4 Things I Learned From My Social Media Fast

At the end of August this year, I decided I wanted to take a break from all things social media. Nothing major sparked this idea. I think it was just the changing seasons and that slight shift I felt from Mother Nature at the end of most seasons. What can I change this time?

So I decided to box up all my social media apps on my phone in a box I aptly titled: NOPE, and simply stayed off all the Facebooks and Instagrams and the like. First of all, I can’t believe I actually did it. Can we be clear about that right away? September 2nd rolled around and I felt like I was missing out on EVERYTHING.

But I powered through, and as each day went by, it got easier and easier to not pick up my phone. I did miss a few things. (Babies being born and invitations to super fun things to name a few.) But I also learned a few things about myself and what social media means in my life.

One of my last posts in August in my IG stories was about a pair of overalls that I loved from my friend’s IG story. IG story inception.

Social Media Gives Me Low Key Anxiety

I cannot explain why or how scrolling through my Instagram feed or Facebook feed creates feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. I’m sure it has something to do with how everyone posts their most shiniest moments of glory and perfection all through a slightly blurred filter that hides pores and blemishes and that eating disorder your neighbor has, but would never know, because, hashtag: so blessed and hashtag: gym rat.

I honestly didn’t even know that sometimes scrolling through my feed brought up these feelings until I stopped scrolling through feeds! So now that I am able to actually recognize and pinpoint a very real emotion I was in denial about, I have a better grasp on how I am going to tailor my feed. I’ve deleted or muted any account that gives me the feeling of less than or not enough. Gone. Bye bye. Don’t worry, it’s not you, it’s me. And if MY account is giving you these feelings, please, part ways with me! We can still be friends IRL as the kids say. (Do they still say that?)

2. I Felt Pressure to Like EVERYTHING

This was something I knew before my fast. I had this weird feeling that if I didn’t double tap or catch up with a friend’s feed and tap that picture, I was nervous they would think I didn’t like them or...I can’t even finish this sentence I’m so embarrassed I actually thought this! If I follow you, if we are friends and I don’t tap a post, see a post, know about a post, just know it has nothing to do with how I feel about you. And please feel free to tell me in person or even call or text me when something super major happens. I’m the girl that is kind of still hoping letter writing comes back, so I would be thrilled with an individual text about whatever you also posted. Don’t be shy.

A photo I took of my boys when we were walking the dog that I wanted to share with all the social medias, but I didn’t. So here it is now!

3. Mindless Clicking is Poison For Me

Oh man. I am glad to recognize and nip this habit in the bud. Once I started my intentional work to not be on social media, I realized how many times a day I would pick up my phone to open those colorful little apps to just scroll. Almost any moment of downtime, I found myself reaching for my phone to open Instagram. For me, this was a major problem. Who knows how many minutes and hours were wasted because of a mindless pick up that would turn into a rabbit hole or checking my population page on Instagram to see if there were any more hilarious memes I hadn’t seen yet.

It took stepping away for a month to realize I was on there waaaay too much, even though I have a super busy life with a million things to do in a day. It was a great reality check. I thought I was a pretty casual user, not on those apps a lot, but it took stepping away for a month to realize I was probably overusing.

4. Moderation Is Sexy

I really like this principle of moderation. It seems so simple, but it really does fit into so many categories for me. My fast has not made me anti-social media. I recognize it’s value in my life. I like staying in touch with friends and family across the country I never see. I like your belly pictures you post throughout your pregnancy. I enjoy seeing your posts at the finish line when you finally finish that race you’ve been posting about for the last few months. I think social media is a great way to stay in touch with you and your life.

But for me, I see how it became a mindless brain dump where my feelings of enjoyment at seeing your best, shiniest, filtered photo could also turn into that feeling of angst and pressure and anxiety.

And right now, it’s enough that I recognize that so I can shut that BS down when I see it coming. I am on my way to cultivating new habits of actually checking in with my people instead of their feeds. (Not perfect at this, but am working on it.) September also ended up being a pretty insane month of personal issues that I didn’t see coming that just so happened to coincide with this social media shut down. Thanks Universe, for having my back on that. *fist bumps the entire universe*

So October is feeling like a pretty great month to connect in authentic ways with my real life feed. i.e. face to face interactions and sincere “how are yous.”

So tell me reader, I really want to know. Give me your giant pore filled, grainest, most unfiltered answer, how are you?