We live in a time where we are addicted to our phones and can’t really survive long without them to where it is unhealthy. That is why it is important to know why a social media cleanse is essential to your mental health. We often check Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat just to see what everyone else is up to. Sometimes, doing so can affect our mood, decrease the quality of our sleep, and so on.

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If you feel like you can’t go a day without getting on social media, then you most definitely need a social media cleanse! I say this because social media is not reality and the more time you spend on it, the less time you have to actually live in the moment. That is not considered living a healthy lifestyle.

Most of the people who post on social media are not transparent. They only show us the highlights. So the guy who travels the world all the time, the girl who gets 2K likes on a photo, or the person who has enough money to buy the whole mall – they’re human just like us. They get anxious, lonely, overwhelmed, and they struggle. They will not let that side of them be known on social media though. Sometimes, seeing posts like these can affect your mood without you even realizing it and leave you feeling inadequate.

That’s the thing about social media, you can literally be WHOEVER YOU WANT – but I would highly suggest you be yourself.

A simple 5 step social media cleanse

1. Turn off all social media notifications.
2. Unfollow/unfriend people who disturb your peace.
3. Minimize social media to 30 minutes a day
4. Do something entertaining that doesn’t involve your phone.
5. Remember that social media isn’t a reality.

Why A Social Media Cleanse Is Essential To Your Mental Health

We live in a time where everything revolves around social media. Every once in a while I strongly suggest everyone does a social media cleanse. I say that only because it’s so easy to forget to appreciate life and what is currently around you these days. Minimize your screen time and go be with family/friends, declutter around the house, go to the gym, etc. There are many things you can do that don’t involve social media.

If you struggle with anxiety and depression, I advise you to do a cleanse more often! [it’s pretty liberating] I’ve recently deleted my personal Facebook profile(over 3K friends) and my personal Instagram(over 4K followers) created another one for both. I was able to block out negative and unwanted people from my life on the new profile. It feels great because why exactly would I want to keep up with people who disturb my peace? It’s very refreshing.

I haven’t been on social media like how I used to. I’ve experienced more peace whenever I am not on it which is great. Lately, I have been trying to get on it more frequently strictly for blog reasons only. I can’t be a blogger without any active social media accounts – So what I do is just try to stay more active without being on it all day and night!

Benefits of a social media cleanse

• Decreased anxiety. To be honest, a good social media detox could improve your overall mood. Taking some time off won’t hurt anything. Take care of your mental health.
• Mindfulness. Focus on the present moment and just appreciate your loved ones around you. Also, be grateful for what you have.
• You’ll stop being competitive. Many people are unaware that social media can bring out your competitive side. Social media such as Facebook is to attract attention to your posts and seeing others get a bunch of likes and reactions can make you strive to outdo others and even yourself.
• Reconnect with the real world. If you are an introvert like myself, then this can be ideal for you. Deep down inside we all know that we need some good ol’ in-person human contact.