How Social Media Detox Can Save You From Depression and Anxiety

Hello! It's been a while since I've written something very personal on my first digital love - my blog. I am glad I am typing away my vulnerability, openness, and honesty. I may be someone you know or maybe not. I maybe an inspiration to some, a source of strength and encouragement, but I am also human and just another regular mom - experiencing the same things that you do, day in and day out.

I recently experienced social media or digital anxiety - I'm not sure if there's such a thing. But that's what I've been through these past couple of weeks.

To be exact, I felt overwhelmed, fearful, unsure, worried, insecure, and it seemed like all my efforts were not enough.

I battled with all those feelings or mental state in the days and weeks that went by. You may or may not notice it but if you know me well - you'd know that I took a break.

Yes, I was still present, but if you could read between the lines of some of my posts, you'd know there's something quite off.

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CARRYING A HEAVY LOAD? Mid-week thoughts from a busy, overwhelmed, peace-yearning, and tired momma. It's always the way we carry it, isn't it? These past few days, I've been quiet here and there. I'm carrying a load of all sorts. I've been re-chanelling my energies and attention to things that make me happy - my family, my plants, my small biz, my oils, my cooking, and also my Kdramas. I'm shying away from the noise, from the pressure some people put on another. I'm shying away maybe from you who's still reading this. It's not you, it's me. Haha. I know exactly why I'm doing this and my pausing and slowing down is intentional. It's the way I am carrying the load. It's the way I'm coping. I'll be back, stronger, happier, more energized, more focused, and more open. We all cope with what's going on in our lives in different ways. Let's cope and not give up. If you're tired, rest. If things are moving on a fast pace that you couldn't keep up, pause. If there's too much on your plate, select the healthy ones and save the others for later. Prioritize, delegate, you can even decline. The important thing is to cope. Lastly,never think you're all alone in carrying all the load, God's with you every step of the way. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NLT Have a great week ahead!

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I'm the person people come to for consultation, for encouragement, for good vibes, and inspiration. I'm that person and yet, there I was needing those things I give to others.

No one really noticed, unless I kind of gave some clues through my posts.

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MENTAL HEALTH Do what makes you happy. Divert your attention elsewhere if you think where you are isn't working well for you or when what used to bring you joy now tires you. Step back. Pause. Detox. But don't quit. Don't lose hope. Just take a break. As shared in my last post on coping these days. I've been refocusing my energies on things that make me really happy. My family is already a given. Sharing with you what's keeping me busy these days in case you're wondering what I've been up to. I'm just here, just detoxing. There's too much noise, still getting used to it again. I am coping. I'm taking care of my mental health as well. So these past few weeks were spent most on learning new skills. I baked my first-ever choco cuppies, baked more chocolate chip cookies, tended to my lovely plants (to which I was baptized a new title by my husband at home - a budding botanist), my small retail biz (reselling trolleys and UV Care products), and my YL oils too How have you been loves? Hope all is well with you.

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But that's okay, because I didn't battle this anxiety alone, I had an ally fighting with me - I have GOD. I battled everything in prayer. I wasn't really alone.

The first practical thing I did to help me with my mental health was - Social Media Detox. What is it? My personal definitions are any of the following:

It's taking a conscious and intentional break from your regular social media groove to take care of your mental and emotional health.
It's a much-needed pause when you feel there's too much noise or things are going too fast that you can't live your real life.
It's practically putting your depleting digital energies somewhere or to something else (before it becomes empty) so you could recharge.
It's simply staying away from social media to be more busy with your offline life.

I can go on and on or you could even add to my definition. But basically, it's all that to me personally. This detox helped me in more ways than one and I am sure, it will help you cope with social media anxiety or depression too.

