I’ve noticed that it’s really easy to spend an entire day on social media without even realizing. Apps like Instagram are already designed to just let you keep scrolling aimlessly with no limit – minutes can turn into hours, and suddenly it’s 5pm and you don’t know where the day went (sadly, I’ve definitely done this on multiple occasions).
A couple weeks ago, I noticed that I was spending more time on Instagram than usual, which was taking a toll on my mental health. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly easy to compare yourself to others on Instagram; I know that I myself have spent hours on end scrolling through pictures of celebrities. Knowing that this comparison would only hurt me even more than it already had, I decided to take a break from Instagram for at least a week. If I needed longer than that, I would take a break for longer; I wanted to spend that time not scrolling through posts upon posts, but rather reflecting on how I can practice self-love.
The first couple days of the week, I found that I did not miss Instagram at all; in fact, I noticed that I had more time in the day to do things that I enjoyed. I spent time journaling to discover that I didn’t really do anything for self-care at all. One of my goals for 2020 was to focus more on self-care, and it disappointed me to know that I was not really taking care of myself like I should. I’ve always been interested in fitness, and exercise has always been and will always be my favorite form of self-care; a good workout while playing my favorite music always puts me in a better mood. I started working out regularly and noticed a considerable boost in my mental health. I now make sure that I work out every day, because not only is it a good mood boost, but it also helps with productivity and maintaining physical health.
I did end up re-downloading Instagram after the week ended, feeling refreshed, and a little more confident in myself. Taking breaks from social media is so important; it allows for self-reflection which is extremely necessary. Self-reflection is the first step to determining how you can start practicing self-love; in my case, journaling was my form of self-reflection, but it can take many forms. I’ve learned the importance of practicing self-care and how that can help me on my self-love journey, as well as how important fitness is in my journey. I know my self-love journey is going to be a long one, but I’m glad that this social media break allowed me to take a step in the right direction. I’m just getting started.