I logged off of social media on August 23, 2021, the day we left for a week-long vacation to Costa Rica. I had known for a while that I would take that week off of social to disconnect and find inspiration in new forms. I didn’t want to miss out on anything in this magical land we were going to. Now, 3 months later, I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner.
The first few weeks were hard. I picked up my phone to scroll or capture content for social at least once an hour, only to realize that the apps didn’t exist and I wouldn’t be going back until 2022 (if then). But as time went on and my mind adjusted to this new way of life, I grew to love the space that opened up in my day.
While we often don’t think about it, social media takes up a large part of our consciousness. Whether we’re actively in it, scrolling, or thinking about something we saw recently, or perhaps what we’re going to post later, we are constantly in consumption of these apps and the only thing they do is take us away from the present.
By coming back to the present, I’ve spent so much more time on my art, the thing I originally went to school for and fell away from in my search for success. I’ve read more books than I have at any other time in life (I’ve far surpassed my goal of 30 books this year!), I’ve met with friends in real life, connected at networking events, done a lot of self-work and even started to like cooking (I didn’t know that was possible). All this to say, I’ve felt more connected to everything since disconnecting from the apps.
Because I’m in marketing I have had to check into accounts every once in a while and so I’ve looked at my notifications but only when I’m on a desktop computer. I can honestly say, nothing has happened since I’ve left. I still think about coming back in the new year and what content I might share, something that adds value to my audience’s life but also adds value to mine. But every time that thought comes up I think of all I’ve gained in letting go of social and realize, I don’t think I’ll be back. There’s room for that to change, but I hope it doesn’t.
I craved letting go of social for years but couldn’t do it because of my job. I made excuses about not being able to stay in touch with friends from around the world but what about my friends that live just down the street, or how about sending those far away friends an old-fashioned letter in the mail? I keep my accounts just in case, but I regularly think about cutting the cord officially and deleting what I’ve created. As with all life, there are three stages; Creation, Stagnation, and Destruction. I might just be ready to destroy so I can start the cycle again with a new form of creation.
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