10 Ways to Reclaim Your Life from Social Media (and Benefits of a Digital Detox)
Have you become a slave to technology and want to know how to reclaim your life from social media? This post has got you covered!
Social media has become an integral part of our lives to the extent that most of us can’t go even an hour without using it. We are constantly on social platforms to post stuff about our personal life, share knowledge, keep tabs on our friends and celebrities, stay updated on the latest news around the world, get entertained, and stay in touch with our virtual friends.
But what if you don’t want to be a slave to social media anymore? How can you reclaim your life from social media?
If you feel like social media has taken over your life or if you are experiencing its negative effects, you have come to the right place!
In this post, we shall provide several tips to help you learn how to reclaim your life from social media and the benefits of a digital detox. We shall also give some signs to help you tell when it is time to take a break from social media and reclaim your life. Read on…
Jump to a Section:
* Signs It’s Time to Take a Break from Social Media
* How to Reclaim Your Life from Social Media
* Benefits of a Digital Detox
10 Signs It’s Time to Take a Break from Social Media
- You can’t go more than a few minutes without checking your social media accounts
- You experience negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, stress, and sadness whenever you are on social media
- You sacrifice important parts of your life, such as self-care, family, work, and sleep, to use social media
- You keep comparing yourself with others on social media and feel dissatisfied with your life
- You get caught up in drama or argue with people online
- You can’t stop doomscrolling
- You experience FOMO and feel anxious when you are not on social media
- Social media and the expectations or opinions of your audience are always at the top of your mind in everything you do
- You value your virtual audience/friends over your real-life loved ones
- You post about every little detail of your life
READ ALSO: 10 Signs of Main Character Syndrome and How to Get Rid of It
How to Reclaim Your Life from Social Media
- Limit your screen time
Studies estimate that people ranging from 18-34 years old spend an average of more than 3 hours on social media daily.
It may not seem like a lot considering a day has 24 hours. But think about it; how much of your precious time will you have wasted on social media when the 3 hours/day accumulates over the years?
One of the best ways to reclaim your life from social media is to reduce the time spent on these platforms.
To reduce your screen time, you can improve your self-awareness and make a conscious effort to limit your usage of social media platforms.
Alternatively, you can install apps and other tools that block social media sites at particular times.
If you want to remove the temptation completely, you could delete your social media apps and deactivate your accounts.
- Keep your personal life private
A private life is a happy life. And that is one of the benefits you will enjoy once you learn how to reclaim your life from social media.
Train yourself to overcome the urge to post about your personal life, say, for example, your achievements, relationships, struggles, location, and aspirations, on social platforms.
Exposing private details about your personal life on social media makes your life the business of any interested person and invites their opinions or unnecessary drama.
It could also make you pretend to be someone you are not as you try to fit in, live up to other people’s expectations, or create a particular narrative. And, worse, it threatens your security and safety.
As such, one of the best ways to reclaim your life from social media is to keep your personal life private. You will be happier and have better relationships with the people who matter to you.
- Stop focusing on the numbers
Many people using social media usually fall into the trap of comparison and addiction, where they attach their sense of self-worth and happiness to the number of views, likes, comments, followers, or shares their posts get.
You may also engage in social comparison and feel inadequate when you see how better off your age mates, friends, and even strangers seem to be on the internet.
Even with the new features to hide like and view counts in some social media platforms, it can still be difficult to stop comparing your posts’ performance because you can still see your own likes and views.
Unfortunately, comparison is the thief of joy. Continued focus on the statistics of your social media posts may not only affect your self-esteem, but could also result in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
As you learn how to reclaim your life from social media, finding better sources of happiness and cultivating your sense of self-worth is vital.
Your social media posts’ statistics shouldn’t have that much power over what you feel about yourself. You are worth so much more!
READ ALSO: 14 Best Things to Do When Your Life Sucks (Why It Happens)
- Stay physically active
Idleness is one of the reasons people waste so much time on social media. They turn to their phones anytime they get some free time, only to find themselves deep down social media rabbit holes for hours.
By spending so much time on social media, you are wasting the little time we have here, which you can never recover.
If you want to learn how to reclaim your life from social media, try as much as possible to be physically active, even during your leisure time.
To avoid the temptation of logging into your social apps, you could stay active by doing your hobbies, exercising, making some home improvements, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or doing anything else that doesn’t allow you to become idle and bored.
You should especially try to do fun activities outside the house, even while alone.
READ ALSO: 25 Fun Things to Do Alone on a Friday Night to Avoid Boredom
- Be more present
How often do you check your social media accounts? If you are like most people, you probably do this a lot in a day.
Perhaps you check your social media profiles even when you should be focusing on other important aspects of your life, such as your work, food, family, or sleep.
But are you aware that many important things happen without your acknowledgment because you are glued to your phone, engaging with your virtual friends?
You may spend time with your family, eat, or work, but your attention would not be on your current activity. And it could cost you.
