Why You Need A Social Media Detox And How To Do It

A social media detox might be in order…

• When you wake up in the morning and checking email or your favourite social media news feed is the first thing you do
• If you find yourself lying in bed staring at a screen just before you go to sleep
• If text alerts or the various notification alarms going off all day trigger a Pavlov’s dog type of response and you must instantly check and respond
• When the thought of being unplugged, even for a short while, causes a near panic attack!

Is social media and technology taking over your life?

Does it own you or do you own it? 

When social media and the technology you use on a daily basis dominates your time, interrupts your focus continually throughout the day, disrupts your sleep, and increases your stress by just thinking about turning it off or not responding instantly to notifications, my friend, IT OWNS YOU!

If it owns you then you definitely need a social media detox and technology down time.

Those where just a few common examples around tech and there might be others. Beyond tech how else are you giving up control in your work and your life?

If you are a professional dieter… does the scale own you?

If retail therapy is all too common… do certain marketers own you?

Are there certain people in your world who you cannot do anything without their consent, approval or awareness?

It’s time to reclaim control over the one thing you can control… YOU!

When you reclaim control such that you can consciously make decisions that serve you, your family, your business, and your ideal life vision you will…

• Experience a greater abundance of time
• Free up energy for what matters most
• Create calm by reducing anxiety and stress around these things
• Deliver greater productivity so you can get done the important things in your life and your business
• Feel better about yourself, stronger, more powerful, more in control… happier!

Taking steps to do a social media detox does not mean giving up social media or technology. Not at all. These are tools that are ingrained into our lives and will only become more ingrained into the future. These are tools that, when used effectively, can really help and enhance our businesses and our lives.

The goal here is to enable you to control how much time, energy, and focus you allow for social media and when you do so. This, of course, will differ for everyone.

Steps of your social media detox

1. Create an energizing and affirming morning routine that sets you up for the day you want to experience (do not check your tech until you’ve completed it).
2. Turn off all notifications and create an agreement with yourself to check them only at designated times during the day. For instance just before starting work, lunch, end of the work day, evening before winding down. (you might also need to create boundaries with others to respect this goal)
3. Create a wind down routine to move away from social media and tech at least one hour before sleep.
4. Ask for support from someone who will help you stay on track and be accountable
5. Connect often with why you are doing this and what it is bringing into your world. (find some measurable benefits to track)

When you regain control it will deliver all those benefits I mention above. But it won’t necessarily be easy, especially if you’ve come to unconsciously depend on them… allowing them to own and control you.

Even before the practical steps I list above, the first step is seeing and accepting what is happening in your specific world.

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”  Gloria Steinem

Feels like too much. Contact me. I can help!

Here’s to some new found freedom!