Steps to Help You Disconnect and Take a 7 Day Social Media Detox Now

Take the 7-Day Social Media detox challenge. We all can use a break from social media. Do yourself a favor and disconnect! Your brain will thank you later.

 Today’s guest post comes from special guest Rebecca of Lensy Life

Rebecca is a new mom, wife, and lifestyle blogger. She absolutely loves Target! Rebecca created Lensy Life to give women an outlet that is judgment and drama-free. Be sure to go check out Rebecca’s blog especially her section on self-care which is perfect for Me Mondays. But for now, let’s see what Rebecca has to share with us on this first edition of Me Monday

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A 7 Day Social Media Detox: Why It’s Important to Unplug

Y’all – it is SO easy to use our phones and social media as a filler these days. Stuck in an awkward elevator ride? Pull out your phone. Sitting alone at a table while waiting for your lunch date? Might as well check Facebook. Is your kid doing something incredibly cute? Hold on a second! Let me film it for my Instagram story. If you’re ready to take back some free time and break up with your phone, you’re off to a great start just by reading this post.

It’s time for a 7 Day Social Media Detox.

Now let me throw this out there first thing – this post is not condemning you – it is simply trying to help you. I myself am what some would call a “sharent.”AKA, a parent that does nothing but share photos and posts about their cute kid (well I mean, she is cute). I finally sat back and realized how much of my day was spent aimlessly scrolling through different apps on my phone, and I was ready to get rid of that fifth extremity.
I’m sharing with you a 7-day plan I created to help cut down your social media use. A “Social Media Detox” if you will. We do juice cleanses, fasts, and diets to cleanse our physical bodies – why not our social lives too?

Day 1 – Hide Your Phone During Dinner

Let’s start off our social media-free week with something easy. Whenever you sit down for a meal with your family or friends, leave your phone in another room. Don’t just put it on silent – the temptation will still be there. You’d be surprised at how much the use of our phones is pure muscle memory and habit.

So toss your phone in the bedroom, brush the dust off your kitchen table and sit down for a meal unplugged. Interacting and conversing at the moment is something that we almost take for granted these days, and I promise your dinner will still be delicious – even if you don’t post a picture of it on Instagram.

Day 2 – Turn off Your Push Notifications

Now day 2 comes with a few footnotes. If you have to leave push notifications for your e-mail or social media accounts on for work purposes, leave those on. Anything that does not need your immediate attention, however, you can turn off.

When you get a notification that someone commented on your status, you’re more than likely going to immediately open up the app to look at it. You’ll reply to their comment, see a few other notifications, then scroll through your news feed, and before you know it you’re watching videos of a cat riding a vacuum cleaner.

What initially should have been a 2-minute job, turned into 20 minutes. I promise you, all of your friends’ likes and comments will still be there when you check your notifications whenever you have a free moment. Push notifications popping up are just a temptation to open up your phone and kill time!

Day 3 – Spring Clean Your Friends List

Day 3 is probably one of my favorites y’all. You can choose Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or all 3! All that matters is that you sit down and really comb through your connections on social media. I guarantee you that you’ll find at least 10 people you didn’t know you were friends with, 15 people you don’t talk to anymore, and some people you’re only friends with to keep tabs on. You know, the whole keeping up with the Jones’ thing 😉
But if we are so choosy about our friends and the people we surround ourselves with in our personal interactions, why should social media be any different? Surround yourself with those that uplift and support you. If you have a Facebook friend that stirs up drama and always has something negative to say – unfriend them!

Day 4 – Fast for a Few Hours

Today is where things start to get a little hairy. Sit down and really think about how much time during the day you spend on social media, and take baby steps. If you don’t spend a whole lot of time on social media, just try to go 2-3 hours without checking any of your accounts. If you need to start smaller, that’s fine too! You ultimately want to set a time limit that you know you can reach.

If you initially want to try and go 3 hours without checking your phone, and you hit your goal – that’s awesome! Great job, you have proved to yourself that you can do it! Your newfound confidence will hopefully lead you to an even longer amount of time later on.

Day 5 – Choose any Social Media App, and Go Without it All Day

You can take two different routes with this one. The easy route – choose the app you use the least. The hard route – choose the app you use the most. Whichever one you choose, commit to not checking the app all day long. Make sure you even refer back to day number two’s task. If you still have push notifications turned on for the app you choose, turn them off! If you slip up and catch yourself lunging for the Facebook app, that’s ok! It takes some time to break old habits. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just sit back and refocus.
For a little extra help, inform your close family and friends of your Social Media Detox. Tell them that you are trying to make it through the day without checking one of your social media accounts. Not only will they be a source of accountability for you, but they may also decide to detox with you!

Day 6 – Delete a Social Media App

I know what you’re thinking. You’re about to exit out of this post, this woman is full of crazy talk. Well, I assure you, this will be to your benefit! I personally have seen the greatest benefit from this one tip.
The easiest way to do this is to choose the app that you fasted from on Day 5, and just delete it! You already went one day without it remember? You can do it, and you hopefully will feel so free when it’s gone. Now I’m not saying you have to totally cut off from the app if you don’t want to – however that is the most effective. Just because the app is missing from your phone does not mean you can’t access it on your computer. The idea here is just to keep it from being so easily accessible.
Personally, I chose to delete Facebook from my phone. I even took things to another level! I deleted the app and replaced it with a devotional app in the same exact location on my home screen. Those first few days when I was checking my phone and went to that location on my screen out of habit, I was greeted by my devotions instead of social media. It took some getting used to, but by day 3 or so I was so glad I did it.

Day 7 – A Day of Reflection

Use today to reflect on what you have done in the past six days. Hopefully, you will find that you have used social media much less, and feel more connected in your personal relationships. I hope you have learned to fill your time with meaningful things as well. Limiting social media use can help you to live in the moment and spend your time wisely. However, it is vital to make sure you aren’t replacing the time spent on social media with something else equally as time-consuming.
Spend a few minutes today and truly reflect. Did you spend your time wisely? What did you spend your time doing, when you were usually on social media? Do you feel like you’re suddenly disconnected? Or do you feel “free”? No matter what, I encourage you to stretch this detox beyond seven days. We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes 30 days to make a habit,” so why not try for it?

Rebecca

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All of those tips are great! I never thought about doing a social media fast until I read this post. Definitely, some great tips that I will be trying. Thank you, Rebecca, for being my guest! Be sure to check out Rebecca over at where she is giving you solace and peace from the drama that exists on other social media sites.

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Until Next Time,

LaWann

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12 thoughts on “Steps to Help You Disconnect and Take a 7 Day Social Media Detox Now”

  1. I do most of the list here everyday! I just check my social media accs if when I have time. Thanks for sharing and you got great blog ♥️ ♥️ By any chance you are interested on doing collaborations, you can connect with amazing brands and fellow bloggers through the influencer directory of Phlanx.com!

    Xoxo,
    Tiffany

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