30 Days Off Social Media
As 2022 ended it was clear I was spending far too much of my life scrolling through Instagram. Did I really need to see every Getty image and influencer breakdown of the last outfit the Princess of Wales wore? Apparently, I did. I considered why I needed to spend so much time avoiding boredom or escaping the present and how could I repurpose the time I was spending on social media?
Since the tragic loss of my older sister in August, life has taken on a new urgency. A drive to maximize my time and start the new year as present and actively engaged in living as possible.
I committed to 3 things for the first 100 days of 2023:
A daily devotional and meditation;
Practicing yoga daily; and
Abstaining from social media (Instagram and Facebook).
To increase my odds of success I deleted my Instagram and Facebook apps from my phone and cleared my browser history on both my phone and laptop. This requires me to go through the maximum steps to regain access to each platform. Hopefully in the time it takes to log back on I will come to my senses and not break my streak.
I have not missed a day and I am 30+ days into this experiment. Here is what I have found:
My productivity at work and home has increased.
I miss social media far less than I expected.
I still pick up my phone constantly.
The increase in productivity is staggering. I had no idea how much time (and positive mood) I was losing to mindless scrolling. I also have more time to dedicate to healthy habits like exercise, learning and development, yoga, meditation, and my family. A data point: Since January 1, I have read or listened to 6 books (3 work-related and 3 pleasure).
The most discouraging outcome so far is that I still involuntarily pick up my phone way more than necessary. Way more. I open it and check my email, texts, LinkedIn, and the weather because there is nothing else to do. Then I roll my eyes at myself. I am considering turning notifications for text and email back on to see if that decreases the regular need to pick it up to see if any new messages have arrived. Regardless, the act if picking up the phone is a habit that will clearly take longer to break. I am hopeful.
Takeaway after 30 days: I have no plans to re-engage on either Instagram or Facebook.
I recommend this exercise to leaders looking to find margin in their day for work, growth, or more family time. Leaders and HR teams should coach new managers to take a break from social media as they scale the leadership learning curve. This will allow them to be fully present for their new team as they integrate the responsibility of leading others into their lives.
Eliminating social media for 30 days will tell you a lot about how you spend your time, your life.