Social Media Detox: How to Take a Break, pt. 1

Written by Cicely Green, LCPC

Social media can feel like a seductive ex partner that you cannot fully get rid of or step away from, but deep down you know what decision is best for your quality of life. If you can relate to this in terms of your social media habits, this blog is made for you. Continue reading for six steps to take a break from social media temporarily, or permanently.

Earlier this month, I announced on social media that I’ll be taking a break from being on Chicago Black Therapist’s Instagram, and I’m also taking a break from my personal brand’s Instagram. After years of battling what I believe I should be doing vs what I want to do, I’ve become grounded and confident to follow what I authentically want in life….with being off of social media as one of those wants. I will be referencing Instagram throughout this post since I am not on any other social media platforms, but the following steps can apply to any type of social media account.

1. Screen Time Analysis:
   Many of us experienced a shift towards being more present with ourselves during the pandemic. During the first month of COVID was my first time noticing that I was on my Instagram for 6-8 hours per day. This was a heavy realization to know that I was on the same amount of time as a 9-5 job’s work day. To begin by understanding your digital habits, use your phone's screen time feature to assess how much time you spend on social media apps and assess how being on for that amount of time makes you feel.

2. Identify Patterns and Motivations:
   I wondered, what else could I be doing with these 6-8 hours per day and why was I on it this much without even realizing it? This led me to look within myself to understand my patterns and motivations for being on Instagram by tracking when I was the most active and exploring the reasons behind it. This was before I was a business owner. I was mostly on the app in the evenings; and my reasons were rooted in lack of authentic IRL connection, loneliness, validation, and boredom. Ask yourself - are you seeking validation or connection, avoiding boredom, using it for business, or something else? Evaluate your patterns and motivations and assess if using social media is nurturing that motivation, or is it serving as instant gratification and numbing you to a void in your life?

3. Delete the App, Boost Your Freedom:
   I realized that Instagram was not the place to nurture authentic friendships nor was it capable of healing self worth, negative thoughts, and loneliness. This led to me taking a break from social media for much of summer 2020, which was my first break since creating an account in 2016. I deleted the app from my phone, and this simple act can break the automatic habit of mindlessly scrolling through feeds when you are seeking instant gratification.

4. Forget Your Password:
   I got back on my personal Instagram and opened CBTs Instagram that fall of 2020, but I had a new outlook on social media which helped me to not be on it for hours per day. Eventually, I did return to some old habits of using social media to distract myself from difficult feelings, to make business and personal connections, to have a presence for my business, amidst so many others reasons. From here, I realized that forgetting my password or changing it to something that I would never remember on my own allowed me to be more intentional about when I would log in. This helped me to decide to log in only when I posted and log out as soon it was uploaded. This extra step of forgetting and requesting a password reset adds a moment of reflection before re-engaging with social media and allows you to begin extended breaks away (e.g. a few days, week, month, etc.). Keep in mind to only do this if you have access to the phone number or email associated with your account(s).

5. Identify Alternative Habits:
   In the moments that you want to log in but you forgot your password, what can you do instead? Write down a list of activities that genuinely fulfill you and bring you joy. Whether it's reading, exercising, or pursuing a hobby, redirect your energy towards activities that enrich your life. This step took the longest for me to achieve after building the habit of forgetting my password. I would reach for other forms of instant gratification such as food, TV, substances, distract myself with non-ideal relationships, and burn myself out at work.

6. Accessing Your Joy:
   The should’s were preventing me from accessing my joy. I should be on social media, I should be living a life like this person on my feed, I should be working more, I’m not doing enough, I should show up like XYZ in a relationship or friendship….Being off of social media is the key to cultivate your alternative and joyful habits. A social media detox removes the fog and cleanses you so that you can remember and find what type of life is authentic to you. After some deep inner and shadow work, I was able to re-discover and act on what brings me joy instead of living life based on what I should be doing. For example, writing this blog brings me joy instead of posting it on social media. The person I am today is comfortable never logging into social media again and it has been three to four years in the making. Be patient and kind with yourself on this journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Wishing you the best!

Listen to the corresponding podcast episode here.

Book therapy with me to live a life less dependent on screens and explore underlying reasons for social media addiction

Coming in January 2024 is “Taking Time off Work: How to Take a Break, pt. 2.” I’ll be sharing steps for business owners to be practically and emotionally ready to take your desired time off from work.