Retreating from Social Media to Reduce Stress

Going dark on social media seems sometimes like the person doing it is punishing those around them for being a distraction or for disagreeing with what they do. However, it is actually healthy to disconnect every once in a while, and allow yourself to fully experience the range of your surroundings without having technology distracting you from the world around you.

 

To unplug can be a very rehabilitating experience. We are sometimes so consumed by our negative situations that we are unable to focus on the things that matter most to us. When that becomes an issue, one of the best ways to resolve it is to allow ourselves the opportunity to disengage from raining sources without feeling obligated to give more to others than we are able to do comfortably.

 

Social media can often be a draining experience for us. We are forced to compare our lives to the lives of other people who may have had more opportunities and who have accumulated more wealth. However, studies have proven that there is no faster way to low self-esteem than to compare ourselves to other people. 

 

It is a mentally, emotionally, and physically draining experience. We envy those around us even if we try to tell ourselves that we are happy for their success. And in fact, the fastest way to reduce stress can be to actually accept that everybody leads different lives and has different opportunities and try to find some genuine peace in knowing this. If you can do your best to be happy for other people and their successes rather than comparing their lives to the ways you feel you are failing or have failed, then this will reduce a huge burden of stress from your shoulders. 

 

Sometimes, it can also just be refreshing to be away from social media drama. People are constantly putting their opinions out there for the world to see, inviting and sometimes even provoking heated conversations about controversial topics. Politics, religion, and other personal issues can be flaunted and trumpeted, causing major stress for people who are simply hoping to catch up with the people in their lives they may have lost touch with. 

 

We can be reminded of all the things that we wish we had and that we are aspiring toward. It is discouraging at times to find yourself caught in a cycle of wishing for more than what is currently possible, or assuming that other people in your life are better off than you are or may ever be. But that is a trap that is perpetuated by social media, where everybody puts their best faces forward and is selective about the details they put online. Then again, some people put all their dirty laundry out there, and that can be stressful too!

 

In either case, avoiding social media for a few days can be a great way to recharge and limiting your time on these networks can be a good trick to keep in mind for those days you need to destress and recharge!