For a while I had been feeling incredibly overwhelmed. My mind felt cluttered, and anxiety would creep in on me when I saw all the messages and comments that I couldn’t seem to keep up with. Being an entrepreneur I felt I needed to be present on social platforms consistently, posting content in multiple places, replying to all the responses as promptly as I could. But, I also wanted to post family updates to stay in touch with those we no longer live by as well as wanting to stay up to date with what was going on in friends and family lives so we still felt connected even through the distance.
So while I love social media I also found myself in this place where I was putting all this extra pressure on myself to perform and show up constantly and felt like I couldn’t ever just pause and be content in the present moment. I was stressing myself out feeling like I constantly needed to do and be. Getting stuck in this whirlwind life where I felt I was losing sight of who I was and felt I didn’t have enough time in my days to do things I wanted to work on such as my health. Not to mention the comparison trap we too often find ourselves in was becoming more evident in my life and I so I knew it was time.
I need to give myself permission that it was ok to hit pause and take a step back. That it was ok to not always feel the need to show up and just be able to be in the present moment. I had to step back from social media to allow myself more time to focus and be intentional with my days.
Through the past month and a half on my social media fast I found myself being much more focused and intentional with my time .. I’ve been able to commit to my morning routine starting my day off in Gods word and doing a workout filled my cup. I’ve felt less stressed and anxious not checking social media first thing in the morning or feeling bombarded by notifications. I’ve actually established a habit where I turn my phone on airplane mode before going to bed. So when I wake up I don’t have any notifications. I now feel less directed and no longer waste time in the morning and have time to do more of what I enjoy which leaves me feeling so good !
Making this switch gave me time to do my self care and have time for breakfast and even get some housework done before we start homeschooling.. it boosted my productivity and made me feel better about myself because I was efficient with my time and did things that benefited my health.
Taking a break also provided space to reflect on my blog. I gained deeper clarity on my vision and feel inspired by new ideas to help others and I gotta say I’m so excited to see my ideas come to life 🤗
So all this to say that if you’re an entrepreneur or just feeling overwhelmed by social media it’s ok to take time away. Listen to your instincts and honor your desires. There’s a reason your thinking or feeling a certain way and there no shame in admitting it. We’re all human we all have our own capacities and it’s good lean into those.
🍃Now to the part you’re eager to hear:
6 Steps to take to begin your social media fast
- Decide how long you will do your fast
- Set goals and intentions what are you hoping to accomplish? Is there a decision or area you want clarity from God on? Is there something you’ve been meaning to do but never felt you had the time for?
- Post on social media announcing you are taking a break to give your followers a heads up
- Rearrange social media apps, putting them in a folder so they’re less accessible or you can delete the apps from your phone
- Have a plan every time you reach for social media what will you do instead. Ex. if you choose to read put your book app where your Instagram icon was you can also use prayer or mindfulness apps again putting them in place of your social media icons
- Keep a journal of how you feel through out your fast and document how God speaks to you.
🍃I’m not gonna lie I set the intention of fasting for 1 month from social media and surprisingly the time went very fast and I didn’t miss it as much as I expected. Did thoughts come up of feeling like I was missing out .. yes, but overall I did enjoy the time away and actually went a few weeks longer than I planned.
🍃I love social media especially to stay connected to all my friends and family back home but this fast taught me to have set boundaries of when I will Check those apps and for how long so I can stay in touch yet remain focused on the present which is my family and attending to my needs. Spending less time on social media also allowed me the time to dive deeper into my relationship with God which is something very important to me .
🍃So I encourage you take a week or month, whatever you feel is best and step away from social media and see how you feel. Having a plan in place will make this fast feel much more productive and bring you a sense of peace. Take the time to figure out the details of your fast then commit and see how God works in and through you during that time away.