Detoxification from an intoxicating or addictive substance

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Social media is part of our everyday life. It can be a great tool to share important messages, to connect to the world and to make new friends or find new adventures.

But, social media also has a dark side which is affecting your mental health.

Instagram and Twitter and all the other medias offer us an escape into the worlds of others which are so seemingly perfect that our own life tend to look not that great. It creates a fantasy of perfection which does not allow imperfection or realness.

The “fake-ness” creates a perfect image of how lives should look like instead of what they really are.

It is not all bad. Social media helps to share and create movements that shake the world and a lot more companies and influencers are keeping it “real” on their own media channels. The wall of “being fake” is lifted by the urge of the people to see the real truth of the people they follow.

Why should I do a social media detox?

The fact is that it is part of our everyday. We research on it, we ask for help on it, we share our daily lives on it. But what would happen if you don’t do that? Would you feel left out? Are you addicted to it?

A social media detox is a cleanse of all the feelings of “I have to” and “I need to”. It is a cleanse of feeling the constant need to be perfect, to know what is going on at any moment.

People tend to forget that social media is often just a highlight reel of all the amazing things people get to experience. It often leaves out the troubles they are having. So, when your mind is constantly in the mindset that other lives are perfect it ultimately ends up affecting your daily life.

How do you do a social media detox?

1. Turn off your notifications for all social media apps.
2. Unfollow and unfriend people that make you feel bad. Start following people and companies that focus on body positivity, mental health and keeping it real.
3. Minimize your daily usage. Or stop using it for a week, a day or a whole month. Just to see the change in your thinking,
4. Stop comparing your life to others.

What will happen if I limit my time on social media?

You learn to self control a habit that is hurting your mental health. Then you are able to shape it in a way where you change your daily use. You also want to follow accounts that make you happy instead of questioning yourself. It will change the mindset you have while on social media.

You will appreciate a nice message, a like or a comment much more and stop to focus so much on the negative.

Maybe you even feel the urge to read a book, take up a workout class or make a trip that you don’t document on social media.

Social media will become a tool that is increasing your happiness, not decreasing it. It will allow you to thrive. And most important of all you might get the urge to share real moments as well.

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