10 Reasons Why a Social Media Detox is a Form of Self Care
Check Out These 10 Reasons Why a Social Media Detox is a Form of Self Care.
We all love our social media, and as a small business owner and digital content creator, it’s a big part of how I connect with my supporters and grow my brand. But, social media can take over our lives if we’re not careful and may even be harmful if we don’t keep a healthy balance.
Here are some of the reasons why a social media detox is a form of self care and ways you can fill your time instead. Keep in mind, I’m definitely not advocating a total shut-down, just suggesting healthier ways to use these powerful and entertaining tools. When it comes to anything, too much can overkill, and balance is key.
Here are 10 Important Reasons for a Self Care, Social Media Detox
(1) Giving yourself a social media detox allows you to reset from unrealistic standards.
Social media is typically filled with people only sharing themselves at their best. These carefully, curated images, quotes and videos can make it seem like everyone else’s life is perfect and our own lives constantly fall short.
Unfortunately, social media can create a false narrative of what day-to-day life should be like.
On some level we know this, but it’s still easy to get in our heads if we don’t take a break from time to time. Remember how beautiful life truly is, even if it’s not perfect.
(2) You’ll have more time to devote to your goals if you do a social media detox.
Have you ever gotten stuck on your phone and realized the entire day slipped away! This probably happens to a lot of us more than we’d like to admit because we’re so stuck on social media.
Taking a break from social media can help us reconnect with our goals and core purposes in life. This is a form of self care because it helps us get out of our own way and removes obstacles that may be keeping us from being our best selves.
(3) You’ll have clearer headspace to meditate.
Our brains need time to rest. With constant stimulation from our computers and small screens, we don’t have enough downtime for our minds to clear and reset. This can create or exacerbate anxiety. We all need quiet moments to heal and recharge! I, personally, have taken time at the beginning of my day to take in the quiet and meditate. It’s tremendously helped with my anxiety and has broken me out of the habit to instantly pick up my phone as wake up. It’s been life changing.
(4) You’ll have more time for healthy conversations.
Self Care can also be having healthy conversations. Sharing our highs and lows with people who love and support us can be a great way to alleviate stress and help us problem-solve.
These conversations can also help us put our lives in better perspective. We can gain a sense of solidarity and draw strength from the people that matter to us the most.
(5) You can connect with important people in your life.
Along with having conversations, we can also create more space for quality time and fun experiences. We will have more motivation to get up off the couch and do things that are good for our spirits.
It’s really easy to unintentionally isolate ourselves when we spend too much time on our screens.
(6) You’ll be more present in special moments if you detox from social media.
With a social media detox, we can also be more present when we do have those special moments with friends and family. Instead of thinking about how great this would look on an Instagram feed or focusing on getting the best possible picture for Facebook, we can truly enjoy these moments.
There’s no harm in capturing these experiences for the future, but sometimes our focus can be a little skewed.
These quality moments are important for our mental and emotional well-being and should be enjoyed to the fullest extent!
(7) Self-esteem can improve during a social media detox.
There are countless studies that show increased social media use can have a negative impact on our self esteem, especially for teenagers. This is another side effect of constantly confronting unrealistic standards.
Part of self care is understanding our own individual worth and beauty and this can be hard to do when continuously comparing ourselves to other people.
(8) Anxiety may decrease.
I’ve mentioned anxiety a few times, already. This is probably the biggest negative ramification from too much social media use. It’s an underlying side effect that is woven into so many of the other points I’ve made.
A break from social media can release us from unintentional mental self-harm, and give us more freedom to make other healthy choices.
(9) You’ll have less Fear of Missing Out.
When we continuously see other people doing and accomplishing big things or experiencing things we’d like to do ourselves, there can be a fear of missing out. We may feel like we need to be doing and being more than we are right now.
While it’s fun to see other people’s experiences and get inspired from friends and our favorite influencers, without a healthy balance, these positive things can become a detriment and add to anxiety.
(10) A social media detox will help you get more sleep.
Sleep is self care!
Social media platforms are created to engage our minds and time as much as possible. It is built into their algorithms and coding to try to keep us scrolling and clicking no matter what.
For many, this means lots of late night scrolling when our bodies should be at rest.
Sleep is vital to our health in so many ways. We can’t be our best selves, do our best work or be present when we’re overly tired.
Do You Plan to Take a Social Media Detox?
I hope you’ll take this advice and plan a few times in the year for a social media detox. This is a great way to practice self care and keep our minds, bodies and spirits in harmony.
Remember that no one’s life is perfect and you are worthy and beautiful just by being you. Use these social media tools for all of their positive benefits and find balance to avoid the negatives!
Want more self care tips? Try these 25 Home Essentials for a Cozy and Calm Bathroom and set these 50 Goals in Life to be Successful and Happy!
Until next time!
