8 Signs you need a break from Social Media and how to do a Social Media Detox

One minute you are happy, and the next minute, you take a quick peek into Instagram, which turns to 2 hours, and now you are envying others' life and are second-guessing about everything. Social media has the power to do that and more. It was made to connect people, but somewhere along the line, we have lost the vision of what it represents. 

It has become a hell loop of perfection, comparison, and opinions. We constantly seek out this digital high because of our inability to stay alone. So much so that according to a research, people preferred to get a mild shock rather than sit alone without their phones or anything in hand. This says a lot about how we can't be alone with our thoughts and why we gravitate towards checking social media every other second. 

This can lead to a severe problem when social media takes over your whole life and sucks out all your energy. So how to recognize that you need a break from all things social media?

Here are some signs that you need a social media detox:

1) Comparing

If you are always comparing yourself to others on social media and if it's creating insecurities in your life, then you might really need a detox from it. This issue can create an impact on how you perceive your life which can eventually lead to low self-esteem.

2) Mindless scrolling

Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling on social media and not even realizing when you picked up the phone or how did you end up there? This can happen to anyone and it may be because you have got so accustomed to having social media on your hand that you are just reaching for it subconsciously now!

3) Feeling anxious when you are not scrolling

Do you feel anxious when you go long without checking on social media? Are you afraid that you missed out on something? Do you overthink about things that might be happening on social media? Then you definitely need a break from these anxious thoughts and social media. 

4) Post everything on social media first

You are out on a weekend, you have this beautiful view from your room, but instead of enjoying the view, you post it on your gram first. If this sounds familiar then you might be placing social media above everything and you are missing out on some beautiful moments. You are living your life for likes and comments and not for the real things.

5) It's the first thing you check in the morning and the last thing you check in the night

Everyone is guilty of doing this. Even if nothing is happening you just have to check your phone to see if you missed anything exciting. And even though you convince yourselves to sleep early or on time, you can't just escape the temptation of taking a peek which turns into a 1 hour marathon. Our mind needs some quiet time to drift into a good sleep and when you check social media in the morning it sends our mind an urgency that might send it into an override before the day even begins.

6) Don't have time for anything

Do you always find yourself not having enough time to do your favourite things anymore? Are you not getting enough time with your family and friends? This might be because you are spending too much time on social media and it's consuming every aspect of your life.

7) Brain feels foggy

You are trying to concentrate on your work but your mind just feels foggy and you are not able to pay attention to anything. If you have experienced something similar to this, then it might be because social media is taking too much space in your mind and it's affecting your attention span now. This can create some problems in your career as well as your personal life.

8) Photos and posts upset you

If seeing someone's photos and posts upsets you, then it's time to take a break and focus on yourself. Social media is made for sharing things and connecting people. If it has started affecting your mood majorly then it's definitely time to give it up.

If you still don't think social media has taken over your life, then take a moment and ask yourself: when was the last time you went a full day without checking social media? If Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat disappeared tomorrow, would you feel anxious and empty? 

It might seem like harmless fun at the start but it has evolved into more. If you want to stop social media from taking up so much space in your life we have a way you can cut off these habits without dropping the whole thing suddenly.

Here's how you can do a social media detox:

1) Delete social media apps (that stresses you out the most)

Quitting all the apps altogether might be a big change. So start with deleting some apps which take most of your time. 

2) Detox with a friend

Detoxing can be hard when social media is a big part of your life, so having a detox buddy might help make this transition smoother.

3) Put a rubber band around your phone

This is a popular method for helping you take a break from social media. Having a physical barrier will help make you more conscious when picking up your phone.

4) Redesign your lock screen

Change your lock screen to something that will make you aware and question why you need to use your phone right now. This will definitely help in reminding you to stay on track on your detox journey.

5) Give your phone a bedtime

Bedtime is not for just us! Fix a time to keep your phone aside and take a break from social media. Take it slow and try it out for a week to make it a habit!

6) Get a real alarm clock

Alarm clocks are old news because our phone that has so many functions also has an alarm clock in it. This prompts us to check our phone first thing in the morning and we already know it won't stop there. So get a real alarm clock to keep distractions away.

7) Set a time limit on your apps

You have this cool feature in your phone to set the limit for the usage of apps. So it's time to use it. This will help a lot in saving and tracking your time.

8) Plan what you are doing during detox

One of the difficult things while detoxing is that you have a lot of idle time and you don't know what to do with it. So plan something like reading, exercising, and meditating to keep your mind off social media.

The first step to your social media detox game plan is to try it. Take one day and try to inculcate these methods into your life. Then gradually try to extend it to a week or a month. This detox might be the thing to make you feel inspired and get control back in your life again.