5 Reasons You Should Take A Social Media Break

These days, it's so easy to get caught up in social media- it's basically what our lives revolve around. Wake up- check your Instagram feed. Go out with friends- Snapchat the entire thing instead of having a genuine experience. Someone or something pisses you off- instantly tweet a subliminal message to air out some heat (I am guilty of all three!). Unfortunately, this is the modern day world and its hard not to partake in social media, but it's very unhealthy to be engulfed in your phone 24/7.

Every now and then I take a break from social media so I can live in reality, and not just for the internet. It really helps me improve the quality of my actual life and individuality. I want to share with you guys how I benefit from taking a social media break, and why you should try it too!

Here are 5 reasons you should take a social media break

1. Live in the NOW

We get so caught up in capturing the perfect image or video to post online, that we forget to live in the moment. I have been to multiple get-togethers where everyone is so busy taking pictures, editing, thinking of the perfect caption and obsessing over likes that NO ONE TALKS! It is so frustrating to be with a group of people that just spend time on their phones. I guess this whole idea of "if it's not on Instagram, did it even happen?" is engraved in everyone's head. 

Here's a reality check: no one really cares. All these pictures are (sometimes) are people boasting and bragging about their "wonderful" life. Truth is, everyone has problems in real life. Everyone has a struggle that they are dealing with. And we need to keep that in mind when we think we have to constantly keep up and compete with portraying "the perfect life" Everyone has the fear of missing out, so make sure to live in the moment! Memories > pictures.

2. Take the pressure off

Take the pressure off yourself! It gets so overwhelming and stressful when you compare your life to those on social media and think "my life is so boring." That's not true! A lot of people spiral into a depression from living a staged lifestyle (e.g. Essena O'Neill). Not everything you see has truth to it, a lot of it is staged. Don't ever compare your life to what you see on social media.

I was so stressed out because sometimes I felt like I didn't have anything good to post, and that I would lose followers if I wasn't active on Instagram. Then I realized, its okay. It really doesn't matter. What matters to me are the followers, subscribers, and readers that genuinely like my work, and are here for the long run. Its okay if you don't post where you ate or what you wore every day. Unless you're getting paid per post, there's no reason to freak out if your posts have a little gap.

3. Privacy is important

We live in an era where there is no such thing as privacy, and everyone overshares. People even Snapchat child birth!! Where is the pause button? (Pun intended...)

I am a very private person, and I have always been that way. It puts me in a tough place because I really want to be a successful blogger, but I do not want to give away every detail of my life. I am slowly but surely learning where to draw the line when it comes to sharing my life online. 

For example, I don't have to post about where I am every single day because I definitely need my space. I like to do my own thing, at my own pace. I'm not obligated to report about my every move.

I feel like people have forgotten how important privacy is. Your private time is when you flourish as an individual. When you spend so much time trying to keep up with whats trendy on the web, you lose your creative side and individuality. Take this time to indulge in your true passions and interests, without anyone else's opinion impacting your decisions.

4. Focus on improving your life

Take this time away from social media to focus on the important things in life. There's no better feeling than knowing that you are living a quality life and that you don't always have to expose every detail of your growth to the world. A genuinely successful life is better than a picture-perfect social media life.

Focus on your studies or get that project done for work. Go hard at the gym, or spend time with the people that matter. Nowadays, there's no better gift you can give to someone besides your undivided attention. Work on building strong relationships, friendships and partnerships that will help you in real life.

Take some time to plan out your future and set goals. Its totally fine if you want to post this on social media, because putting it out there in the world may motivate you more. But be careful, because not every follower is a well wisher. Remember, if you're going through a rough patch- it's totally fine to go m.i.a. while you get your shit together.

5. There is a life beyond your phone

I feel like people, especially the younger generations, don't remember that there was once upon a time where no one had cell phones. Yes, it's true!

I understand that it is normal for everyone to be attached to our phones, it's just how the world is right now. But let's not forget that there is a beautiful world for us to explore, with so many cultures, landmarks, history and experiences just waiting for us to be a part of. Lift your eyes off your Instagram screen and work towards experiencing all these cool things IN REAL LIFE!

On a daily basis, try taking a mini break from your phone every day to detach for a bit. Go for a walk, read a book or meet a friend for coffee. You can most definitely do all of this without posting it online. Trust me, you don't need to validate your life experience from people on the web.

Final Thoughts 

Social media is what you make it. I found it to be a great tool to share my work and connect with other wonderful, like-minded individuals. Of course with the good, there's always the bad. I get really turned off by the over-exposed, over staged lifestyles that I see everyone trying to attain. Are people really that insecure that they need validation from the internet?

Sometimes we can get caught up with the competition that social media brings. But don't forget, unless you are contracted and getting paid to post (not the case for most of us haha), then you are not obligated to post!

I hope anyone who is feeling overwhelmed or uninspired takes a moment to step back and take a break. Happy reading!! xoxo

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