Why I've Taken a Break From Social Media....and Maybe You Should Too!
I took a two month break from social media. My choice to take a break and what led up to that decision was progressive and not something I chose spontaneously but rather a feeling I’ve had that has been building over time. I don’t regret it, I’m not sure if I even miss it but I’m back and want to share some of what I’ve taken away from my ten (ish) week break from Facebook, Instagram, my own website as well as other platforms.
Over the last couple of years while running The Crassy Cookie I’ve been able to grow my little following and community in such a way that is positive, uplifting and hopefully inspiring to those who stop by to grab a recipe, share baking ideas and tips while chatting about life and all that goes with it. I’ve met wonderful, ambitious people who share my love of baking and there are those who I look up to and admire. I may just be a small nook on the internet and happy to be just so, yet I’ve had so many great opportunities along the way. I’ve made unlikely connections and I’ve been able to achieve some things I never thought were possible, especially during such turbulent times in our world and in my own personal life. Along with the desire and need to slow down, enjoy my summer, and get back to things I enjoy doing outside of The Crassy Cookie, I simply needed to get away from any and all screens. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve popped on to check in with friends or respond to messages from time to time but I really allowed myself to lose touch with the ever-growing Metaverse and plug back into reality.
It’s 2022 and I still don’t have Tik Tok- I know, I know, I know! It could help my grow my brand and it’s a great way to market myself. I’m not against it and if you’re active on this platform and love it, I love it for you but the maintenance of Facebook and Instagram is more than enough for me. Speaking of Instagram, I can’t help but become increasingly frustrated with it competing with Tik Tok and I feel like many of you might just agree. While scrolling for my favorite accounts and searching for friends who have gone amiss in my feed due to unreliable algorithm changes, I’m inundated with advertisements that aren’t even relevant to my life. Additionally, I feel the monetization of reels has caused so many of us, including myself to feel pressured to create constantly. While I have benefited from monetization and continue to do so, I have asked myself multiple times is this worth it for a monthly payout and are we coming to a point where we are valuing quantity over quality content? I just want to log on, share my latest bake or project and see people’s work and what they find enjoyable. It’s been said before but we live in this “hustle culture” where our mentality has been to equate our value with how much work we put in and what we can accomplish. I do miss a certain era of social media and I know many of us wish we could “have the old Instagram back” and I agree. I’ve also been torn the past few months between the pressure to post every day or to build a log cabin in a remote area and live out my days in solace and the concept of logging off and getting some rest seemed to be reasonable.
This summer has been filled with long drives, hiking trips, more time for sleeping in and lazy Saturdays spent reading magazines and watching crime shows and documentaries. My husband and I have worked to cultivate a better balance between our work schedules and health and wellness. We’ve gotten outside a lot more and have made time for exercise every day. I’m drinking more water and cooking much healthier meals. We’re spending time with our dogs and taking day trips to museums and parks. I’ve been able to read books and plan décor and home projects for our new house (that I can’t wait to share here). Life isn’t perfect but there is certainly more balance and has become more fulfilling these days.
There are a million reasons why social media can be negative and I don’t need to list them here but I’m planning on sticking around for the good stuff. I love baking and sharing the things I find joy in and I love the connections I’ve made through social media. I think this time away has helped me to recognize what’s important and to find the balance I was missing. Social media is a part of my life and even daily routine but it isn’t my life or real life for that matter and since putting it in its rightful place I am sleeping better, feel healthier, have more free time and I’m not as uptight or anxious these days. Although I still plan on posting regularly I am going to be putting much less pressure on myself and more time and effort on what truly matters. Maybe you can relate to the feeling of overwhelm that social media can give and maybe what I’ve shared is resonating with you and if that’s the case I hope you find time to give yourself a break as well. I promise it will be worth it!
