Signs You Need a Social Media Detox

Can you recall the last time you didn’t care about how many likes or comments you received on a social media post? Or how about not spending more than two minutes on filtering a photo before posting? Do you remember what your personal goals and intention lists were from the New Year? Have you been working with them every month or are they perhaps starting to collect dust? Have you ever wondered what life would be like without social media?

What has your relationship to social media evolved to be?

I know, it's a lot of questions to consider. No matter what your answers are, the intention behind them is to get you to take a nice, clean look at the impact or, your relationship to, and the amount of time you are spending on your social media platforms. To some, social media is a big part of your job.

To others, being on social media is their go-to for community, fun, and connecting, but even still there can sometimes be a negative backlash of judgment, cruelty, and berating of others.

If you are someone who currently feels balanced, has fun and gets aligned when you’re on social media, that’s awesome. If you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, insecure, at times a little depressed, perhaps more judgmental of others than you'd like, or if you’re simply spending too much precious time on social media, then let’s take a deeper look.

Here's how to tell if it's time to detox.

Many of my patients have recently done a detox from social media, They have told me how bad their relationship was to social media and how incredible it felt to let it go. Before the detox they loved waking up and going onto social media, when they were at stop signs they would take a quick peek at it, as they got ready for bed they would endlessly scroll for at least 30 minutes. When they would talk with their spouse they would be looking at Instagram and only half-listening. It wasn’t that they were on it all the time, but when they were on it, it was lacking clarity and purpose so it impinged on other parts of their life and my time.

The most important inquiry to make when looking at your relationship with social media is this: Do you feel good about yourself when you're on social media and are you enjoying this? If the answer is no, then that means it's time to disconnect to reconnect. If you haven't been feeling like yourself for a while, check for these five signs. It might be time for a detox to examine your emotional, mental, and physical well-being so you can ultimately stay connected to you and your highest self.

1. You have pain in your wrists, back, or neck.

Have you ever had pain in your wrists, hands, back, or neck? Take a few moments and close your eyes. Check in with your entire body as you take five deep inhales and exhales. Notice whether the body is feeling any dullness, aches, or pains in places that you might be influenced by technology use. This is a full-body scan to see how much you are actually utilizing your body when on your tech. Be aware of having a forward head posture which is now called "Tech Neck".

2. You feel like you need to buy things, go places, and change your life or surroundings for Instagram.

Reflecting on our questions above at the beginning. Have you ever felt bad or insecure about yourself after scrolling through other people's social media feeds? Do you notice you get jealous, upset, or annoyed when looking at someone else’s page? Are you triggered by other people’s opinions, comments, or pictures when on social media? If you are comparing your life to others' instead of feeling purely inspired, it might be time to reconsider how social media is serving you.

3. You spend more than 30 minutes getting a post "ready."

Unless it's a really long post, you're probably overthinking it. Do you feel stressed about posting your photo or content to your social media? What does it feel like if you don’t get to be on social media for the day? If you're not posting your true, authentic voice, and instead you're spending time manufacturing it, it's time for a closer look at how you're presenting yourself and why.

4. Your self-care needs are not being met.

How much time a day do you really spend on social media? Are there other things on your "life and well-being" list that are not being checked off? Would you be willing to get back to you by going off social media for 30 days? Do you remember what your personal goals and intention lists were from the New Year? Have you been working with them every month or are they perhaps starting to collect dust?

5. You feel more disconnected from your life's passion.

Does your social media make you feel happy, inspired.  and connected to your purpose in life? If not, what would you like to give to your heart so it can continue to connect and live from a place of value and self-love?

The answers to these questions are not intended to cut you off from the world or to make you abruptly go off social media but rather to have you do an assessment and check in with yourself and your feelings about your value, worth, and heart’s needs.

Doing a social media detox can be as simple as going off for a day. You can do a detox for anywhere from between one and 100 days. It’s up to you. Only you know what is best to serve your heart and your well-being.

In whatever capacity you engage with social media, it is always important to check in with yourself and remember that you are far more than a social media page. You are a valuable, worthy, and incredible human being. Nothing can give you a feeling of value unless you yourself choose to believe in it. To know and acknowledge that you are valuable each and every day simply because you are a human being? That’s powerful.