Things I gained from leaving Facebook


Facebook Addiction, Social Media Addiction
I have been off Facebook for just over a month now until today; if I could sum it up in a nutshell it made me feel mostly ‘free’. Full freedom I feel, would have come from deleting all social media which is a little difficult all the while in lock-down away from loved ones, deleting the likes of Whatsapp and Messenger would have isolated me from those of my friends and family checking in to make sure I was cool ( thank you for keeping in touch you utter beauties, it really opens your eyes – but more on that later).  But liberation! Let me tell you, exciting, wonderful and happy things happen to me in my life even when I am not posting about it online. Sad, frustrating and stressful things are also still happening in my life even when I’m not ‘Facebook statusing’ them.

More than ‘free’ I felt I have claimed back my sense of humour. So often I’d scroll though Facebook and be bogged down by the constant barrage of news articles, fake news, political views. Seeing people who are friends fight with each other because they don’t agree on a specific topic – then complaining when people delete them! It’s stressful. The myriad information is pointless, unproductive and negative. Life in 2020 is already stressful enough – why add more?


I recently joined TikTok this year, if my fiancé is watching sports, I put my earphones in and watch TikTok. More than one occasion my fiancé has paused the television just to watch me laugh, he says is lovely to hear me laugh whilst I’m scrolling through my phone rather than tutting, sighing and rolling my eyes. He pauses the TV to watch me laugh.  TikTok makes me howl with laughter on a daily basis – and that is all I require from social media. Social media in my opinion, is supposed to bring joy and laughter, at the same time as catching updates of the lives my friends and family have posted.

Coming away from Facebook allowed me to see what people actually out in the effort to talk to ME, without Facebook THEY have to be more intentional too…see? This surprised me greatly, pleasantly too I might add, my hypothesis was correct in others. So, I have unfollowed a lot of groups, pages and hidden a lot of people from my feed before returning as I am sure people have unfollowed me and ya know what hey it is absolutely cool. If my posts muck up your JuJu but you still want me as a pal – unfollow me.

That to be said, if your status starts with a gurgling revolt of, “Remove me from your friends list NOW if you think/believe/feel/agree with…” I’m gone, I’m not even going to finish reading that one because at the end of the day I won’t be dictated to about how I feel about anything period…and statuses like that? Take out your own rubbish buddy.

Cutting off for the most part has felt great. I breathed deeply again, identified emotions as I felt them, sat with my uncomfortable anxieties instead of distracting myself. I ate the frog, instead of procrastinating with him. Mindful awareness has given me control, no more passive consumption for me – it’s the surest way to be ill at ease.

 So now I am coming back with a refreshed and edited news feed, I will be using Facebook less, just like I would Amazon when I want something – either an update, to chat, keep free photo storage, to share or to ask. 😉


Eat The Frog!!


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