I took a break from social media. This is what I learned.

Social media is a big part of modern life. From the way we socialize, shop, travel, and do business, even how we keep up with “friends”. I have been feeling consumed by it, so I took a break from social media for 40 days and this is what I learned each day.

1. It’s an addiction. Most time I disguised as “part of work”
2.  It’s a way to escape: emotions, feelings, interactions, places, and realities. 
3. It helps you play pretend. You can put on a show. Nobody will ever know what you are going through since you’ve full control of the narrative.
4. It’s designed to suck you in. Ads and posts that reflect your behaviors and affinities are prioritized in your timeline. They come from every input in your internet activities.
5. It makes you think you don’t have enough, or that you need to have “this” to be “this”, to feel “this”. 
6. It makes you think you must look different. It offers ways to fix your freckles, wrinkles, hair, skin, etc. 
7. I noticed the uncomfortable moments I wanted to turn to it to disengage from my surroundings and people. Mostly any type of social interaction, waiting at the doctor’s office, even waiting in traffic. 
8. By offloading the apps from my phone I was confronted with one reality. No clutch. No distraction. Time to face it, interact, meet people, see people, and BE without it. 
9. Quitting social media gives you FOMO. Social media gives you the idea you are in the know, up-to-date, and street cred active. The truth is you miss un-tangible things, interactions, and content from people you don’t even know, chasing a quick dopamine hit. 
10. Makes you feel like you have friends. But quitting makes you realize you don’t have as many friends as you think. It makes you believe you are connected to people, or that you are maintaining relationships with people via DMs and interacting with their posts but disconnects you from what’s going on in real life. Only very few connect with you outside of it. 
11. You can be intentional about how you use your social media. The problem is when we access it to distract ourselves from reality. But if the focus is to have a creative outlet. Follow content that helps your growth. Get business information *like your gym schedule changes or special events. 
12. Not everyone HAS TO BECOME a BRAND.
13. Replacing the time I spent on social media platforms allowed me more time to create in a different space. I learned to sketch, retook piano, read more, and advanced my goals and dreams. 
14. It reminded me how it feels to be present in every interaction.
15. I was able to get immersed in experiences and adventures instead of interrupting moments and conversations to craft the perfect post. 
16. Helped me realize I wasn’t stuck. I was distracted. Social media distorts your reality. 
17. My distant relatives (the excuse I’ve used for years for social media) found me on WhatsApp.
18. I’m saved money. I haven’t been targeted by ads and it feels too good to realize I don’t need anything extra. 
19. The time we say we don’t have, we HAVE it. 
20. It’s hard to build the discipline to fulfill your goals when you are constantly feeding on this virtual idea of life. 
21. I captured photos and memories for myself. I felt 0 pressure to post anything.
22. I danced like nobody was watching. No retakes, no reframes, no filters. 
23. I felt my emotions. ALL OF THEM. And didn’t seek distraction. I didn’t compare myself to anyone or anything. I just WAS and continued BEING. 
24. I read more books. The untethered soul, No Mud No Lotus, The Body keeps the score, Pablo Neruda: Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada. The time I said I didn’t have. 
25. I contacted my friends directly. Not assuming they are ok because of what they post or catching up on their lives via their posts. I also received two texts from people who keep up with me on social media. Two people out of my 300+ “followers”. 
26. I traveled like the old times. Only taking photos of what I wanted to remember, not what I felt I needed to post. And I had plenty of battery left. 
27. You can still be successful without it. We tend to believe we need to be on social media to run a business, find jobs, and present our value proposition.  BULLSHIT. You are YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION in REAL LIFE and IN PERSON. 
28. I slept better. Cleaned up my sleeping routine. Meditate and read before bed. Doom scroll WON’T KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT. 
29. I worry less. This one is tricky.  I find myself consuming news and tragedies around the world and feeling down, worried, and paranoid even.  I’ve previously intentionally fasted from news outlets and information. I felt this sense of relief when I wasn’t aware of the latest tragedy. 
30. I created a new container of focus, where I consciously put down my phone.
31.  I spent my present time in nature. I’ve watched the most beautiful sunrises, and sunsets, and been present all along with no rush or need to see it behind a little screen.  
32. Found my range of focus: what aids it, what breaks it.
33. The world is much better when experienced with other people. OFFLINE.  Try it!  
34. Offloading the apps from your phone, and turning off notifications, makes quitting this easier
35. I completed my Fit Mind training – an app that helps you train your brain and awareness. 
36. I led by example at the dining table for my family, nieces, and even friends.  I dislike it so much interrupting a great conversation for someone to make a video or post about their food.
37. I noticed how hollow it is to try to maintain a social media presence with no purpose.  
38. I journaled my emotions every single day. 
39. Returning to social media has shown me growth. I’m now more aware of when and how I use it, so it’s easier to choose not to.
40. I’m maintaining better connections and relationships in person. 

This is a quick and possibly repetitive list of realizations I took note of during my time off social media. Taking the time off taught me more about myself and the world I’ve been missing out on, the people I call friends, and the moments I don’t ever want to miss. 

How to return to social media after taking a break:  

When returning to social media with all these teachings, it is imperative to have an intentional approach to how things will be different from this moment forward. You have the remote control and the frequencies you want to tune into. Try to acknowledge the reasons you are falling trapped into the doom scrolling, what feeling are you trying to connect with? are you comparing, are you feeling the lack of something, or just noticing how each piece of content makes you feel? Is it adding to your life? Is it taking away from you?  Then refine the accounts you want to follow, reduce the inputs, and find a purpose that aligns with your growth. See what happens.