You'll think clearer.Â
A picture of your friend's breakfast, stats of a global pandemic, and the dress your favorite celebrity was going to wear to the Met Gala is a lot to take in in the first 5 minutes you wake up. Try to avoid picking up your phone immediately after you shut your alarm off (or hit snooze a couple of times). A short break from this constant information will put things back in perspective. Give your brain a break from the bombardment of news. Your brain, like a muscle, needs time to process and recover.
You'll sleep betterÂ
We've all been there, laying in our beds getting ready to fall into a deep sleep. We just need to check TikTok one more time before bed. You're looking down at your phone, and conveniently unable to see the time at the top of your screen. Then it hits you. It's 3 am. You need sleep. You finally let your room grow dark as the screen blacks out, but suddenly your mind is wide awake. You've now relived every embarrassing moment, planned out hundreds of hypothetical situations, and tossed and turned to no avail. It's really simple, the way to prevent this predicament: stay off your phone before bed.
You'll be more present.
Have you ever had someone look at you, but not really see you? I have, and I hate it. One day walking as I walked around, I noticed that nearly everyone was on their phone. I looked down and saw my hand clutching my phone like a security blanket too. Maybe it was just a habit, but either way, I decided to truly open my eyes. I began to see more of the good, bad, and beautiful. You'll be amazed by the things you noticed and the people you'll meet. Remember, you can't meet someone if you never make eye contact with them.
You'll be more productive.Â
By taking time off social media you will have SO MUCH MORE TIME. I never thought that my quick five minute checks here and there on Instagram would add up, but time accumulates faster than expected. With more time comes the potential for more productivity, and productivity can be defined in a number of ways. Investing in friendships intentionality, reading for fun, doing the pile of laundry that's slowly been morphing into a mountain, painting, and self-care are just a few examples of how to spend your time.
You'll remind yourself that you have a choice.Â
I know this sounds strange, but by saying no to something that millions of people say yes to on a daily basis is truly empowering. For a week there are no ads trying to invade your screen. No agendas are being thrown in your face. Life continues on, but you have time to determine what you believe and why. We must be careful that our own voices will not be drowned out by the cacophony of voices on social media. We must know our own minds.
*I know many people use social media for work, and a one-week challenge would be detrimental to their career. My suggestion is to mark off a few hours every day that are not revolving around a laptop, tablet, or phone.
