Deleting Instagram Changed My Life.
Imagine this...
Complete freedom from workout routines in my face, clothing I can’t afford, model bodies doing model-y things, 12 step how-to skincare routines and makeup tutorials, 56 step chef inspired meals, people “killing it” in quarantine, and all the non-stop information that just puts my brain into a state of OVERLOAD!
My check engine light came on. I realized I was still going even after my light was on. This was an all time low and vulnerable reality for this self proclaimed “balanced therapist.” So, what did I do? I did what any normal gal would do. I searched the web for more inspiration. For more information. WTF was I thinking? I needed to cut it out. Not increase it!
Then, it hit me. I needed to delete my Instagram app. Having it at my fingertips, available at all times, this needed to change. I needed to change the way I was using it. Instagram is not the problem. The way I used Instagram, that was the problem. It was too easy to see what everyone else was doing. It was too easy to compare myself to other people. It was too easy to get caught up reading endless posts and commentary and watching videos for both learning and humor. It was just too much. It wasn’t that I was using it for anything more than inspiration or humor. But what started as inspiration, transformed back into comparisons which is why I stayed away from social media for the better part of my life.
I guess I’m still capable of comparing myself to others. Is this a bad thing? NO! Is it helpful to limit my daily access to the intricacies of other people’s daily lives? YES!
I spend my entire day M-F listening to people. I love my job so much that it does not feel like a job, it feels like a gift. I love that I get to experience this gift whenever I choose to.
However, just because I love it, doesn’t mean it’s not a lot. Even after doing this for almost a decade, it can still feel overwhelming. Like I’m holding on to so much information, that’s not mine, all the time. So, it’s important for me to stay on top of my own mental health and detox often. Only my version of a detox does not include dieting, cutting out sugar, or eliminating anything from my pantry. My detox is limiting information. Limiting how much I take in, how I react, and what I do with it. My detox is also about moving my body. Information and stress gets stored in the body and can dramatically impact our physical health. This is why I move my body every single day. To remind myself that I am in control. That I can work through anything. That I have control over what I take in and what I take out, in a healthy way!
So, I have to be honest. I’m not done with social media completely (as it is a necessary evil of staying relevant in business), however, my access is limited to about one time per week (if that) and my visits are becoming less and less frequent as I realize more and more how happy I am without it.
Peace out insta!
