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Things I Learned from a 4-weeks Instagram Detox

Things I Learned from a 4-weeks Instagram Detox

https://www.latestly.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/tired-of-whatsapp-facebook-and-instagram-do-a-digital-detox-in-6-steps-311889.html
I love social media but it's a double-edged sword.

It's wonderful because it keeps me updated on the latest news, trends, allows me connect to people quickly and conveniently. 

And then it's bad when I start to feel negative, FOMO-ing, comparing my life with those I see on social media and made me feel like mine was crap. 

You know how we only post the good stuff we want to show to the world and hide the not-so-good moments?

I'm guilty of those too.

I once did a Facebook detox for a few months, years ago when I was going through a rough breakup. During that relationship, Facebook was a huge source of anxiety because I would see this picture there, those friendly to and fro comments here.

I deactivated my account and had it uninstalled from my gadgets.

I did it because I did not want to see things that upset me or hinder my healing process. 

What did I feel in those few months?

It was amazing and liberating, to say the least. I did a lot of introspection and self-discovery.

I got more time for myself (I was doing data collection, going from village to village during day time and data processing at night). I wasn't so anxious and felt so much calmer.

It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Recently, I did a 4 weeks Instagram detox. Well, again because I'm going through some rough patch and decided to hibernate in my cave, far from social pressures.

A lot of people would say "Just block them la or post super amazing photos of yourself, show them you are living your fantastic life!"

~Duhh~

It's not just about blocking someone. 

And faking a fabulous life when you are actually feeling miserable just seems to defeat the purpose.

Because I'm a weakling, I had IG uninstalled from my phone so I wouldn't be so tempted to log in. 

Again, I must say it was fantastic and the best decision I ever made. 

Here's what I learned in those 4 weeks off Instagram

1. Instagram took SOOO MUCH of our time! 

You know, when you are on Instagram, you spend a lot of time crafting, thinking of things to post, pictures to take, filters to use, whether this photo is artsy/crafty/worthy of Instagram, outfits to wear for your OOTD and stuff.

You get it right? 

And then you also spend a lot of time seeing what everyone else is doing, what they are up to, cool places they went to.

Off from IG, I had so much more time on my hand and I accomplished so much more.

What did I do with all those time? I read a lot, journal a lot, watch movies a lot and sleep earlier. I even talk to myself more. Lol.

No, not insane yet. Our talk was more motivating ones, like "you can do this Cyn. you are strong and amazing". 

 You know, along those lines. 

I also realized that when I detox from IG, I tend to spend less time on my phone. I sometimes even forgot where my phone was. 

2. Every little thing does not need to be documented

To some extend, I can be a compulsive IG storyteller. Lol. I posted funny, sometimes not-so-funny things. I wonder if my friends ever find it funny.

When I was on detox, I learn to control the urge to document every little thing and to just enjoy the moment. I realized that the compulsion to document every little thing in my life is unnecessary.

Nobody wants to know. 

3. Live in the moment!

What do you do when you are waiting in line at the ATM, cashier counter and you have nothing to do? 

Almost automatically, you will start scrolling your Instagram.

It's an addiction! Mindlessly scrolling, logging back in when you've just logged out 2 minutes ago. 

So what do I do when I can't scroll my IG?

I pay more attention to my surrounding. I became more observant and noticed things I don't usually pay attention to when my eyes are glued to my phone. 

Again, I live in the moment and it's fantastic!

4. What is FOMO again?

With everybody posting the highlights of their lives, it's easy to drown in FOMO (fear of missing out) which then leads to anxiety (what should I post next to show that I'm cool and my life is great) and depression (My life sucks).

Comparison is the thief of all joy.

Without constantly being bombarded with other's "amazing" lives, you start to feel pretty good about who you are and where you are. 

I highly recommend it and it's my favourite lesson from the detox. 

I felt so much calmer, focused, and confident in my life and where I am now while being thankful for what I have instead of what I didn't have. 

I'm living MY life, doing things I like, and spending time with people who matters.

5. Instagram ISN'T real life and it's full of attention seekers. Lol.

I once posted about this HERE. We are comparing our lows with their highs and nobody can compete with that!

Instagram is a breeding ground for attention seekers. No?
No one truly cared I was off. Lol. Okay, actually 2 followers asked how I was doing because they noticed I did not update my IG for quite some time.

Sobs. Turns out someone actually cared. 

I highly recommend you to do a social media detox once in a while but then again it's not for everybody.

One of my friends who is also going through a rough patch in her life wanted to try IG detox. She is a compulsive, addicted poster and believes in "Just block them la!"

3 days in, she lost the battle.

"I missed posting! I missed my friends funny, creative IG stories bla bla bla"

1 week in, she says she feels calmer. 2 weeks later, she is back on IG.

See what I mean by it's not for everyone? hihi

When I'm back on IG, I take control of things and the people I follow. Find things that inspire you, instead of making you feel sh**ty.

I avoid instafamous, influencers, beautiful people whose IG feed is full of their selfies and seemingly perfect lives.

Instead, I look at pictures of plants, gardens, home designs and of course, food & recipes.

Because food is life and food makes me happy.

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