Do You Need A Social Media Detox? Find Out How It Is Going To Help You

Social media detox can reduce your overall stress and anxiety

Benefits of social media detox: Social media is much more than what it was when it started gaining prominence. Something which began as a means to connect with people at ease, became a means of depression and anxiety. Not many can deny being affected by seeing their friends' or colleagues or any other acquaintance's life on social media. Studies have found social media to be a cause of depression in adolescents, teenagers and adults. This is precisely the reason why there is a need for social media detox, every now and then. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho often asks his followers to do a social media detox as it helps in improving their mental stability, regulates sleep cycle and much more.

Social media detox benefits: Here's why you need it

In one of his recent posts on Instagram, Luke talks about the use of filters, and how people use filters to create a fake virtual world. "Filters may have to be used for advertisements, etc but when one starts using filters to make their original picture look better, this can become extremely destructive. It's like the old saying, small lies that we keep telling others or ourselves eventually become our truths, this is because our subconscious mind begins to believe it to be true," he writes in his post.

Luke is trying to emphasise on the importance of accepting yourself and being fine with who you are in reality. Lack of self-worth, low self-confidence, low self-esteem, anxiety, insecurity and much more.

Excessive use of social media can reduce your self confidence and self worth
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Also read: Use Of Multiple Social Media Platforms Linked To Depression: Everything You Should Know

Top reasons why you need a social media detox:

1. It makes room for comparisons: The more time you spend on social media, you see more and more of people's lives, compare your life with theirs and begin to feel miserable. This leads to insecurity and low self-worth.

2. It robs you of your identity: Someone who spends a lot of time on social media is likely to do what others are doing for more likes. This blinds you of your own likes and dislikes and robs you of your identity, feels Luke.

3. You seek validation from social media: Lack of self-confidence makes you wait for likes and comments on the posts you make. While as humans everyone craves for attention and appreciation, it is better you get the same from real world. This is because any negative comments or dislikes can hurt you, and ruin your mood for days, weeks, even months.

4. Information overload: Social media provides you with more information than you need and this does more harm than good. Overload of information makes room for gossip, negativity and unnecessary stress.

Also read: Stress Management: 5 Simple Ways To Reduce Stress At Work

5. You lose connection with people in real time: How often have you experienced someone's online personality being completely different from someone's offline personality? Well, it is because people actually find it easier to express their emotions in front of a screen rather in real life. If you face difficulty in interacting with people face-to-face, it's time to take go for a social media detox as the joy of connecting in reality is much more than connecting in the virtual world.

Too much social media makes you lose connection with people in the real world
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How to do social media detox?

Social media detox can be done by restricting its use on your off days or by restricting its use to a few hours in a day. Every day, you can stop using social media the minute you reach home or when you are done with your work. You can also uninstall social media apps from your phone and see how it works for you.

Also read: This Simple Thing Can Help Boost Your Mood And Cut Down Your Stress! Even Better It Is Free Of Cost

Benefits of social media detox

In his blog, Luke mentions that he began with his social media detox on Saturday around 11 am. He continued to stay active on Whatsapp and email, which he said he checked only once in 26 hours, but was off Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms completely.

According to his experience, following are the ways social media detox can benefit you:

1. You get better quality, deep sleep

2. You experience lesser stress

3. You feel more energetic

4. You get time to introspect, feel gratitude

5. You spend time with your family and friend without any distraction

6. Social media detox makes you gain time, and this has its own health benefits for people who have spent years living in a packed schedule

7. It makes you feel lighter mentally

Social media detox can help you feel lighter mentally
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Begin your social media detox on just Sundays and eventually do more of it as you get comfortable. While the platform comes with their own benefits of connecting with people, running businesses and much more, affecting your personal life because of it is worthless.

(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.