3 lessons I learnt from taking time off Instagram
My screen time used to be dominated by Instagram. Who knew it was possible to spend (*cough* waste) so much time doing something that was negatively impacting me? I was spending nights endlessly scrolling through content that was making me feel insecure, anxious and kept me up when I should have been asleep.
Finally, I decided enough was enough, it was time for me and Instagram to go on a break. And it was great! Spoiler: I have since re-downloaded the app and have a much healthier relationship with it than I did before.
Here are 3 lessons I learnt from taking some time off Instagram:
My life is good enough
Scrolling through Instagram for hours daily and seeing people my age, or even younger than me, living in luxury, holidaying and constantly buying new designer items was deflating.
Although I was succeeding at my 9-5 job, working out and taking care of my body, and content with my relationships, Instagram was convincing me this wasn’t good enough because I wasn’t making 6 figures, spending my whole day in the gym or getting proposed to.
Taking time away from Instagram made me so much more grateful for the life I have. It is easy to forget that Instagram often only shows us the very best bits of a person's life, not the bad days, struggles or non-aesthetic parts of everyday life (do you think influencers don’t have to do washing or clean dishes? They definitely do, they just don’t show you!).
By being present in my own life and not having any (impossible) standards to compare my day to, I was able to appreciate my life much more and realise that it is good enough because it makes me happy, and that is the most important thing!
Even now that I have got Instagram back, I limit the time I spend on the app and try not to get caught up in what other people are doing or achieving because I know I am on the right path for myself. It is important to remember that we are all on our own journey in life, starting with different resources and having different end goals than everybody else.
Confidence is key
When I wasn’t spending time comparing myself to everyone else (and the edited version of themselves they portray on Instagram), I was able to reflect on all of the things I like about myself. I started looking in the mirror and liking what I saw, realising my self-worth and becoming more confident about myself.
When you are constantly comparing yourself to others and putting yourself down because of this, your confidence can take a real knock. Taking that step back and learning to love the things about myself I had previously compared to other people, I was able to feel more confident in my own skin.
Deleting Instagram also decreased my need for external validation from other people liking my pictures, which has taught me that I don’t need anyone else's approval as I am enough the way I am.
Since re-downloading Instagram, I am confident enough in myself to no longer compare my looks to others’, and I can appreciate that I am unique and beautiful in my own way, and I don’t need anyone else's ‘likes’ to prove this. This mindset shift has really improved my mental health.
The importance of doing things we actually enjoy
By not spending hours (and hours) of my day mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, I found that I had time to spend doing things I actually enjoy, like starting this blog!
Coming off Instagram, I felt energised and productive, wanting to fill my newfound spare time with activities that I was passionate about such as reading and writing. Having the time to spend on things that were enjoyable (rather than depressing) and adding value to my life made me feel more fulfilled and content.
Having hobbies IRL rather than doing things just for the sake of getting a pic for The Gram can help nurture your creativity and you could even turn your passion into a money-making side hustle with all the spare time you will have on your hands.
Final thoughts
Overall, taking a few months off Instagram has worked wonders for my self-worth, confidence and creativity.
Whilst I don’t think you need to come off Instagram completely, forever, I do think taking a break (whether for a few days or a few months) can be really beneficial to work on yourself, become more confident and nurture your passions. When I came back after my break, I found that my relationship with Instagram was different.
I wasn’t inclined to spend my whole day scrolling, comparing myself to others and generally feeling low. Instead, I was able to spend a couple of minutes a day scrolling through and catching up with what people were up to but then swiftly put my phone down to do something of value - like write this blog post! Would you consider taking a break from Instagram?
I would definitely recommend it.
