Marie Kondo has become a cultural icon for her uncanny ability to clean up a mess. Unfortunately, it’s often more than just my apartment that needs tidying.
If you have a messy life, that’s probably carried over to your Instagram feed. It could be that girl from high school that’s devoted her channel to her kinks in the past few years — and as much as you don’t want to kink shame, you now can’t open your phone in public. It could be that guy you met literally once in first year and you wouldn’t remember his name if it wasn’t for his handle — if it’s not “blazeit42069” to begin with.
Nothing feels better than cleaning up a mess, and your Instagram is no different. Here’s why you should no-guilt-no-shame get rid of the people that don’t spark joy on your social media feed.
- You surround yourself with this content
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Whether it’s jealousy or just bad memories, you don’t need that coming up all the time. You should spend your free time feeling good about yourself, not comparing yourself to others.
- And you can’t avoid stories
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So, you scroll by the posts you don’t like. That’s fine until you’re watching some stories of puppies, tap once, and then suddenly find yourself watching something that brings you the opposite of joy. The only way you can control your feed is to control who you follow.
- You don’t owe anyone your follow
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This can be difficult with mutual followers because you feel like they’re supporting you, so why wouldn’t you support them? If they don’t spark joy in you, and you don’t feel happy looking at what they post, you don’t owe them anything.
- … even your friends
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This also goes for people you see every day. If you have to, wait until the summer when you don’t feel obligated to hang out with them. If you dread seeing what they post on Instagram, maybe you should consider if you really have a healthy relationship offline too.
- But that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends IRL!
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People’s online lives are SO different than who they are in person. If what they’re putting out on social media is not the same energy they’re putting out in life, you can choose one or the other. I unfollowed one of my best friends a few years ago because I got serious FOMO every time I looked at her feed — no regrets, and we still talk every day.
- Honestly, unfollowing is easy
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It’s not like you have to go through your entire “following” list and make it tedious for yourself. Cleaning out your feed is as easy as being mindful while you’re scrolling. How do you feel looking at this person’s photos? Motivated? Strong? Happy? If not, the unfollow button is right there.
- You’ll feel cleaner and refreshed
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Spring cleaning is more than just getting rid of the stuff you’ve stored away for winter: it’s about the feeling that comes from having a usable space. That’s the same thing you should feel with your social media. Let go of the things that you don’t need.
Bring more into your life that sparks joy. A positive mindset starts with the things that you see every day, so make sure that what you see creates a positive impact on your life.