30-Day Instagram Detox: What I’ve Learned

Posted bykae. | Hello City GirlPosted inlifestyle, mental health, Uncategorized, wellnessTags:, , , , , ,

Every several months I do a 30-day detox on things that consume most of my time and sanity. Usually it is social media. Ever since quarantine started, I find myself dwelling on Instagram for longer hours everyday. Afterall, there are just so many ‘challenges’ to do! But it came to a point where it starts to drain my mental health. What’s worse is most of the time I’m just aimlessly looking through people’s stories, celebrities’ posts, and random comments on memes – so I can kill time.

This is crazy because there are many things I’ve always wanted to do but have no time for. Now that I get more time as I wished, I’m wasting it?

I don’t want to look back at my quarantine and realize all I did were Instagram challenges. (some were fun though I’ll give you that, S/O to whoever came up with the random tomato drawing one) I want to look back and feel proud of how much I’ve accomplished by taking advantage of the time available now.

To add another negative to the mix, Instagram was starting to eat up my confidence (again). Comparing myself with others is a habit I’ve been consciously trying to break, and going into lockdown with my phone doesn’t help.

So I’ve decided…IT IS TIME (dun dun dunnnn), to do a 30-day Instagram detox.

*Detox began back in April*

At the beginning

The first few days were tough. I was so used to checking my phone when I have nothing to do. What am I supposed to do now to fill time?! I find myself fidgeting around aimlessly and browsing Youtube nonstop. Then I realize…wait a min, this defeats the whole point of the detox. If I am going to delete Instagram just so I can spend more time on Youtube, what’s the difference?! Nothing changed. So by day 4, I decided to sit down and write a list of what I’ve always wanted to do. I want to tackle some of these things on the list with this ‘new time’ given back to me.

Turning point

Man oh man…just like that, this list has turned my detox into some of the most productive weeks I’ve had during quarantine. Whenever I have time to “kill”, I go back to my list and see is there anything my mind feels like doing.

Here are what I’ve ended up accomplishing during the detox:

  • Picked up a new skill!
    I finally learned how to crochet, and have finished a few projects!
  • Improved my existing skills!
    I started using Skillshare and took 9 classes! They were mostly illustrator and drawing classes cause I want to get better at that.
  • Finished something undone!
    I completed my 1000-pc puzzle, finally.
  • Organized my trips into photobooks!
    My friend inspired me to make a photobook for each of my vacation a while back. I’ve been waiting to do it because it’s easy, fun, and a cute way to document all your travels. So…I ended up making 6 in just a few weeks hahah. They are being shipped right now so I will update this post with a photo later.
  • More brain-dump journal pages, more self-reflection!
    I do self-reflection mostly through brain-dump journaling. I use question prompts like “what does my dream life look like?” as well as list prompts like “things I want to accomplish in my 20s”. I also do diary pages and write whatever is in my head, to get everything out and in the open.

Coming out of it

I am SO glad I did this 30-day detox, I needed it. I’m now more at ease, and my head feels less heavy if that makes sense. I also feel more productive, which in turn puts me in a better mood throughout the days.

In terms of Instagram itself, I actually don’t crave it anymore. In fact, I forgot my last day of detox has passed and continued with it because I didn’t miss it that much. (I only got more detached as the detox pass though, the first few days I felt like an addict)

I find that social media is like sugar. The more you consume it the more you crave it. But the moment you stop yourself from consuming, you’ll realize you actually don’t need it that much. It might’ve done more bad than good (not always of course). There are benefits to social media for sure such as seeing inspiring and empowering content and easy connections with friends. But I think we have to be cautious of how much time we give it – what is the right amount, and when is it too much for you to handle.

To conclude – I encourage everyone to do a detox once in a while! It doesn’t have to be 30-days, it can be 2 weeks, or even just 3 days.

Please comment below to share your take on social media. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

♥ I opened an Etsy shop! Come visit @DaiseeStudio ♥

53 thoughts on “30-Day Instagram Detox: What I’ve Learned”

      1. You’re welcome. I think the Etsy market is hard to break into (I briefly attempted it but didn’t follow through), but I think it’s similar to social media, many sellers buy from each other, interact and build their platform. I liked the colors you chose too.

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      2. Blue and white is the coziest colour combo I think! I use that for lots of things haha.

        Oh interesting, sounds like its own community. Definitely will be dedicating my time on the blog first before even considering Etsy then. WordPress alone takes up a lot of my time.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. That crochet bag of yours omg 🤩 Also, you’re so totally right – comparing social media to sugar. I’ve tried social media detoxes several times but I think where I go wrong is that I don’t find out other ways to fill up all that free time. Will keep that in mind the next time I try it. I did find an alternative to uninstalling Instagram which I was happy to see was sustainable in the long run. I just I unfollowed every single person I hadn’t met in a over a year. That way I unfollowed 500 people (most of them from school and college) and found scrolling through Instagram a much more positive experience. I’m sure that only worked cos my main issue with the app was how shit it made me feel about my life when I kept comparing it to the lives of others – people I honestly didn’t even care about.

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    1. Haha thanks!! That crochet bag took me FOREVER, but it’s worth it. We tried to use that for groceries now instead of plastic bags.

      I did the same thing the first few days too, didn’t plan out what to do. Next time we shall make our list before we start the detox 😂

      Wuuuu unfollowing that’s a good one! I feel you on that. It’s very true…why are we comparing ourselves with people that aren’t important or not even role models we look up to. I think the right amount and right accounts can be motivating, but too much can be toxic.

