Disconnect to Reconnect: The Importance of Taking Mindful Breaks from Social Platforms

After a long day of work, many people usually come home and plop on their couch while watching TV and scrolling through social media. It’s part of a lot of people’s downtime.

Most people use social media to follow their family, friends, and people with similar passions, interests, and hobbies. It’s amazing to connect with people in the digital world, especially if you can’t talk to them in person so easily.

But what happens when that personal time doesn’t provide the same relief as it used to? Instead, it may even leave someone feeling even more anxious or stressed. Let’s learn more about the importance of disconnecting to reconnect.

How to Know When It’s Time to Take a Break from Social Media

The digital world we live in today makes it incredibly easy to pick up your phone and automatically click on a social media icon from your home screen. It can be easy to have a chunk of time in your day-to-day dedicated to social media use.

While social media can be a great way to connect with people, read about what’s going on in the world, or just for entertainment purposes, it has both positives and negatives. A mindful break may be essential, especially if social media is exacerbating things like:

• Addiction

• Anxiety

• Low self-esteem

• Depression

• Fatigue

• Fear of missing out (FOMO)

• Insomnia

Why Mindful Breaks are Important

Distancing yourself from social media for a bit can be a great way to improve other areas of your life. When you limit the amount of time on social media or cut it out completely for some time, you’re able to see a lot of benefits in your daily life and routine:

• Better sleep

• Decreased sense of FOMO

• Improved mental health

• Increased happiness

• Increased productivity

• More free time

• More authentic real-life connections

Other Activities You Can Do to Disconnect

Social media isn’t the only activity you can do to take a break. In fact, there are a lot better alternatives for you that can be more beneficial for your overall mental health and wellness. Let’s dive into some of the other activities and why they may be better suited for you and your mental health.

Practice Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness techniques are a great way to bring your body and brain back to the present moment to feel less anxious and stressed. There are many different activities that you can try that fall under mindfulness, like coloring, meditating, listening to music, or writing in a journal.

Move Your Body

Exercise isn’t only good for your body; it’s also extremely beneficial for your brain as well. Next time you need a break during your day, try going for a walk outside. You can also hit up your local gym, attend a class with a friend, or go on a hike or bike ride. Moving your body for just thirty minutes daily is all it takes to start seeing the benefits.

Spend Time with Loved Ones

Spending time with loved ones can provide a great break in your day. Try to plan activities with them, like grabbing a cup of coffee, going to lunch or dinner, seeing a new movie, or starting a new hobby together. If you need a break, lean on them during this time and let them know what you need from them so they can better show up for you.

Next Steps

Disconnecting from social media is extremely important, especially if some of the negative effects of social media are starting to rub off on you. While there are lifestyle changes you can make on your end to help reduce some of these negative effects if you’re still struggling, reaching out to a therapist may be exactly what you need to move forward again. Reach out today to set up a consultation for anxiety therapy.