About a month ago, I did something a little crazy: I deleted the Facebook app from my phone. Not only that, but I also installed a Chrome extension on my computer that prevents my newsfeed from showing up when I visit the Facebook website.
So what inspired this Facebook fast? The truth is, my brain was tired. And overloaded with information. And sick of negativity. Despite having experienced those feelings for months (years?), I still found myself scrolling endlessly far too often, and I knew it had to stop.
I went cold turkey, and started feeling the positive effects almost immediately. It’s amazing how much less “busy” my mind feels, not having all of that additional input every day. This might sound a little over the top, but life seems to move at a slower pace (in a good way) now that I’m not consuming so many bits and pieces of others’ lives.
There are things I miss about scrolling Facebook, like seeing my friends’ good news, birthday reminders, and being in the loop of life in general, but I don’t miss those things enough to jump back in.
I’m not sure how long my Facebook fast will last, though I will say that when I do decide to reinstall it on my phone, I won’t be addicted to scrolling like I once was. I still check Instagram regularly, but even the urge to do that has decreased significantly over the last month.
Instead, I’m reading books on my Kindle app, tackling projects around my house, playing with my kids more, and focusing on work tasks that I enjoy. It really does feel like I have more time in my day, and I’m using it much more mindfully than ever.
I think Facebook is a great tool (for the most part) and I still post there on occasion, but in this season of my life, I’m enjoying the breather. Have you ever tried a Facebook fast, or taken a break from social media in general? I would be very interested to hear others’ experiences, and how they played out in the long run.
