Unplugging from Social Media and Rediscovering Life

“Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliott

I’ll admit it—I like social media. I have friends and family scattered across the United States, easily reachable by logging into Facebook and Instagram. I love how I can see my best friend’s daughter grow up in Orlando and watch my extended family in Massachusetts celebrate holidays.

But I’m starting to realize that it’s really stressing me out.

The Shocking Truth

The ping of an Instagram alert. The swoosh of an e-mail notification. The buzz of a Facebook announcement. These noises would interrupt my life numerous times a day. The final straw was when Apple released their Screen Time feature in beta mode. I was interested to see how much time I spent on my phone. Well, the results weren’t pretty. In fact, they made my stomach turn. On the first day I had picked up my phone once every two minutes.

The Experiment

At that moment I decided to make a change. Social media was running my life and I needed to take control. The first thing I did was delete all the social media apps from my phone. Despite no longer having the apps, I still found myself picking up my phone to check on alerts. I would also reach for my phone to take pictures for Instagram.

It was hard at first. I felt like I was missing out on important things. It didn’t take me very long to re-install all the apps and eagerly scroll to see what I had missed.

It turns out, I didn’t miss anything.

This was the most important part of my experiment. I may have “failed” at staying off social media, but when I returned, I realized that I didn’t need to be on it 24/7. I wouldn’t miss anything incredibly important. If something major happened, my friends or family would text or call.

The Results

After this, I kept the apps on my phone, but vowed to check on them less often. I recently took some time off work to enjoy the Michigan summer with my family. The week included a lot of time on the lake, soaking up the warm rays and watching firework shows. While I posted some things on Facebook, I found myself picking up my phone less and less.

Detaching from my phone allowed me to reconnect with “real” life. The stress of keeping up with everyone began to fade and I focused more on what was in front of me.

I’d catch myself noticing random things: the moon in the sky during the day, and the sound of the cicadas in the summer heat. I was able to reflect more on myself and my family right in front of me than what was happening on a screen.

Simple Ways to Disconnect

After my experiment, I’ve come to believe that social media is like anything else—it’s good in moderation. Disconnecting doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing experience. Small changes to your current social media routine can make a world of difference.

• Turn off social media notifications on your cell phone. This will prevent you from picking up your phone every time it dings.
• Designate a certain time to catch up on social media. Set aside a few minutes per day to check in, but log out as soon as your time limit is over.
• Shut your phone off one hour before bedtime. Studies show that screen time before bed can lead to restless nights.

With the way the world is today, I can’t completely escape from social media, nor do I really want to. However,  I can limit my time with it and enjoy the life that is happening right in front of me.

Kati Jewell is a self-proclaimed spirit junkie who lives in Michigan. When she’s not on her boat with her husband and daughter, she can be found at yoga class or lost in a good book.