10 Surprising Benefits of a Social Media Detox
It's no secret that social media can be addictive. With just the tap of a finger, we can be instantly transported into a world of friends, family, and strangers who seem to have perfect lives.
And when we see something negative on social media (which is bound to happen), it can be tough to resist the urge to read all the comments or share our opinions, which can lead to intense debates and our bodies being flooded with stress hormones.
This is why a social media detox can be beneficial. Taking a break and focusing on your life for a while brings everything that matters back into focus. Here are the benefits of a social media detox.
10 Surprising Benefits of a Social Media Detox
1. Reconnect with those who matter most
2. Decrease FOMO
3. Improve self-esteem and silence your inner critic
4. Reduce anxiety and decrease stress
5. Be more productive
6. Increase gratitude for what you have
7. Gain more free time and reduce procrastination
8. Decrease depression symptoms
9. Pause the comparison game
10. Improve your relationship
A Social Media Detox Improves Our Well-Being
We'll start with the most obvious benefit: cleaning up our social media habits can help reduce stress and anxiety. When we're constantly exposed to the lives of others, it's easy to compare ourselves and feel like we're not good enough. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and even depression.
Taking a Break From Social Media Reduces Stress
Seeing people do things you want to or think you should do is not easy, and it puts a lot of pressure on us to be perfect and live unrealistic lives. And even though we know that is not reality; our brain is tricked into believing in the impossible by seeing filtered versions of personas on our phones.
Decreasing Your Scroll Time Could Improve Your Sleep
In addition to reducing stress, social media detoxes can also help improve our sleep habits. Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from our screens can disrupt our natural sleep cycles, making it harder for us to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you struggle to catch quality zzz, a social media detox might be just what you need to get your sleep schedule back on track.
Social Media is a Time Suck
And it's designed to be. The creators of online platforms have one singular goal: to keep you on their platform for as long as possible. That's why you can innocently pop on, and poof, an hour of your life is gone.
A detox will help you spend your time doing things that fill your cup, like going for a walk, playing with your dog, hanging with the family, or picking up your painting again.
Scrolling Is Bad for Our Waistline
Being sedentary is horrible for our physical health. Most of us work in a career that requires us to sit to get there, sit while we work for eight hours, and then sit to get home. And after dinner, sit some more and scroll.
Scrolling can lead to neck and back pain, eye strain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. We would be much better off going for a walk with our families after dinner clean-up.
Social Media Can Be a Source of Drama
Much of what you see on social is strong opinions that cause drama. And whether you agree or disagree, some posts are like train wrecks you can't look away. Even if you don't partake in the drama, you still ingest all the hateful (sometimes rage-filled) comments.
That level of negativity is not suitable for us, and it skews how we view society and other humans in general. Too much exposure to this type of content can lead you to feel a loss of hope and feel overwhelmed by the cultural climate.
Spending Too Much Time On Social In Bad For Relationships
Spending too much time on our devices can also hurt our relationships. When we're constantly connected to social media, we're not present at the moment with the people we're with. This can lead to missed opportunities for bonding and connection. If you want to improve your relationships, a detox will jumpstart you in the right direction.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
We know this feeling too well. When we see everyone else's highlight reel, it's easy to feel like we're not doing enough with our lives. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and insecurity.
Social Media Scrolling Can Lead To Envy
Comparison is the thief of joy. You can see your old high school friend living it up with her perfect husband, that seems to do all the right things. Then you look over at your partner, that can't even put his socks in the hamper. Before you know it, so many things on social media condition you to look at your partner's behaviors magnified more than if you were not on social media.
Social Media Detox Challenge
Now that you learned about the benefits of taking a social media break and cleaning up your feeds, do you feel like you need a detox from social media? I'm sure we all sometimes do. Taking a break from social media will tremendously impact your life.
Most people won't admit to how much social media takes over their day-to-day activities, but we all need to step back and control how we use social media platforms instead of letting them control us.
Join us in our 5-day Social Media Detox Challenge starting July 25th. Text the word "DETOX" to 833-567-5484 to receive a daily challenge to complete to help improve your mood and get a better handle on your social media usage.
We hope to see you there!
**All stats quoted from It's Time To Log Off - itstimetologoff.com