In the age of social media, it’s VERY easy to start comparing yourself to other people and feeling inadequate when sometimes all you see on social media are lavish vacations, fitness sculpted bodies, and little blips that make someone’s life look like a magazine. 

Taking a “digital detox” can sometimes be very necessary to protect your own mental health. 

Signs you need a digital detox: 

• You start comparing your life to someone else’s

• The number of likes on a post have the ability to make you feel amazing or super lousy

• You’re glued to your phone and have anxiety when you don’t have it right next to you 

• You can’t stop yourself from checking social media, even when you have a busy day

• You feel like you HAVE to text someone back immediately or they will be mad at you or something bad will happen

• You struggle to get daily tasks done because you are so distracted 

• You have trouble sleeping at night because you are too busy scrolling on your phone 

A digital detox doesn’t mean you need to throw your phone in the ocean *tbt to putting your phone in a bag of rice*, or something equally as dramatic. Having scheduled times that you aren’t glued to your phone can have a huge benefit on your mental and physical health! 

Tips to digital detox: 

• Schedule time to unplug. Set an alarm and put your phone on Do Not Disturb. If you are counting down the minutes until your alarm goes off, this is a serious sign that a digital detox is going to be beneficial. 

• Turn off notifications. If you don’t want to be glued to Instagram all day, turn off your Instagram notifications. This will help you avoid opening your phone to make a call, and instead getting pulled into Instagram from your notifications. 

• Download an app to track your phone usage. Some apps will even lock you out of social media or other apps to ensure you don’t get distracted. It’s up to you how serious you want to be with your detox. 

• Turn off your phone and get a workout in: take a group class, go to yoga, take a walk outside, just do some kind of movement! 

Unplugging doesn't have to be a forever thing, but taking some much needed time off can do wonders for your psyche.