Every January, I make a vow to do an Instagram detox. In the last couple of years, I would usually last just one week. This 2019, I have decided to stay off Instagram for a month.
I announce this commitment every January to my newsletter subscribers. I then proceed to hide the app so it’s not easily accessible on my phone. The temptation is within reach but I’m also seeing if I have enough emotional intelligence to resist. For the past 15 days, I have.
The gifts of the Instagram detox are many. I have more time—to read books, to study how to be a better coach, to write, to Konmari my closets, to map out and execute my business ideas, to serve my clients. Instead of scrolling, I meditate and exercise. During the first week, I would find myself wondering what my Instagram “friends” are doing until I realized that we weren’t even acquaintances in real life (hello, Gwyneth, Aimee Song and Susannah Conway). I then decided to check in more regularly with my true friends. I have rediscovered the deliciousness of blogs, of long-form articles that are well-thought-out and well-written, that are not captions. I have also gotten bored and with that boredom came creativity. I’m also savoring the small moments of living, without bothering to take a photo and checking whether they are worthy of likes.
Instagram is also my main business-building tool. At first, I was apprehensive that business would slow down because I was off it. I’m finding that this is the best January my business has ever experienced with more Discovery Sessions and paying clients compared to the past.
When I decide to join Instagram again in February, may I use it thoughtfully, capitalizing on its benefits of connection to the bigger world that I’m interested in (I’m missing my knitting, fashion and books content), without forgetting the gifts of this time off the app.
Have you ever done a social media detox? What was the experience like for you?
