"Breaking Free: My Journey to Rediscover Myself Beyond Social Media"
The thing I realised in my last few months is that my thoughts are becoming Darker. I'm doing almost the same things everyday. I felt that, every morning I was awakening with the thought that today I'll work so hard and will complete every task which I'm going to assign myself, but every evening I became frustrated and sad cause I was failing almost everyday. I was not in a position to understand what I was doing wrong. Maybe I had known the reason, maybe the reason was distractions that could be anything like social media, surroundings, or people around there. But the main thing was, sometimes I had known what I was doing wrong but still I wasn't able to correct myself. And that feeling was killing me everyday and every night.
I thought so much about it, and I decided to come out from this situation I was going through. First I decided to keep myself away from people around me and that makes no significant change for me instead it makes me so lonely. I also watched so many YouTube videos to keep myself motivated, but those too didn't make any change. I was heading towards depression everyday. To understand my problem, I read so many articles and books of the best scholars and I got to know so many reasons why a student like me is getting frustrated with the process and also is getting deviated from his goals. I got some of those reasons which were like Peer pressure, Parental pressure, Financial Constraints, Name and Fame, sexual appetite, distraction from Social media etc. But I personally found out that in my case the main reason is "Social media".
"Social media", it makes us feel bad by showing us things that make us think our lives aren't as good as others'. It also makes us feel anxious with all the messages and pressure to be online all the time. Spending too much time on social media makes us lonely because we're not spending time with real people. Social media also makes us waste a lot of time scrolling through endless posts, which can distract us from important things like work or spending time with loved ones. Additionally, it can sometimes lead to cyberbullying or negative interactions with others, which hurts our feelings and self-esteem.
When I was in high school and intermediate, i was a very self motivated person, always thinking forward and dedicated towards my goals. Till that time I was not disturbed by anything. But when I got my first mobile phone I came to social media platforms. But till that time, there were not so many features available on social media so I was enjoying it, sharing community posts and watching funny videos to make me feel lighter. But with the passing of time, social media became more and more attractive and we became addicted to it, because it's designed to grab our attention and keep us coming back for more. Features like endless scrolling, notifications, and likes trigger the brain's reward system, similar to how drugs do. The constant stream of new content and the fear of missing out (FOMO) also play a role, making us feel like we need to keep checking in. Over time, this can lead to compulsive use and difficulty in controlling our social media habits.
After knowing all this I decided to take a temporary break from social media to know how it affects my well being and what the changes will come in my daily life routine. So I deleted all the social media apps from my device. Just after several weeks, I felt so many changes in me. I felt that it improved my mental health and I got greater peace of mind, due to which my productivity increased and I likely have more time to give it to my meaningful activities. It also helped me to get better sleep quality, this improved my presence of mind to my studies and my work. Overall, leaving social media led me to a more balanced and fulfilling life, with greater focus on my personal growth, my studies, and well-being. Although I'm using social media sharing posts and stories, but now I have a proper balance between my personal time, my studies my work and social media.
So if you're feeling overwhelmed by social media and want to take a break or leave it altogether, here are some steps you can take:
1. Set Clear Goals: Determine why you want to leave social media and what you hope to achieve by doing so. This will help you stay motivated.
2. Start with a Break: Consider starting with a temporary break from social media to see how it affects your well-being. You can deactivate your accounts or delete the apps from your devices.
3. Limit Access: If you're not ready to leave social media entirely, set specific times during the day when you allow yourself to use it, and avoid mindless scrolling.
4. Focus on Hobbies: Use the time you would have spent on social media to pursue hobbies & interests.
5. Unfollow or Mute: If certain accounts or content on social media are causing you stress or anxiety, unfollow or mute them to create a more positive online environment.
6. Delete Accounts: If you're ready to fully commit to leaving social media, you can delete your accounts permanently. Be sure to download any important data or memories before doing so.
7. Evaluate Progress: Regularly assess how leaving or reducing social media usage is impacting your life. Notice any improvements in your mood, productivity, and overall well-being.
Remember, it's okay to take breaks from social media or even leave it entirely if it's negatively impacting your mental health and well-being.the journey away from social media is a personal one, and it's important to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you navigate this transition.
_ Alok kushwaha