Aloe Bud

Social media can and is overwhelming, not only on the eyes from staring at a bright screen for so long, but also on a person’s mental and emotional health. Social media is everything now and you can do so much with the power and access that people have. You can find jobs, you can find potential romantic partners, you can also find help people who will help in your time of need, but most importantly you can find friends.

Of course, one of the main things social media has assisted with is activism. Social media has propelled some of the biggest movements we see today, for example, the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The #BlackLivesMatter movement is one of the biggest movements I have ever seen and social media did play a part in the movements rise to public view. Social media allows for people to educate themselves on various issues and connect with others who also align with their activism, but sometimes social media can take a toll on you. Sometimes social media is draining, it’s heavy like a brick sitting on your chest. With the accessibility that social media provides, there is also online abuse and the invasion of privacy. Also, if you’re like me, there’s the never ending stories, pictures, and videos of injustices that you want to fix.

Social media has given the ability to people to be activists and do what they love, which is assisting and fighting for the communities who are silenced or forgotten by the majority. But even as an activist, you must take time away from social media and sometimes from the negativity and harshness of the world to give yourself a chance to breath and recoup.

Below are a couple of ways of how you can take a break from social media and what you can do during that time instead.

Yoga

I know, I know yoga is a very basic example and is given to everyone when they would like to de-stress, but yoga is extremely beneficial in assisting you to calm your mind creating for a better mental state. Yoga, from what I have experienced, is financially not as accessible to working class individuals or families. However, you can do yoga at home. There are various yoga instructors as well as YouTube channels specifically focused on yoga that would allow for you to receive the same benefits you would be able to receive through a studio.

The Huffington Post wrote an article last year listing a few YouTubers to check out for yoga, but I urge you not to stop there and to continue to search for an instructor or class, online or in-person, that you like that makes you feel comfortable.

Delete Your Apps

Delete your social media apps. A lot of my friends do this when they want to disconnect and de-stress. They simply delete all of their social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. and spend the free time they would have spent on social media doing other things, like cooking. It can be hard to take a break from social media if you still see the apps when you use your phone. Seeing them could make it harder to resist checking what’s going on. If you’re worried the temptation would be too great, deleting the apps is best.

Find Something New

Once you are able to completely disconnect from social media, now is the perfect time for you to find something new you like to do. Maybe you’ve been looking at a new recipe, wanting to write a new article, or learn something new. During this time of being disconnected from social media, just spend time focusing on yourself and the people you care about most, versus what’s going on in the world.

One of the main reasons you want to disconnect from social media is because of the mental and emotional turmoil it may cause, so once you decide you will disconnect try not to focus on what may be happening when you’re not looking at Twitter.