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      1. Yes plastic sucks! And honestly this is so much more prettier too 💕

        Oh ahaha yes considering the fact that I LOVE making lists, I should definitely keep this in mind next time. Thank you xoxo

        Balance is key, always. Sounds simple but pretty hard to figure out in life. We can try tho definitely 🌠

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  4. Lovely! I’ve recently stopped crocheting because I’ve been sneezing a lot lately whenever I roll out my yarns, and I don’t why. Please know that you inspired me to roll them out today! Love this post! ❤️

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    1. Ohhh that’s weird! I wonder if you’ve developed a new allergy or something. (I randomly developed a cherry allergy last year). Hahahah awww thank you!! I’m glad you enjoyed this, and was inspired by my beginner crochet skills hahaha 💕

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      1. I was thinking of that too, it only appeared when the dry season in my country started and we began having an overwhelmingly good amount of dust in the air. It was my pleasure reading, you’re welcome! ❤️

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  5. That was super interesting to read and inspired me a lot to do my own detox! I don’t feel like Instagram or social media in general are eating up my confidence but I always feel bad after a useless session of mindless scrolling through things. I also have so many things I always want to do but have “no time” for. Maybe I just need to prioritise more! Thanks a lot for sharing your very interesting experience!

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    1. Yessss I’m glad the post was motivating!! Highly encourage to give this try, even if it’s just a week! But I would suggest making a “to-do list 💪” before you start, unlike me doing it a few days in 😂 Yeah, sometimes it’s the scrolling that’s mentally draining. Then you look back and wonder where did the time go?!

      Glad you enjoyed reading this!! 💕

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  7. Social media is what I use to support and inspire others especially struggling mompreneurs during this tough time. I have actually developed a renewed passion for drawing again and picking up Japanese too!

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    1. That’s awesome you’re using social media with such great intent!

      Me too! I have been doodling a lot. I find it very soothing, it’s therapeutic especially for times like now. And picking up a new language that’s a good one! I’ve been wanting to learn Japanese as well, maybe I’ll add that to the list too!

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  9. Thank you so much for sharing this! It sounds like you truly made the most out of the detox and wow, I’m amazed at what you did with crochet! 😍 I’m not too much of an Instagram addict but I do find myself scrolling through it aimlessly whenever I feel bored! One thing I did to do this less, is that I moved the Instagram icon as far as I could on my phone’s screen. When I want to access Instagram, I have to go through all of my phone and, usually, it’s enough to refrain me from opening the app 😂

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    1. Yeahh, I think this detox worked out much better than I anticipated haha (except for the first few days 😂) Thank you!! Crocheting those babies took a while especially the bag, but I’m proud of how they turned out! Hahah that is actually such a smart idea 😂 Love it. I’ll put it on my 3rd page and see how that goes!

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  10. Omg, this post reminded me of my temporarily deactivated Instagram account. It’s been two months already and I’ve gotten detached to it as well. 😅 It feels so good not comparing myself to the highlights of the people I follow.

    Btw, I’m happy that you picked up a new skill and it’s super lovely that it doesn’t look like it’s your first time making it! Wow! 😍 You’re doing a lot of interesting things and now, I’m inspired to make the most out of this free time. 💗

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    1. Yesss I know what you mean! Instagram can be a blackhole sometimes, it can suck your soul right into it.

      Aw thank you!! Haha I’m honestly surprised with how the crochets turned out. Much better than anticipated 😂 I’m glad this post motivated you! Highly recommend to write a list and tackle a few things during quarantine 💪

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  12. You are so brave to do a 30-day detox!! I still haven’t even tried once because I don’t think I’ll be able too. You’ve inspired me to consider maybe a 3 days detox😅 And the photo album sounds like an amazing idea, looking forward to seeing the outcome ☺️

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    1. Hahahha it’s a scary commitment. The first few days I thought “ugh why am I doing this to myself?!” 😂 But worth it. Yeah try it out for a few days! I think short detox can still be very beneficial!

      Yeahhh, the photobook idea is a gamechanger. I highly recommend! I’m excited to see how the physical books turn out as well 🙊

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  13. Wow, 30 days without Instagram. The longest I’ve survived without the gram is 5 days!
    I have been wasting a lot of my lockdown time on Instagram too. Might be time for a detox.
    Love the crochet items!

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    1. Haha 5 days is pretty good! Most of my friends have only survived without it for 5 hours at most 😂

      Yes highly recommend a detox if it’s eating up your time. First few days will suck, but it’ll be great by the end haha. And thank you 💕!!

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  15. Hiiii! I just checked out a few of your blog posts and I feel like we are quite similar! AHAHAHAH. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts! I really enjoy yours as well. Instagram/social media can really eat a lot of our time if we’re not careful. I think our generation is so used to comparing our lives with the highlights of others. Thanks for sharing!!

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  17. I’m presently observing facebook and instagram detox and I must say that I’m connecting to myself better.
    Besides, I’d love your crocheting works. It’s lovely. 👏💓

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  22. I always love seeing people who are able to do a social media detox. When I still had social media (I do not anymore and I will soon publish a post in collaboration with Carla from the blog I Can’t Wink about that), it used to consume so much of my time. As someone who loves reading so much, I felt like I had almost no time left to spend with my books. As I know how hard a detox can get, I am really happy you managed to do that and I wish you the best !

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    1. Wuuu! I’ll keep an eye out for your collab post. I love reading about social media related experiences and I love Carla’s blog! Yeah I feel you on that. I barely have time to do anything worthy after scrolling through IG, it’s really unproductive. Thank you 💛💛!!

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  23. I’m happy to see the beautiful things you’d made out of your IG detox. Conversely, I made another IG account/page during the quarantine and made it my very first (hopefully the only and last) law school studygram. In a way, it helped me be more accountable of my studies and allowed me to find good study buddies in the process.

    May you have a great and healthful Yuletide Season ahead!

    – tina (https://totetallylegal.com/)

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