The sad reality of today’s society is that we spend a lot of our time browsing our social media feeds, even at times we shouldn’t – like over the family dinner table. When we should be providing the people we love with our undivided attention, we’re instead glued to the tiny screen on our mobile phones.

You may think the words ‘social media addiction’ don’t apply to you, until you think of how many times per day you check your phone and how the idea of deleting your Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter app starts to fill you with dread.

Here, we look at 7 amazing things that happen when you decide to go on a digital detox:

1. Your self-esteem improves

Social media can lead many of us to compare our lives and achievements with everyone else to see how we measure up. Scientists have discovered that this constant comparison can lead many of us to get depression. Having a digital detox can allow you to focus on yourself and reconnect with the things that really make you happy.

2. Your anxiety reduces

Social media causes us to become competitive, seeing how many likes and comments we can get for each thing we post on our wall. This cycle of posting and checking can cause a great deal of anxiety, even if we don’t realise it. Taking a breather from social media gives us a chance to break from this destructive cycle.

3. You’ll reconnect with people

The ironic thing about social media is, it makes you feel anything but social! By only interacting with people online, we’re missing out on the very important face-to-face connection we can build by meeting up in person. Those who spend a lot of their time on social media have reported feeling lonely and isolated in real life.

4. You’ll conquer FOMO

Fear of missing out (also known as FOMO) commonly affects all of us. If we stop using social media, we think we’ll miss out on important news or updates from our social circles. The constant stream of notifications you receive make it equally hard to step away from your phone. The best thing to do is to turn off these notifications; the likelihood is that if a close friend or family member has important news, they’ll contact you directly.

5. You’ll stop obsessing about the past so much

If you’re going through a tough time, like a recent breakup, seeing constant reminders of your ex on social media can reopen old wounds.  Taking a break from social media can help you get back into a more positive headspace. Make sure to block or unfollow exes when you return to using social media, so you help yourself move on.

6. You’ll appreciate special moments more

We all have that one friend who has to post an update of every move they make, and everywhere they’ve been. However, not only is documenting your life in this way incredibly time-consuming, it takes you out of living in the moment. Put your phone down and be fully present, so your experiences are much more memorable and enjoyable.

7. You’ll gain more free time

How often do you wish you had more time in the day to do things like read, exercise or start a yoga routine? The average person will spend nearly 2 hours on social media every day, time which could be spent doing much more productive things and improving an area of your life which you’ve neglected lately!

The thought of taking a break – even temporarily – from using social media may fill you with dread. However, as we’ve shown from the points above, the benefits of doing this can improve your mental health and wellbeing greatly. You may even find, with all the extra time, that you get around to doing regular exercise or take up a new hobby. The possibilities are endless! But every accomplishment starts with a decision with try….so why not give it a go today?

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