Have you ever tried a social media detox? Health coach Suzy Glaskie shares why you might want to give yourself a break from scrolling, as well as her 5 tips on how to be more mindful about your social media usage.
Do you ever feel that your focus and time are being drained by social media? Try totting up how many hours you spend scrolling over the course of a week: you might be shocked at how much of your precious life is being swallowed up by those little digital squares.
A couple of summers ago, I decided to have a total break from social media. Although in previous years I’d always stepped back from sharing content over the summer, I’d still find myself instinctively reaching for my phone and scrolling mindlessly through Instagram whenever I was at a loose end. The game changer for me was removing temptation by deleting all social media apps from my phone.
From day one, it was a blessed release. I found that I wasn’t even tempted to reach for my phone and have a quick scroll. In fact, it felt like I’d been granted a get-out-of-jail-free card. I journaled a lot during the five weeks I was off social media and something huge hit me: I gained more insight and wisdom from a social media break than from a magic mushroom retreat.
I’d traveled to Amsterdam to be a guinea pig for a podcast episode on the benefits of psychedelic drugs. I’d expected a profound spiritual experience, a download on the meaning of life. Instead, I returned home with severe heart palpitations and a deep regret of voluntarily ingesting a mind-altering drug. (You can hear all about my experience in the very candid podcast episode I recorded about it at peppermintwellness.co.uk.)
Until my no-scroll summer, I’d fallen for the script that you must step out of your life and go somewhere else to access transcendence: commune with a “guru” in the Himalayas, check into a meditation retreat in Bali, book a yoga intensive in Crete, take a hallucinogenic drug in Amsterdam. My five-week circuit breaker allowed me to see through that notion. I spent those weeks rooted in the normality of daily life: coaching clients, hanging the washing out, cleaning the kitchen.
A mindful escape
Apart from a lovely day trip to the Lake District, I barely left Manchester. On paper, that looks like a big disappointment, a let-down, a fail. Especially compared to the sun-kissed beach holidays I would’ve watched other people enjoy via their Instagram feeds.
Only I never saw those photos. Because of that, I was able to melt into the peace and blessings of where – and who – I was, without comparison. That was a retreat in itself. And I didn’t need to leave my home. What I enjoyed this time was a holiday in my mind. For the first time in ages, I felt present and unhurried. I could listen properly to my daughter chatting to me without a part of my brain wondering when I could check my phone and what I might find there.
Without question, disconnecting from social media reconnected me with what (and who) is important in my life. I felt a deeper sense of appreciation for the simple, free, everyday things right in front of my nose. Like stepping into my garden in the morning, picking a sprig of rosemary from my herb pot, or rocking in my hammock staring at the clouds drifting overhead.
The detox also reinforced something else for me: the stronger I make my boundaries and the more I make space for things that feed my soul on a daily basis, the better chance I have of staying calm, clear-headed and compassionate.
I hope my experience inspires you to experiment with taking some time off from social media. Stop and consider whether your life is enhanced or diminished by all those apps on your phone. Would you consider taking a break from them? Maybe starting with a week over the summer? Try it – I promise you won’t regret it.
Suzy’s digital detox tips
- Be careful who you follow! Take back your power and safeguard your self-worth. Notice how you feel after you look at certain images or posts. Unfollow anyone who triggers negativity or makes you feel badly about yourself.
- Avoid home screen traps Don’t rely on your willpower to use less time on apps that you know are not helpful to you. Be ruthless: don’t have apps on your home screen that are sucking up your precious time and energy.
- Keep your day’s bookends screen-free Grant yourself an hour at the beginning and end of the day when you are not receiving a barrage of other people’s opinions and thoughts. You might be surprised at how much calmer and more in control you feel.
- Choose something “real life” What would you do with the extra time that would normally be spent scrolling? A hobby you’ve always wanted to learn? A book you’ve been meaning to read? Now’s the time to choose something tangible.
- Practice presence Enjoy an experience or outing without taking a photo of it on your phone. Notice how it takes on a different quality when you fully immerse yourself in it and commit it to your memory instead of your device.
Suzy Glaskie is a functional medicine health coach and host of the Midlife Illuminated podcast. She offers a subscription-based coaching group called Freshly Minted. Find her at peppermintwellness.co.uk and at instagram.com/peppermintwellness.
Words: Suzy Glaskie.
