Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t been on social media for awhile. I deleted Instagram and Facebook off my phone the week before Christmas and I have been L-I-V-I-N! Being off social media has been amazing for me. If I could choose, I’d probably never get back on. I’ve learned so much about myself and about the world we live in today and these are some of my takeaways.
I gain inspiration from myself. I started thinking about my successes and things I like about myself to gain inspiration, rather than other people.
I’m thinking more creatively and critically. Rather than heading to social media to find answers, I think for myself. I can truly feel my brain thinking more sharply, I find resources around me to gain the answers I’m looking for rather than finding them on social media. I’m a capable ass woman.
I CAN go on a trip and go to events and not post on social media. “Oh but I want to share my photos for my friends and family.” – so text them the photos. “Oh but I want to inspire people.” – 1. that’s not your responsibility, and 2. is that the truth, or do you want the dopamine hit from people saying to you, “omg your life is amazing can I be you?!” Since being off social media, I have experienced Christmas, New Years, a week trip to Kauai, had my engagement party, went on a week long trip to Utah, and had Valentine’s Day. I’ve absolutely loved not posting on social. Just think, you tell yourself “I’m just going to post and then get off.” Then a reel sucks you in and all the sudden you’re scrolling for 30 minutes. Those 30 minutes caused you to miss the gorgeous view outside your window while driving, or baking cookies on Christmas, or cuddling with your loved one. P.S. does anyone else think it’s so weird when people post a photo of them and their significant other having a “moment,” like what did you just stop yourself from actually cuddling so you could prop up your phone to take a photo or video of you now fake cuddling so you could post on social media so you can be “couple goals,” like what?
I’m spending more time with God. I’m sourcing my purpose, joy, acceptance and love from Him and it feels so good.
I’m more calm. I’m not consuming all that is out there. All that consumption of:
“This is how to be happy.”
“This is how to look 5 years younger.”
“This is how to style your jeans.”
“This workout will give you a rounder butt.”
“This is a must-have for your wedding.”
“This is where you need to travel in 2023.”
“This is the best parenting style.”
Blah blah blah, so much noise! Noise distracts us from being able to think properly. Imagine you’re at work and a loud siren starts to blare, your heart rate increases, you can’t concentrate, the movements you make become erratic and not make sense – social media is kind of like this. Without all that noise, I’ve learned what I truly want, what feels good.
I spend time exploring new things that instinctually come to me to discover what makes me happy.
I start looking at myself in the mirror and appreciating all that I am, rather than mentally comparing myself to something I saw on social media and seeing all that I’m “not.” (Those imagines we consume stay in our subconscious, I’ve stopped that from happening.)
I find items in my closet that I love and that I think I look good in, even if it’s not “in style.” I don’t care, my butt looks good in what I think it looks good in 😉
I move my body in ways that feel good.
I’m planning my wedding based on how I want to feel that day rather than what social media deems to be trendy and aesthetically pleasing.
I’m thinking about places I want to travel based on cultures and experiences I genuinely enjoy, rather than thinking about places that will look good on my feed. P.S. there are actually blogs out there titled “The Most Instagrammy Spots in [insert city or country],” like how freaking unique, makes me feel icky that that’s the driving sources for people. We’ve GOT to LIVE.
This next one is the biggest one I’ve learned I think,
Social media isn’t real anymore. I remember social media used to be a place where you genuinely shared real moments and thoughts to have a social conversation and to connect with people from afar. We can say it’s still that, but it’s not. People aren’t sharing genuine moments, they’re sharing perfectly curated moments that are staged. And the more we consume that, the more unhappy we are with the lives we have right now. It’s fake. And since I’ve been off, I’ve been living my REAL life and enjoying all that is it.
I’m not for sure saying I’m never getting back on social media. I’m still navigating how I want to be a business owner and not use social media as a form for marketing. Maybe in another month or two I’ll find a way to use social media for my business and that’s it. I don’t have it figured out yet, but I have figured out a lot and I can 1000% say, I’m a happier person not being on social media.
If you’re interested, here’s a some stuff that I’ve been up to 🙂