Last summer I came to the realization that I was spending an unnatural amount of time on Instagram. I actually realized that much earlier, but last summer I finally took action.
Anytime I was on my phone, my thumb would shoot to the Instagram icon on the bottom of my screen. Instagram is a cool app and has some perks. However, there are also a lot of downsides, and I noticed one of them being poor mental health. So, I started temporarily disabling my account. For me, this is better than just deleting the app as I can always re-download it to see what I’m missing out on. Temporarily disabling literally freezes your account and makes it so no one can access it. It makes me feel like I am taking a pause and can resume at any time, when I’m ready. Over quarantine, I disabled my account for two months straight. I have never felt more free and less bothered. My mental health was improving and I was able to focus on things that were previously overshadowed by social media. I felt as though I was not tied to my phone. Not being drawn to the pull of Instagram helped me reduce my screen time throughout the day.
When logging back onto Instagram after a break, my thumb does not go straight to the app, but instead to other, less intimidating icons. It is hard for the first day or so, but after that initial hurdle, you will feel so free. I encourage you to temporarily disable your account around the holidays and to cherish the time with family and friends instead- you will not regret it.