Last month I shared on Instagram that my goal for July was to take every Sunday off from social media.
A social media break is very healthy for your mind, self-esteem, relationships, and so much more.
That’s why doing this was something I’ve been wanting for a while.
Truthfully I’ve been disconnecting from social media much more often than before.
I used to obsess over posting every single day but for the past few months, I’ve been sharing content when it truly feels right.
I got a lot of positive feedback when I shared I’d be doing a Sunday social media break in July, so I wanted to share some reasons why I did it and what I learned.
A Job in Social Media
For those who don’t know, my full-time job is as a Social Media Manager at an Advertising agency. Side note – I LOVE my job and the people I work with!
However, being on social media every single day creating and posting content, engaging, listening, running ads, etc. can become overwhelming.
Oftentimes I’d feel like there was no escaping the bubble that is the Instagram world!
Regardless of what account you manage, you’re bound to see a perfectly curated feed with people highlighting their best side.
After all, Instagram is all about creating this edited reality where everything is magical and nothing bad could ever happen. I mean what are presets/filters for if not that?
By the way, I’m not hating on it I’m just being extremely open. In fact, I’m as guilty as it gets when it comes to showing only the best.
Take a look at my account. Clearly I use presets, pose in almost all my photos, find the perfect lighting for my food shots, and take at least 30 photos until I find the “perfect” one.
That’s just the reality most of us live.
Which is precisely the reason why I wanted to challenge myself to disconnect from social media and leave those ridiculous standards aside.
Being Present
I hate admitting this but there’s an embarrassing amount of times Kris has told me he feels that I pay more attention to my phone than him.
It truly hurts me to know I’m making someone feel like they don’t deserve my time and attention. Even worse when that someone is a person you love.
I wanted to take this social media break to focus on being present and living in the moment.
Forget the Instagram perfect world for a moment and just live your reality.
The Results
Increased Productivity
Guilty of wasting time scrolling through social media? Yup, that’s me!
I can’t count the amount of times I was running late to something because I got real deep in a social media rabbit hole.
Sundays suddenly became my most productive day of the week and it felt like the day lasted forever.
Who knew a social media break would suddenly add hours to my day?
I got a lot done, plus not to mention it came in at the perfect time since we needed to pack our whole apartment and move into our new place.
Living in the Moment
Probably one of the best parts of the social media break was being fully present.
I got to spend my time with Kris and the pups, going on walks, unpacking, exploring our new neighborhood and overall just doing what we wanted.
I was even surprised I wasn’t experiencing any FOMO.
I thought I was gonna spend the day wondering what was happening on Instagram but truthfully, living in the moment was so much better.
Keep it Going
So where do I go from here? I’ve naturally been distancing myself from my phone and social media.
I still go on it, but I don’t feel like it’s a forced break. Quite the opposite, it’s just what my mind craves now.
I want to be more mindful of the time I spend on social media. I want to make sure I don’t let it take over my time or affect my mood negatively.
Whatever you do in life, make sure it lifts you up and brings positivity into your day.
If spending hours a day on Instagram or Facebook feels overwhelming, don’t do it!
My goal is to simply take it day by day, without the pressure of social media and making my world look ‘perfect’ and instagrammable.
I encourage you to evaluate your social media habits and make sure they’re lifting you up as opposed to affecting you negatively.
