For the love of #TheWalkingDead, I took this Social Media Detox.
Yup, I have surrendered myself to a social media detox – for only 12 hours. Just for the idea to test it out.
Why only 12 hours? I just needed space (a very wide virtual space) to avoid spoilers lurking everywhere in social media.
Though with the nature of my job, avoiding social media is so hard to do since most fo my work rely on Facebook, Twitter, and among other social networking sites.
I began my challenge the day I woke up.
It was incredibly hard since I got the habit of checking my Facebook and Twitter the moment I wake up, aside from reading emails. Being separated from the online world is like leaving the actual world. You don’t get to read about what’s going on, or how everyone’s doing. It like in the 90’s where most heads are on the road, and not looking down, staring blankly at a device.
Throughout my challenge, I needed a diversion. A diversion of the most challenging thing that came along with my so-called detox, Boredom.
LISTEN TO MUSIC
Isolating myself from social media doesn’t mean I have to isolate myself from music. This is one of the most viable diversions that we commonly run to since it’s free (well, if you’re not streaming) and it caters to any mood we have.
The problem is, we have this urge to share the song that we’re jamming to our social media accounts. We want the world to know that you’re tuning into this/that awesome track. But why? Maybe because you’re hoping that someone could relate to you? That you’re listening to that same song?
WRITING
Writing is one of the best things to do, just to pass time.I’ve done it several times and finding out what you can write is unbelievable. You can write a short story, or you can start a blog.
But what if you don’t have a single artistic fiber in you? How do you fight the temptation to open up your social media account? Here’s another tip.
TRY MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
Holding your head high and seeing the world from your very own eyes can be one of the greatest diversions. Go get your phones out and snap that beautiful sunset you haven’t seen for the longest time. You won’t believe how beautiful the world is, in live HD, and not just in your Instagram feed.
HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS
If you don’t feel like being alone, hanging out with your friends can be the best past time. You increase your relationship with your friends, and you get to alleviate loneliness. Let’s face it, we all feel lonely some times, and a little companion from our old buddies can bring colors.
TRAVEL AND SEE THE WORLD
Think big, and go hard! Instead of liking your friends’ vacay pics, why not go on a vacay for yourself instead? See, feel and explore the world! Whether you’re traveling with your friends or just being alone, it’s the perfect time to retreat and mull things over.
You can check out Airbnb, and their endless list of places that are great to travel! PLUS, all rates are affordable and worth-every-penny.
If everything’s not working out and you’re still dedicated to this challenge, you can opt out and delete your profile once and for all.
No matter how hard we try to convince ourselves to succeed a certain challenge, if there’s no discipline, you won’t be able to achieve it.
What did I learn from my short social media detox? I realized that the online world is full of hate, and we get to see and react every negativity we have in our feed. You may not notice but it’s affecting our daily mood, our decisions.
Putting down our phone for just a few hours can detoxify our brains and emotions, and we create better judgment. Accepting this challenge is hard at first. We break habits here and now, and it’s like an addiction that we barely even notice.
So, am I going to do it again? Yes, definitely.
ʙᴏɴɴᴇ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴛɪᴛ 