THE WEEKLY SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX

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THE HOW + WHY I TAKE SUNDAYS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA

About a year ago, I did something that I never thought I’d ever be able to do…

I decided to commit to taking one day each week off of social media COMPLETELY.

No posting. No stories. And especially, no scrolling.

When you run several businesses entirely on social media, it feels almost wrong (for lack of a better word) to go silent on social media for a day (or more) at a time.

How will you engage with new people? How will they know what you have to offer? And heaven forbid, WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF YOU?!

Here’s the deal…

Social media is ADDICTING. In fact, that’s what it’s designed to do. I once heard that if you don’t know what product or service someone is selling to you, YOU ARE THE PRODUCT.

Friends, that’s Facebook and Instagram.

Have you ever found yourself just scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and realize that a decent amount of time has gone by?

Y’all, I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else.

Thankfully, I have a husband who calls me out for it.

But, over the past few years, I’ve found that I can get stuck in some rabbit holes on social media, or be unintentionally triggered by something someone has posted, or the worst…

… fall into the comparison trap and beat myself up for not being “good enough.”

Look, I LOVE social media and I am SO thankful that it has allowed me to start + grow several businesses that allow me to be at home with my kiddos.

But, the truth of the matter is, if we’re not careful, it can be extremely harmful and toxic for us. Each and every one of us…

Which is why I started implementing a weekly social media detox.

This detox is a 24-hour detox from Facebook and Instagram, or any other social media platform that you might get sucked in + addicted to.

The premise behind the detox is not hard… don’t get on social media for 24-hours. Simple. Easy peasy… right?!

When I first started doing this, it was a lot harder than I anticipated. The first thing I do when I open my phone is check my notifications on Facebook and Instagram. So, it’s definitely a practice in discipline.

But, the longer I’ve been doing it, the easier it gets to be - and the more I start to look forward to it.

Not because I feel like I need to be off social media entirely. As an introvert, social media is my social life. Yes, sad, but true.

But, I look forward to it because it’s one less thing that is cluttering my brain.

I’m a creative. I spend most days creating content for my blog, my email list, social media, and several other businesses that I own or help run. When I scroll through social media, it starts to take up space in my brain and I feel like I lose myself and my own personal creativity. And when you’re paycheck depends on that creativeness, you have to take a hard look at what is going to help you stay on top of your game.

But, I don’t necessarily think that a social media detox is ONLY for people like me.

I think it is needed for EVERYONE.

If you look at your screen time reports, how much time are you truly spending on social media? Is it most of the time you spend on your phone?

Now, think about your day to day life. How much time are you spending with your family? Is it more than the amount of time you’re spending on social media? And, what’s more important to you?

Look, like I said, I am NOT perfect. I can get lost scrolling for hours. But, by taking a 24-hour period every week to INTENTIONALLY stay off social media, I not only help myself creatively, but it also is a reminder as to WHAT is important in my life.

In addition, one of my intentions in 2021 (dear Lord PLEASE be a different year than 2020) is to start taking a weekly Sabbath. I’m starting to learn more about this and other spiritual disciplines (like fasting + prayer), but a Sabbath feels like something I need for my SOUL. I want to be intentional with my time and I know that God + Family need to ALWAYS be my main priorities, so I am looking for ways to do that - and taking a weekly Sabbath (which will include my detox from social media) feels like the right next step for me.

A weekly social media detox has helped me so much over this past year in being intentional with my time and refocusing my time + priorities each week - and I think it can be something that can help you as well!

Got specific questions on how to start your own weekly social media detox? Shoot me an email at hello@kristenvanhorn.com and I’d be happy to answer them for you!