Detox from Social Media

For the whole of April, I took a break from Social Media accounts Facebook and Instagram. I didn’t post, look, or respond on my personal or business page.

It was a challenge, to begin with, and I was concerned about how it could impact my business presence, but I followed my intuition (which was yelling for time out), turned away from the doubts and fears about how it might affect the connection with my customers and disconnected my accounts.

It has been such a refreshing and wonderful experience as well as hugely insightful. In fact, I have struggled to come back, it has been so rewarding! As a small self-employed business, I do need some online presence but the time off has given me space to think about how to stay in touch with people who aren’t on my mailing lists and remain connected, whilst not feeling overstretched by that sharing and connecting.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week and I believe that many of us are scared to take proper time out and self-care. Maybe even scared of taking time to ourselves. It is hard to switch off in our technological age of constant communication and entertainment. However, if you can do it the rewards are waiting. Feeling more grounded, more aligned with your thoughts, and energized, focused as well as relaxed.

Being aware of our mental health means noticing how we are, and being truthful with what we need and what we want at that moment. Even if it's only the 1% shift, a small change towards self-care can make a big difference. I have been spending a lot more time walking in nature, hopping in the car to explore an area outside the town where I live, reading more, watching less screen, and really enjoying tasks like cooking and gardening.

I decided to take a whole month off social media to really detox. Just having a day off wasn't going to it! I needed a proper break to gain a different perspective on this time in my life which is Menopausal.

All the changes, the random sleepless hours in the middle of the night, the physical symptoms, low mood that came and went with no reason, as well as spontaneous feelings of complete overwhelm, demanded that I did something for myself that I hadn’t ever done before. I stopped and I listened to my body and my deep desire to just be.

No agenda.

No pressure.

Not knowing what I was going to do next.

There is a huge amount of grace that comes when we let go of control and allow the space of life to come rushing in.

It’s been over a month now since I posted on Social Media, though I have sent out little newsletters for my women’s circles for the gatherings going ahead. I feel better equipped now to make changes moving forwards; taking greater care of my mental and emotional health as well as my hormonal changes and physical needs.

The time has been deeply nourishing and heightened my awareness of certain triggers that indicate it is time to rest. Space has gifted a very different perspective on how I use my time on social media for pleasure and business. I realize that I don’t have to post as often as I was doing in the past. I also see that the old saying “Less is more” may certainly be a beacon of light reminding me to focus, simplify and prioritise.

A number of friends were inspired by my post saying that I was taking a month off. So they did it at the same time. Everyone has expressed the same amount of joy and pleasure from this radical move that I have experienced. None of us are the same!

I thoroughly recommend a social media detox to anyone who finds their time diced up by the ever distracting social media notifications. If you’re a woman going into menopause I can really recommend beginning to carve out radical rest time and seriously consider how you can begin to make the 1 % shift in your life.

This is the perfect time of year to take up the mantle of self-care through nature, with so many beautiful things to find that are changing almost daily.

Instead of getting lost down the rabbit hole of social media and the tendency, we have of viewing everyone else life through a screen that fits in the palm of your hand, why not step into a deeper presence with your own?