my son (laundry, dishes, even reading a book while with him) and be more present, and to even spend more time outside in the fresh air.

I can’t wait to continue to see a positive change in my overall mood as well as the relationships in my life as I continue this social media fast. I am beginning to think this should be a yearly to-do for me! If you could benefit from a break as well, I encourage you to check this book out as well!