Social Media Breaks – Why and How

Hi, I’m Filipa, and I’m a (mild) social media addict. I’ll admit it – I love social media! I love connecting with other moms through Instagram and TikTok. I love building vision boards on Pinterest, and I love finding small businesses across the internet to support. However, there are definitely times when I realize that I’m way too plugged in. I am a huge advocate of scheduled social media breaks, so I thought I’d spend some time talking through the whys and the hows of taking a social media break!

The Whys of Social Media Breaks

There are really endless benefits to taking social media breaks. You don’t realize how much scrolling on socials can affect your overall mental health. When you take a solid break from social media, you might notice these benefits:

1. Mindful Living:
   Social media is a fantastic tool for staying connected, but it can also lead to mindless scrolling. Taking a break helps you focus on the present. Replace scrolling time with meditation practice, and you might find a greater appreciation for your real life.
2. Reduced Stress Levels:
   Constant exposure to social media can contribute to information overload and heightened stress levels. Taking a break can let your brain pause to relax and recharge.
3. Improved Sleep Quality:
   The blue light emitted by screens has been linked to disruptions in sleep patterns. By taking a break from social media, especially in the evening, can help you get better sleep! Just be careful not to replace social media time with other blue screen time.
4. Enhanced Productivity:
   A break from constant social media notifications and updates can help you focus on your priorities. You might be surprised at how much you can get done when you’re not glued to IG or TikTok.
5. Strengthened Relationships:
   Taking a social media break can prompt you to spend more time in face-to-face conversations. I really feel so much closer to my family when I’m not hyper focused on my phone.

I can’t talk about the benefits of a social media break without mentioning the biggest benefit to me personally: increased self worth. As mums, we are inundated on social media with pressure to look a certain way, have a particular house style, use specific products, or just to be happy, happy, happy all the time! The truth is: that’s just not what motherhood looks like. It can be messy, sad, and overwhelming. When I take a break from social media, it helps me to put aside the pressure of what things look like and focus on the only part of motherhood that really matters–loving my kids.

The Hows of Social Media Breaks

Okay, that’s all great, but how do you actually detach yourself from social media? Here are some ways I make sure I’m successful in my social media break:

Turn Off All Notifications

If you have notifications enabled for any social media app, turn them off! I find that even if I get a general notification like “New posts on your feed!”, it can make it so much harder for me to resist scrolling.

Hide Your Apps

If I’m taking a social media break, I like to place all of my social media apps in one folder on my phone. This way, they’re not the first thing I see when I open my phone.

Plan Some Replacements

If you spend a lot of time on social media, plan replacement tasks. Every time you think about scrolling, write in your journal, color in a coloring book, play a word game, anything to replace the habit. I find that I’m better at doing my replacement tasks if it’s something easy, quick, and fun.

I would suggest working your way up to a longer social media break. Try one day without scrolling, then two, then three, and so on. If you try to jump into a two-week break, you could get discouraged. As always, with any good habit, if at first you don’t succeed, just try again!

Taking a break from social media is self care! Allowing yourself a break from endless scrolling can help you reset and refocus on what is most important to you. I will always encourage you to take a break and protect your mental health – you’re worth it!

xoxo Fil

Follow me on Instagram

@filipajackson