Ouch! What did you just read as the challenge for the day?!?!?
Nope you read it right my friends. Today I am challenging you to stay off social media for THE WHOLE DAY!
Okay let’s take a step back. What do I mean by social media?
By social media I mean places like
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter
Linkedin
Reddit
YouTube
And
WhatsApp
Why would I ask such a thing? Don’t I realize that social media is how we communicate these days?
I do my friends, however, ask yourself this: Are you on social media to uplift yourself or is it to either waste some time, or post something you think is cool.
I love social media. In fact, it’s how we announced to the world that we are expecting a baby boy in June, and I loved seeing the responses from friends and family from all around the world.
However, I also notice that I can get on either Facebook or Instagram thinking I’ll do a quick check and the next thing I know it is a half an hour later and I don’t know where the time went!
Here are some benefits of taking a short break from social media:
1) Helps you to focus on the things that are really important, like family that is right there in front of you.
2) Reclaim your time. Did you know that your phone actually tracts how much time you spend on social media? Use the “screen time” function to check your usage it may surprise you….Now that you have reclaimed that time what will you do with it? Take a walk? Call your mom? Make a fabulous dinner? Read a good book? Start that project you’ve been thinking about for weeks? The choice is yours!
3) Helps you reconnect with loved ones. By putting aside your social media you focus on your loved ones and you’d be surprised at how much stronger your relationships become because a) you aren’t distracted by your phone and b) you have deeper, more meaningful conversations.
4) Mental health will improve. Many studies have shown that social media promotes depression and anxiety in many people especially teenagers (see this article). By cutting down or eliminating your social media time your mental health will improve. (to note this is a gradual process not accomplished in just one day).
5) More intune with your emotions. As you step back from social media you may find that you are more intune with your emotions. What you are feeling and why. It’s an amazing adventure to recognize you are not actually angry at someone but hurt because of something they did that affected you.
6) Better sleep. We’ve all heard it: the blue light on your phone activates your brain and makes sleep elusive. I don’t know about you, but I find the time I am most often on social media is when I’m in bed and attempting to relax. But then I get on there and I just keep scrolling and scrolling and the next thing I know it’s 1am and I’m wide awake. By putting down your phone at least an hour before bedtime, you allow your brain to relax and prepare for the rest it so desperately needs.
I could go on my friends, but I think you get the picture.
We’ve been discussing taking a break for 24 hours. Now if that seems like a long time to you, you may want to post on your accounts the day before warning everyone that you will be offline and ask for their support.
You may also want to turn off your notifications, so you are not tempted to look when your best friend posts a pic of her/his latest adventure.
However, you choose to do this, for one day, one hour, or one month, the choice and the benefits you receive from this break is all up to you.
Take Care my friends!
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