For example, you might weaken your bonds with your family, get into an accident, eat unhealthy foods or the wrong portions, and perform poorly at work while distracted by social media.
Being more present is one of the best ways to reclaim your life from social media. Do this by switching off your digital devices in situations such as at the dinner table, in the bedroom, or while working.
By being more present, you will focus on your real life and give all your attention to whatever task you are doing, thus performing it well and being happier while engaging in it.
- Set your priorities straight
Is social media one of your priorities in life? Most likely, it is not.
There are far more important things you could focus on during all those hours you spend on social media; for example, your health, job, family, relationships, education/learning, and God, among other things.
When learning how to reclaim your life from social media, you should identify your top priorities. Set or clarify your goals and how you plan to achieve them.
If social media doesn’t contribute to getting you where you want to be in life in any way, you shouldn’t spend so much of your time on these platforms.
It is time you set your priorities straight and focus on the things that matter most.
READ ALSO: 6 Ways to Find the Right Path in Life
- Be social without social media
Even though social media helps us stay in touch with our loved ones, it can never replace in-person visits or face-to-face communication.
In fact, due to the ease of social comparison nowadays, you may drift apart over time due to envy from either party. Why not go back to how socializing was like before social media?
As you learn how to reclaim your life from social media, you should start being social without these platforms.
Perhaps you feel like social media is taking over your life because you are often dragged into drama by your friends/ex-friends, or you usually participate in controversial discussions.
Make an effort to stay in touch and spend time with your family and friends through in-person visits and social activities.
To be social without social media, you could plan fun activities to do together, such as picnics, sleepovers, dinners, group vacations, night outs, birthday parties, and similar projects.
- Don’t participate in drama
While social media can be a good place to discuss important things and create awareness about vital issues, participating in these activities is sometimes not worth it. You could waste your time and energy participating in unnecessary drama or arguing with people you don’t even know online.
If you want to learn how to reclaim your life from social media, it is time you start minding your own business and not giving in to the temptation to engage keyboard warriors.
Just don’t participate in the drama other people create.
Many people give their opinions on the internet while seeking attention, and trying to change their minds is often pointless and embarrassing.
Furthermore, plenty of the people who pick fights online are anonymous. And most times, they probably wouldn’t have the courage to say the offensive things they post on the internet in face-to-face conversations.
Arguing with them is just a waste of your precious time. So, reclaim your life from social media by choosing not to participate in drama and cut off/block any toxic friends who try to drag you into theirs.
READ ALSO: 7 Ways to Avoid Drama in Your Life
- Get an alternative source of news
Does it seem like all you see while scrolling on your social media is negative news or posts lately? Spending too much time on social media consuming negative content can affect how you feel.
Even if the content has nothing to do with you, it can still be overwhelming, and you may experience negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, and stress.
Unfortunately, social media algorithms may assume that is the kind of content you like. Hence keep populating your feed with more of such negative content. Due to the addictiveness of social platforms, you may start doomscrolling, leading to further deterioration of your mental health.
One of the best ways to reclaim your life from social media is to avoid using it as a news source and look for alternatives that pose less risk to your health. For instance, you can set particular times to watch the news on TV where there is little or less risk of you falling into a doomscrolling rabbit hole.
READ ALSO: 35 Fun Things to Do When Bored at Home Alone at Night or During the Day
- Physically distance yourself from digital devices
Can you imagine living without a phone or laptop/computer? That probably sounds like a nightmare, but it might be what you have to do if you want to learn how to reclaim your life from social media.
You could try all the above tips, but because your digital devices are still easily accessible, you may fail to stick to your goal of limiting screen time and avoiding comparison.
The next best thing to do to reclaim your life from social media is to put some physical distance between yourself and the source of temptation. So, sell, give away, or leave behind your phone or computer (if you can), and try to live without them for a while.
You will probably have a difficult time adjusting to this lifestyle in the beginning. But you will soon reap the benefits of a digital detox, making it all worth it.
Below are some of the reasons why reclaiming your life from social media is good for you.
READ ALSO: How to Become a Morning Person (and Love It)
10 Benefits of a Digital Detox
- Improved relationships
- Increased happiness and life satisfaction
- Better mental and physical health
- A healthier relationship with yourself
- Enhanced performance and productivity
- Better sleep
- More time to do as you wish
- Freedom to be your true self without fear of judgment
- A slower pace of life, allowing you to appreciate the little things and live in the moment
- Staying grounded in reality
Wrapping Up
As you can see, learning how to reclaim your life from social media has numerous benefits!
Don’t waste this precious time we have in life on something that very likely doesn’t add much value to your life. You will be a much happier, healthier, and more successful person when you are not a slave to social media.
Now that you know how to reclaim your life from social media, it is up to you to take the necessary steps to get it done and enjoy the benefits of a digital detox.
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Seeing this after deleting my tiktok is refreshing
Thank you so much for reading, Jackie!❤️ If a particular social media site isn’t adding value to your life, it is better to not have it.