How Social Media Detox Can Save You From Anxiety And Depression

It makes you tune in to yourself. Breaking away from the noise that social media brought to me during the time of detox made me focus on myself. As I cover my ears, I heard nothing else but my heartbeat. I heard myself. I focused on getting better (detoxing from something is like having too much of something, right?). I was able to know what makes me happy and what challenges me.
It lets you appreciate people and things you have at present even more. Because I had lesser time online, I had more time offline. I became more present (physically, mentally, and emotionally) to my husband, my kids, and myself. I started to notice all the things I am blessed with. I even realized how cluttered my house is already because of accumulated items also due to my online work (I am not complaining at all - I feel really blessed) - that I plan to give them away. I became more appreciative than ever.
It lets you explore and pursue other interests you thought you'd never do. Because I spent less time on social media, I had more time to pursue other interests that truly made me happy and busy. My stories now are all about me and my interests which are: Plants, Baking, Essential Oils, and my small business. It was all about me. The detox made me play different roles I never knew I could do. It was like the same excitement I got when I was starting to blog. I could maybe say, honeymoon stage feeling for these new ventures or interests I had time to do and be busy with as I took a pause.
It helps you accomplish many things in many areas. Because of my last point, this detox made me accomplish great things (according to my personal standard). I hit my target sales for two months. I hit a certain rank in my essential oils business journey in a month. I perfected my all-time favorite raisin oatmeal cookie, and lastly, I've never been more caring and meticulous when it comes to my plants. I realized, I could do so much more!
It helps you slow down and live life without pressure. To be honest, one of the reasons of my social media anxiety is feeling overwhelmed and pressured. It can get really busy and competitive that you can't breathe. I am sure a lot of content creators feel or felt the same at some point. I know so because I was able to speak to a number of friends in the digital industry who are on the same boat as I am. So ladies and gentlemen - not everything you consume or see on social media is real. Sometimes behind those posts are people who maybe going through something. That's why kindness, respect, and love for digital content creators go a long way.
It realigns you to your purpose why you're doing what you're doing online (for bloggers/content creators like me). Taking a break made me look at myself as a content creator from afar or outside of the box. I took a mindful time away to see where I am, what I am really good at, what am I not doing right, and what should I do to be better. It made me see why I am doing what I am doing in the first place. It made me reminisce the times when I was starting eight years ago. It was an accidental strategic planning break so I could come back with a stronger and more sound purpose. I don't intend to be back with a bang. I just want to be back and not give up.
It let's you develop stronger relationships with your loved ones. Spending less time online made me spend more time with my offline life. Truly this pause made me a better and more intentional mom, a better wife (I hope!), and made me more mindful of my own needs. I had a kinder and forgiving relationship with myself and for me that's one of the most important gifts this social media detox gave me.
It encourages you to start or fortify your personal and loving relationship with God. This tops my list of how social media detox saved me. Apart from being kinder and loving to myself, the break made me count on only God. Of course my husband, my life partner, my supporter, my everything is there all throughout and I thank him for letting me just do what I need to do for my mental and emotional health. But even without him, and he knows this, I have God. I battled this anxiety with prayers. I battled this restlessness, stress, overwhelming pressure, feelings of insecurity, and exhaustion with God. Without God in my life, I would have given up and thought I am not good enough. But I know God made this exhaustion happen so I could rest upon Him and just depend on Him alone during those times. It came to a point that I didn't want to post anything anymore because what for (I thought!). But there's beauty in brokenness. God made sure this would happen to me so He could show His mercy, His love, His forgiveness, His grace, and His greatness to me. That I should come running back to Him again to cry like a child. And that's what I exactly did.

Sometimes in life, stepping back or seeing ourselves from a different perspective is healthy. It will make you realize many things, assess where you are and where you want to go, it will let you discover that YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE, and that whatever happens, whether you decide that you want to exit from the digital limelight or press on, that YOU ARE ENOUGH and that you are where you are for a PURPOSE.

So if you feel overwhelmed and exhausted, take a break and detox from what stresses you. Don't quit, don't lose hope. Breathe in deeply, breathe out.

Then carry on.

Louise Antonette

Hi, I'm Louise Fandiño Santos, a wife, a mom of all boys and a campaigns strategist by profession. My family, singing, flowers, chocolates, coffee, and traveling make me happy. I passionately blog about pretty and practical things and choices concerning motherhood, relationships, food, travel, events, and shopping. MORE?