“You learn the hard way. That’s the thing with social media. Nobody knows what they’re doing.” – Cameron Dallas
I quit social media and I’m not going back. Leaving social media changed me so much in such a short time, that I had no idea. From traveling, to self-discovery, meeting new people, and reconnecting with friends that really matter, I’ve grown.
I’m not going to lie; I still have so much to learn. But this is what makes life exciting. Staying on social media felt like living inside a box. I wanted more than just texting friends through Facebook messenger, traveling to places by googling places, and defining my worth by the number of likes I get. I wanted to reach out to people and see more of this world and know who I am on the inside. Loving myself was a journey, which helped me spread love to those around me, like my family, friends, and others.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, you name it, I was passionate about it all. It made me feel like I was at least someone in this big world. However, I wanted to find myself without letting social media define me. Part of me wanted to go back to my old roots where I was home-grown. How my loved ones raised me and turned that into my real identity for this world. That’s who I wanted to be, not what society wanted me to be.
Being a part of social media only left me overwhelmed, insecure, and imbalanced. But God is so amazing, you don’t know when he gives miracles and turns your life around. Sometimes, you just have to let it go if you feel this way, and trust in him and his plans. Letting go of social media has left me refreshed, energized, and wiser.
Here are five ways I motivated myself by taking a break from social media:
1. Face-to-face interaction and Meaningful Relationships
Human connection is really important. To be able to communicate with people face-to-face allows you to grow. Meeting people opens your mind and heart. You gain compassion and more understanding of the world around you. You strive to reach out to others and give them a part of you that you worked hard to build. In general, people can genuinely see you, as you.
Face-face-interaction…It’s worth it. And even if it’s a bad experience sometimes, it makes you stronger. Nothing breaks you, because it shapes you. And you just have more stories to share.
Spending time with those that matter the most in your life is the best feeling you can get. That is, those that make an effort to stay in your life and love you. Whoever they are. It makes you realize who you really are. A person filled with worth because of the people around you. At the end of the day, it’s these people that love you and will never leave your side.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have your family by your side, then you do have someone. Whether it is a friend or yourself, don’t forget that God is with you in your journey and has a plan for you.
2. Better sleep
Ever feel wide awake after staring at your cell phone before going to bed? I’ve been there. Doing this affects your sleep cycle, therefore, managing the time you use your computer and cell phone is the best option.
Set a routine where you go to bed at a particular time and you use the computer for the day for thirty minutes or so. Take breaks. But remember; give time to your body. Exercise, do some yoga, sing a song, or write in your journal. This proves you to have way better sleep. It makes your mind happy, and it’s the happiest people that can sleep.
3. Self-image
As you are sitting less all day, this gives you a more active and healthier lifestyle. Your image is no longer what you see, but who you are on the inside. You practice looking at the mirror every day and remind yourself that you are full, blessed, and worthy of attention and love. You embrace all your imperfections and flaws that you begin to glow.
It’s that simple. Just by loving all God made you be. So don’t just love yourself with make-up on. Make-up is art. It’s to make you feel magical and bring confidence. But the confidence is only temporary. True confidence isn’t always from the clothes you wear, or the acne you cover up on your skin. True confidence is knowing how you’re raised and what brings the best out of you.
Ever mess up like me when you do art? I do. And imperfection my friend is beauty.
4. Awareness
Take a deep breath. I know that you really want to go on Facebook right now and see who liked your posts.
You want to see the people who liked it and think about the people that didn’t. You want to post another picture of yourself on Instagram and bombard your wall with yourself so people will think you really changed. You want to see who shared your post on Twitter. But does it matter really?
True change comes from the awareness of what is going on around you. It’s recognizing your blessings and changing the way you receive your blessings. Positivity, determination, and dedication are true changes.
I don’t mean to hurt anybody if they really love social media. I totally get the feeling because I’m someone who did many great things on social media from creating pages like Anti-bullying and organizations on Facebook, singing and reciting poems on Youtube, posting selfies on Instagram, and sharing my writing on Twitter. However, despite how awesome it can be to connect with others virtually, it can be toxic in many ways as well. Just like there is light in the world, you will also see darkness. Sometimes, you need a change in your life and to shift your perspective before you get back to your usual life and day-to-day routine. You will come back stronger, stronger than ever.