My August Instagram Detox

When I become dependent on something, it's time to reprioritize

Instagram had a hold on me. I didn't want to admit it, but I believe I had a full blown addiction to it. Honestly, I think A LOT of people are addicted to Instagram or at least some form of social media. How can you not be? The platforms are everywhere. Between Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, Meetup, and so on, the social media gurus have designed them to make you addicted! Why do you think they invented the endless home page feed (it keeps going and going and going...) or Instagram stories that keep playing until you have to force yourself to stop looking at them? Because THEY WANT YOU TO STAY ON THEIR PLATFORM.

Well, 1 point Instagram. They hooked me. Not only was I constantly worried about how much I posted, when I posted, what I posted, and how many likes and follows I would get on a daily basis, I became entrapped in the endless, mindless scrolling loop that sucks more time out of your day than you might realize.

Instagram - 1, Sally - 0

I decided to even up the score a bit. I despise becoming dependent on anything, because I suspect I have somewhat of an addictive personality (just my opinion, I haven't been diagnosed or anything), which likely stems from a long battle with disordered eating and over-exercising as well as developing many insecurities from these 2 things. Therefore, when I notice something slowly creeping in and controlling my life, I have to take a step back and remind myself what my priorities are and what actions need to be taken in order to stay the course.

Instagram is not on my list of priorities. Don't get me wrong, I find it useful for connecting with clients and followers. I like to utilize it to share valuable content such as workouts, healthy recipes, mindset shift strategies, stress management tools and to follow accounts that actually DO add value to my life (umm, I'm looking at you @thekangaroosanctuary - this account seriously brightens my day and made me want to drop everything to go volunteer there)! And yes, I do miss watching the baby kangaroo videos, but alas, sometimes we have to make sacrifices. And as I began to weigh the pros and cons of having and IG account, I realized Instagram had become more of a time waster than a time warrior. No thank you - I don't have time to waste time! 

Enter the Instagram detox

It's only day 2, and I have learned a few valuable things about myself. Lucky for you, I am keeping a daily log of my experiences, so you can follow along and have a good laugh ! At the end of the 31-day detox, I will share the entire log for those of you who would like to be entertained by the ups, downs and in-betweens of a gal navigating through life without her Instagram crutch.

It has been shocking, comical, and an eye-opening 2 days. How could one little app have such power over me? I consider myself to be pretty strong, motivated and independent. However, when you are taking your phone into the bathroom because you are afraid you will get bored in there...whoa! It's time to give the phone and social media a solid break.

I will be updating this Detox Log in realtime, so feel free to pop in and follow along my journey! My next blog post will be an update on how things are going, and I will also be sharing some mind-boggling stats about how much time we spend on the internet, social media and how often we switch tasks on our computers/mobile devices during the day. You are going to want to read it, because the way I see it, if I can help just 1 person become a little more efficient with their time, that's a win in my book!

I know it can be intimidating to make changes to your life, but what if I told you I have been right where you are and have the ability to change your life forever? Accountability is one of the most important keys in getting real results. It is why I started Sally Mae Fitness. I know what it takes to make real, lasting changes, and I will be with you every step of the way. Schedule your FREE consult, and I will share my personalized recommendations to help you achieve your healthiest, strongest and most confident self! Finally create the life YOU DESERVE!