Why I Take Regular Social Media Breaks For My Mental Health

Today I deactivated my social media accounts. This is not the first time I’ve deactivated my accounts and I’m sure it certainly won’t be the last.

You see, I have an addictive personality and when I like something I can go a bit overboard with it.

I’ve tried to quit social media many times in the past, but I’ve always been drawn back to it.

The main reasons I’ve stayed or returned to social media are for my friends, my family, blog readers, and for the two people other than my husband who comments something nice on my posts.

I love to feel like I’m making a positive impact in someone’s life and encouraging them in some way.

But when I scroll through social media for an extended period, I usually feel pretty bad after. I feel like I’ve wasted hours of my life scrolling into oblivion, refreshing my feed, and obsessing over the aesthetic of my own profile.

I feel anxious about the bad news I see, frustrated by the lack of reach my content receives from the algorithm, and I feel annoyed by just about everyone doing the latest dance to a song that has nothing to do with the captions swarming around their heads.

It’s not them, it’s me.

I know you may be thinking “just don’t scroll, just post your content and get off.” Well, if you use social media and you’re honest with yourself, you know it’s not that simple.

As human beings, we are naturally curious and crave connection. These social media platforms make it really hard to just post and get off. Not many people can ignore the red hearts, likes, or message notifications they receive when they open the app, and I’m no different.

Check out the movie The Social Dilemma, it talks all about the psychology of social media from the perspective of the app developers and it’s actually quite scary.

I tell my kids to take a break from their social media all the time for this very reason, and as an adult and a parent, I believe it’s important to practice what I preach.

I’ve found that my mental well-being is negatively impacted by social media when I use it regularly and I’ve decided to put my mental health first and finally break this addictive cycle I’ve been on for good. Because it’s just not worth it.

My personal faith has always been important to me and guiding star in my life.

So, as I reflected on making the decision to take regular social media breaks, a few Bible verses came to mind. I found encouragement in them and I plan to refer to often:

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” —1 Corinthians 6:12

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” —Romans 7:15

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” —1 Corinthians 10:13

I believe the thoughts and truths in those verses will be helpful to me.

I know that being off social media helps me to be more present, focused, and productive and I have more time to focus on the things and people that are most important to me.

I believe God can lead the people to me who need encouragement and to hear my story through my website and in person—and that’s what I desire the most.

Is there an addiction or toxic cycle in your life that you’ve been struggling with? Maybe even social media.

If so, I hope you will be set free from it—starting today!

About the Author: Ivanna Baron hopes that by sharing her story and experiences she will help and encourage others. You can find out more about her on her website: Ivanna Baron.