It takes extraordinary effort to avoid social media these days. Initially seen as an enjoyable pastime, this has now grown to meet multiple personal and professional needs as well. As social media is becoming so vital to different aspects of lives, it correspondingly demands more and more of our energy and time. Social media is a platform to impart creativity.
However, there comes a time in my life where I’ve just about exhausted all the efficiency and creativity I’ve got. I need a break. My body and my mind—and often, my writing—make it considerably clear.
Do we ever get the same signs when we need a rest from social media?
Ask yourself the questions below:
- What urges me to use social media in various circumstances? (For instance, when looking for a piece of particular information, boredom, more out of habit, or to keep in touch with friends or family intentionally).
- What time and situation do I most use social media sites the most? (It may better to think over problems when you are most intrigued to access these apps/sites. For instance, when traveling, during meals, during breaks at work, etc.)
- How do I feel after using social media sites? This question is helpful for you to decide whether the time you spend on social media is a real influence on you or not (For instance – bent, mentally stimulated, indicted for having wasted too much time).
- Are there particular sites/pages that leave me more motivated than others?
- What about pages/sites that leave me feeling this way?
If you feel guilty about using social media, and you feel there is way too much negativity online, and you really need a long break, then here is how you can take a social media vacation in style.
- We usually follow a lot of different accounts on social media. They add little to no value in our lives, and we haven’t spoken to most of them anyway. So, to take a social media break, unfollow accounts that you don’t talk with in real life.
- Just close your eyes and change the notification settings for your Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/Whatsapp. We don’t want numerous ‘pings’ coming and irritating us while we are on a social media break. These notifications mostly hold no value, and so, you should change the setting ASAP. We don’t need to see the notifications about when your friends update every day.
- Snapchat doesn’t have a ‘feed.’ But you can follow non-humans on Snapchat, so just unfollow them. Also, immediately turn the notification for “stories” off. You can do this in your Snapchat Settings.
Following someone else’s life, every day on social media is exhausting, and we often forget to live ours. So, a break is always a good thing, and small steps like turning off notifications and unfollowing random accounts are an excellent way to take a detox.
Now You Know
