I have a confession:

I LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA

I love how easy it is to be connected to others. I love how I can search for something on Facebook and get the latest news. I enjoy looking at beautiful pictures on Instagram and seeing into the days of celebrities and normal people and wonder if their lives are always that awesome. As a blogger, social media is our friend…quick posts to our followers and it’s super easy to share our newest posts on Facebook and Instagram for people to read and share to others.

But social media isn’t without its flaws. A “perfect” and “flawless” selfie from a celebrity might have been the 18975893rd selfie they took that day. That perfect landscape photo? Maybe they were balancing on top of something, afraid to lose their balance, to get that perfect pic. And let’s not forget how easy it is for a person to HIDE behind their screens and insult another human being for their beliefs, political leanings, or how they parent.

I’ve seen it all. I’ve read it all. I’ve been there. If I post this video, I know it’ll get a ton of likes. If I write down all these hashtags, someone will like this post. If I post something controversial on Facebook, I know I’ll get feedback, good or bad BUT someone will pay attention to me. Right? We’ve been there many times before.

With this upcoming election, it’s hard to escape the political postings of your Facebook friends. It’s easy to see who they are supporting and their views on EVERYTHING. But I’ve come up with a solution on how we can battle these negative things social media may bring into our lives. It’s not ground-breaking by any means, but it’s simple.

Take

a

break. 

Three words. Should be simple right? Yeah, it’s not, especially if you haven’t taken a break from social media before. It can be really hard. Your phone and Facebook and all your social media apps will tempt you, BUT I’m here to help you take a vacay from social media. Here’s how:

1. If you start your day checking your phone (like most of us do…I’m guilty!), find another way to start your day. Can’t go without reading the news? Don’t check Facebook. Download an app to get your news. I don’t necessarily consider that social media.
2. Make sure to tell your friends how to reach you. The last thing you want is someone trying to reach out to you via Facebook Messenger and you said you CANNOT check it as part of your social media break. So give those important to you your phone number and have them text you instead.
3. If you’re afraid people might think something is wrong, especially if you post everyday, don’t be afraid to let people know that you’re taking a break. You don’t have to go into why you’re taking a break, but posting may give those that are interested in staying in touch with you a chance to get your email/phone number.
4. Find other ways to fill your time. Those moments you find yourself checking your phone you can figure out another way to spend your time.Want to read that book you have sitting by your bedside? Open that instead of your Instagram or Snapchat. Want to get into yoga more? Spend those waking moments doing a quick yoga practice.

Be Here Now.

I’m a big fan of living in the moment and fully absorbing yourself in what you are PRESENTLY doing. I’ve noticed moments, and I’m not proud of it, where I’m on my phone instead of playing with my son who wants my attention. Life FLIES by. We need to stop and pay attention to what is happening around us.

One of my favorite books EVER is “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. In this book he says “Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.” Fully accept where you are in this life and live presently. Forget about the past, forget about the future. I’m not saying that they aren’t important: the past is what shaped you, and the future is waiting for you. All of your life though is lived in the present moment, and that’s where you need your focus.

Not being absorbed into social media is one step you can take to remain present in the moments right in front of you. As soon as I’m finished here, I’m turning off my computer and putting my social media on hold. I know it’ll do amazing things for me and my family. So if you’re looking to detox from social media or take a vacation from being a slave to your phone/Facebook/Instagram, then use those steps above to help you out. And I truly hope you’ll feel great once your break is over and realize you don’t need to rely on it to get through your day.

See you all next week! Off to enjoy my family! 🙂
-CP