It’s wild to think that social media is only 25 years old. Humanity has existed for thousands of years without it, and I believe it has singlehandedly transformed our culture and world more than anything in human history. While there are countless benefits to using it, it has come with many negative consequences. As I write in my book, Social Media Reset, social media is a world we weren’t designed to live in, and it’s making many of us (especially girls and women) mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally unwell.
We all know the negative effects comparison and endless scrolling have on us, but what are we going to do about it? Taking a social media break has endless benefits and might be the reset your mind, heart, and soul needs.
Here are fifteen benefits that taking a social media break or reset has on us mentally, spiritually, and physically:
Mental Benefits
1. Reduces anxiety, depression, body image, and eating issues
Social media doesn’t just correlate with unnecessary mental health issues, it causes it (as supported by Jonathan Haidt and the research he shares his book “The Anxious Generations”). Stepping away improves mental health, contentment, peace, joy, improves body image, and self-confidence.
2. Reduces stress and improves sleep
There are numerous reasons social media increases stress. One cause is that knowing the daily ins and outs of thousands of people as well as global turmoil is too much for minds and souls to handle. Stepping away also improves sleep because it protects us from the harms of blue light.
3. Calms your brain and resets its pathways
A social media break allows your brain to heal from overstimulation, information overload, stress, and mental fragmentation.
4. Improves focus and productivity
Gives your mind the ability to focus better and allows you to be more productive. Provides your mind with the space to be more creative and think more clearly.
5. Improves creativity and clear thinking
Gives us the mental space to have original thoughts and ideas. It leads to clearer thinking because we’re not consumed by the voices, opinions, and lives of others.
Spiritual Benefits
1. Deepens our relationship with God
Gives us more space for prayer, reading scripture, silence, and solitude, which allows us to better hear God’s voice and brings us closer to Him.
2. Helps us know God’s purpose for our lives
Allows us to be more focused on the beauty of our owns lives and discover and walk in the unique purpose God has for us.
3. Encourages us to rest
Allow us to experience intentional rest and helps us trust in God more. This mirrors the benefits of having a weekly Sabbath, or day off.
4. Helps us be more aware of the beauty around us
When we’re not staring at our phones, we look up more at the beauty of what God has made, which increases peace, joy, and gratitude.
5. Helps us worship God more
Social media can lead us to be consumed by the lives of other people and even make us idolize them. Unplugging fixes our attention more to God and His goodness and loving character.
Emotional Benefits
1. Promotes in-person connection and community
Allows us to focus on building connection with other people in real life, rather than through surface level online relationships.
2. Improves self-confidence
Decreases social comparisons and makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives.
3. Helps us live in the present moment
Enables us to be more present with other people and our own lives. Keeps us from being distracted and disconnected from ourselves, the beauty of the present moment, and the people and things we care about.
4. Cultivates gratitude and joy
Allows us to be more thankful for the gifts in our lives instead of focusing on other people, which increases satisfaction and the quality of our lives.
5. Improves emotional stability
Gives us a break from photos, voices, and sounds, that can trigger unpleasant emotions. Protects us from taking on emotions of others.
I hope this makes a strong case for taking a social media break and inspires you to grab a copy of my book Social Media Reset: A 30-Day Guided Journey to Unplug, Reconnect with God, and Reclaim Your Joy. I know you will find the benefits life-giving and help you experience more joy, peace, vibrant mental, spiritual, emotional, and relational wellness. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
