WINTER SOCIAL DETOX || How Refraining from Posting Vacation Photos Improved My Mental Health
I spent two weeks on vacation back in December, and it was the best year-end treat I could’ve given myself.
But it only came in a close second to my conscious decision not to post on social media for the entire month of December. For the first two weeks, I was in another country, but even after I came back, I felt no urge to share anything about my holiday plans on social media.
Did I still consume social media during this time? Yes. I have to admit, I am still a distracted millennial who needs some scroll time. So, you could argue that I only went halfway with my social media detox, but if you’re a content creator and you allow yourself even one week off from publishing, you’d know how freeing it is to not constantly have to broadcast your life for views and likes.
It’s like taking in your first gulp of fresh air after holding your breath for a full day when you don’t have to be on the content treadmill; to feel you have to pump out content on a set schedule, otherwise the algorithm will forget you.
My month of not sharing any stories on Instagram helped me clear my head. I didn’t need to share what I was eating, where I was shopping, and who I was with on social media for the eyeballs and likes.
When we’re on vacation, we want to share (even more) snippets of our daily lives. It’s totally understandable. The getaway may be to a destination you waited so long for, or the bucket list activity you’ve had on your list for years. You want your friends and other people you don’t know to see it, but is it so they could "share in your joy”? Unless you’re close friends with all of your followers and subscribers, then you’re likely sharing for vanity; you want others to feel fomo seeing your gorgeous vacation photos.
No, really. Why else do we do it?
If we aren’t hoping to get some affirmation from the public, why are we throwing it on the internet? We’d just keep it on our phones. On our cameras. If we wanted to document the precious moments of our lives and share them with close friends who know our personal journey, we would share them in a group chat. It’s a choice whether we keep our private lives private.
Once I got over myself trying to sell my brain a narrative and a world where oversharing on the internet is good for me, where I was telling myself things like “it’s to build your personal brand and business”, I just flipped the switch and decided no one needed to know where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing.
Here’s how not posting vacation photos improved my mental health. The changes are mostly in my ability to concentrate, because I wasn’t constantly checking my phone for likes and comments.
I was able to focus on taking photos while I was roaming the streets of Tokyo for a full day without being on social media. I only used my phone to message my friends to set up plans.
I spent two hours unwinding in a cafe reading, unaware that time was flying by.
I wasn’t anxious every time I opened my social apps because it temporarily felt like I didn’t have skin in the game.
It’s liberating.
I dare you.
I dare you not to post anything on social media for the next month.
Are you up for the challenge?
