Social Media Detox

The amount of time you spend in front of a screen, and on social media in particular, can negatively affect your mental health. We all know social media is a tiny sliver of reality; often a falsified image that we want to portray to others. This false reality can lead to feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and depression.

Some of the benefits of a social media detox include:

1. No longer feeling tempted to compare yourself to others.

Remember, people are very careful about what they post to their social accounts, and oftentimes those perfectly curated feeds aren't reality.

2. Decreased feelings of loneliness and depression.

You may think you're missing out, but you're not. Reading a book, exercising, cooking, spending time with family – all of these will likely fill your cup up more than scrolling through social.

3. Less overwhelm and more empowerment.

The average person is exposed to more news in a single day today than a Victorian-era person would have heard about in a year. Knowing about all the horrible things going on around the world, every hour, of every day, is overwhelming. It's important to know what's going on, but be mindful about what you're consuming and how often.

Try stepping away from the endless scroll and notice how you feel. What will you fill your time with instead?

Source: Psychology Today and Conscious Rethink