Bringing mindfulness to social media use

Is social media adding to your life? Or is it bringing you down?

In the last few months of 2022, I decided to take some time off social media.

It started by reflecting on my relationship with it and noticing that I didn’t feel very good after a session on Facebook or Instagram.

As I began to intentionally share less frequently on my personal channels, just to see how it might feel, I noticed fears coming up:

Am I going to “miss out”? Will I be bored? Will I feel disconnected? What if I really DO need the validation that comes with all those heart emojis?

As it turns out, I don’t miss it at all. What’s more: I’m living more in the moment and connecting on more fulfilling levels with the people in my life.

Throughout the early stages of this journey, I’m already seeing less and less use for social media in my personal life. When I log on, it feels increasingly overwhelming, spammy, and fake. And this time of year especially, we are totally bombarded with messaging to buy, consume, shop, save — all the ways to purchase our way to happier lives.

So I’m (mostly) logging off social media for December 2022. I’m not creating a zero-strike policy for myself, because I do love connecting with loved ones and adjusting habits calls for gentleness. When I do choose to use social media this month, I’ll use it to intentionally connect, discover what brings me joy, and get really clear about what I like and find useful in the social digi-sphere. 

Your attention is precious.

I don’t want to contribute to the noise of consumerism and distraction — plus I’m really enjoying my own recalibration. So as I step away from posting on social media this month, here are my intentions:

  • To opt out of contributing to the holiday season clutter.
  • To give you some space during this busy time and support your wellness. I created a free resource to help with this! Scroll down. 🙂 
  • Allow you to see more updates from friends and family on your feed!
  • And, for myself, to take a step back, spend time with my family, and enjoy the 3D world.

Inspired by my own discoveries, I created a Social Media Mindfulness Journal for you!

Maybe you don’t want or need to completely log off for a month but you’re ready to notice your social media habits and be more intentional about your use. I created a new downloadable resource tool just for you! This journal template will help you:

  • Track your social media usage in a simple, non-judgemental way
  • Notice how much time you’re spending online, what you are looking at, and how you got there
  • Take note of how you feel after using social media 
  • And use journal reflections to bring self-compassion to your habits.

The goal is to simply notice your habits with mindful awareness, so you can be more intentional about your social media use. Focus on reflection, not judgment.

You might try this journal for a week or the whole month; any amount of time you spend on mindful reflection is something to be proud of.

If you find this resource helpful, consider buying me a chocolate bar! I love making digital wellness tools free and available for everyone, and your support means so much.