What Four Days Without Social Media Are Teaching Me

On Sunday, July 12, around 11:00 a.m., I pulled into my driveway. Before I even got out of my car, I deleted Facebook and Instagram from my phone.

Done. Poof! Gone for two weeks.

I have a friend who regularly takes breaks from social media. I've listened to podcasts about the benefits of disconnecting. I've heard my own inner wisdom nudging me to take a break. Yet, until that Sunday, I hadn't chosen it for myself.

On the drive home, I was listening to an interview with Dr. Gabor Maté. He shared his experience of disconnecting from the internet for two weeks and what led him to make that decision. Parts of his story deeply resonated with me—especially the attachment to worrying about what other people think.

At the same time, I had spent nearly a week caught in an emotional spiral after making a mistake. Guilt. Insecurity. Shame.

It took a trusted friend listening to me process everything before they gently observed, "It seems like you compare yourself to others."

Yes.

Yes, I do.

I don't usually realize I'm doing it., and when I do become aware, how do I get to my core and heal?

I know the feeling of insecurity well.

This is where gratitude for my beautifully messy human self shows up.

I'm actually thankful for that week of insecurity. I'm thankful for having a safe person who could reflect something back to me that I couldn't see. Without that difficult week, the draw to choose a break from social media may not have happened.

So...thank you.

The decision came easily. Once I made it, there was no hesitation.

Two weeks. Committed.

Within the first hour, I noticed something I hadn't expected.

My habit.

I would Google something...then instinctively tap where Facebook used to be.

I'd send a text...then reach for that Facebook icon, again.

Finish a phone call...same thing.

It wasn't intentional. It was automatic.

That awareness alone made me grateful for my decision.

Then came Monday—my first full day without social media on my phone.

Mornings are one of my favorite parts of the day. I love listening to a YouTube meditation, writing my gratitude, imagining good things ahead, and using my Neurocycle app.

If you had asked me before this experiment whether social media was part of my morning routine, I would have confidently said, "No."

But it was.

Just a little here.

Just a quick check there.

Maybe I'd post a video.

Maybe I'd share a screenshot.

Maybe I'd see who had commented.

I hadn't realized how woven into my mornings it had become.

Now I couldn't do any of that.

I missed it. It felt unusual.

Then I noticed something beautiful.

My mornings belonged entirely to me.

No scrolling.

No checking.

No wondering how a post was performing.

Just presence.

Monday also surprised me in another way.

I got so much done around the house.

I've always known social media distracted me, but seeing how much I accomplished without it was eye-opening.

Another unexpected gift.

By Tuesday, I noticed something very meaningful.

I was more present with my family.

There wasn't a quiet part of my brain thinking about what to post next or checking for engagement.

I genuinely enjoy creating content. I love sharing highlights. I love to create video.

The desire to create was very strong.

In fact, I still recorded a couple of short videos on Sunday and Monday.

I just didn't post them.

I noticed that feeling of loss.

And instead of judging it, I simply observed it.

Interesting.

Today is Wednesday.

I had one of those messy mom moments.

We survived. (Both of us...LOL.)

I recovered.

And I noticed something else.

Social media wasn't there waiting to distract me from feeling my feelings.

This two-week break is already teaching me so much about me and my social media habit and the ways I have shown up to it.

I love social media. I love that I've become aware of how much space it quietly occupied in my attention.

Attention I now give back to myself.

It's only been a few days, and I'm curious to see what the rest of this journey reveals.

Stay tuned.

And here's one more surprise...

Instead of scrolling, I wrote a blog post.

I'd call that...another lesson learned.