It’s been over a year and a half since I was active on Instagram and literally everything in my life has changed. Today I will share with you what happened when I stopped using social media.
To start, my journey is unique to me. I make no promises that the same will be true for you. Though, I would imagine that you will notice subtle shifts if you practice conscious awareness in stepping away from social media, even for just 1 day.
Why I Stepped Away
This wasn’t part of a digital detox or a New Year’s resolution. It was sudden… and yet, in retrospect, it was not.
Let’s rewind the tape a bit to get a clearer context of my relationship with social media.
As an early user of facebook, I felt a dissonance for what social media had become. I knew that I had to reclaim my relationship with it, but I didn’t know how.
And then on Christmas Eve 2020, inspiration hit! I felt called to start a collective offering of gratitude on instagram.
I posted what I was grateful for every single day in 2021, inviting people to join me if it resonated. You can learn more about my early take aways of this here.
Misalignments
I was feeling more aligned with social media. However, it was only after parting ways with a friend who had been a source of ongoing distress that my creative floodgates opened.
I only share that to show how misalignments in our life (energetic, relational, physical, emotional, mental, etc.) can greatly impede our natural flow and dim our inner light.
If you’re unsure about what I mean when I say misalignments in life, notice the energy that arises when you think about your brakes or hip joint being out of alignment. Now apply that feeling to everything in your life!
Content Creator Mode
By Summer 2023, I was in a full-on content creation mode. I felt so inspired and was genuinely having a blast! As cringe as it sounds, I thought content creation was my future.
While I loved sharing, I soon noticed that I wasn’t scrolling very much. I’d open the app, maybe scroll for 30 seconds, then put it down. While I loved sharing content, engagement felt more obligatory than an act of sacred communion within a community.
I could feel myself censuring my words and going into performance mode because it didn’t feel (for me) like a safe and brave container for authentic presence.
And even with how little I was scrolling, I kept seeing schisms getting deeper and darker.
My inspiration and alignment was dwindling and I knew I needed space. Most of all, I needed to separate from the energy of separation. Thankfully, I had the luxury of doing so.
Allowing The Misalignments To Guide You
As I shared in a video that year on YouTube, I was following the alignment in my life. By December 2023, Instagram wasn’t feeling very aligned. I could feel the dissonance whenever I opened the app or thought about posting.
And so, I decided to take a break. There was no set length of time for this break. Instead, I trusted that I would rejoin if I felt the call to re-enter the space.
The Blossoming That Followed
Now that you know the backstory, let me share the blossoming that unfolded in this choice.
Less than 6 months later, I decided to let go of everything in my life. Way to bury the lead, huh?
Now, that might sound extreme, but for me it felt aligned. With that said, I also don’t want to put all the emphasis on social media. I was doing a lot of deep inner work.
On top of my existing practices and studies, I was developing as a channel, exploring metaphysical modalities, studying the teachings of channels I felt aligned with, intentionally working with plant medicine and sound, and trusting in my attunement to alignment.
I could write a book about this journey, so again, please know it wasn’t just the stepping away from social media.
But let us dive deeper into how it did play a role in this life shake up.
Initial Benefits of Stepping Away
So as promised, I want to share a few observations that are directly connected to disengaging from social media.
Initially, I noticed how habituated I had become to opening the app without thinking. Bored, uncomfortable, anxious, happy, neutral, waking up, going to sleep, disconnected—I would grab my phone.
Thankfully, I had deleted the app, but I would still grab my phone. I soon became hyperaware of this unconscious pattern of using social media as a crutch.
And remember, it was a crutch despite not feeling aligned with it. It was a familiar feeling from my recovery days. Realizing that the vice du jour was not serving me – yet I would keep on doing it.
From my own experience and having worked with many clients over the years, this pattern can create a shame spiral. The spiral then keeps so many stuck in self-destructive behaviors. You know it’s not “working” and yet keep doing it, only to deepen one’s sense of shame. And the spiral continues….
Please know that I’m not saying social media is inherently a self-destructive behavior. Personally, it didn’t feel that way for me.
However, it’s important to recognize that any behavior can become self-destructive. Even “healthy” behaviors like exercise can become extremely harmful to one’s body and psyche.
Releasing the Noise to Attune Within
Let’s get back to our originally scheduled program…
The biggest takeaway, for me, was removing myself from the noise. I didn’t think that I was comparing myself to others on social media and yet I 1000% was.
All of my “shoulding” around creating workshops and classes for my business? It came from social media. I realized I was in the mindset of feeling “not enough” as a small business owner.
For context, my business started slowing down in 2023. Of course, I immediately went into fear and scarcity and started applying for PhD programs. For me, I thought I needed to “be more” and then I could feel comfortable charging more.
Thankfully, I realized what was going on and trusted that there was a reason why this was happening.
At the same time, I was not feeling aligned where I was living for a multitude of reasons.
So without the noise and fear of judgment from social media, I realized that my life was not in alignment. I loved my clients and found my work rewarding, but it wasn’t what I needed at that point in my life anymore. I loved my home, but it was becoming a source of anxiety and misalignment.
A Life Transformed
Again, this could all be a book so I’m skipping over a lot, but by September of 2024, I let go of any material possessions I didn’t need, let go of my home, and went nomadic with Pepper. At the end of 2024, I closed with all of my clients and closed the chapter of being an eating disorder dietitian.
You might be thinking, that’s called a midlife crisis ma’am. And perhaps to some it does. To me, it was my path into alignment and surrender.
Now, I’m making this sound super positive and easy, so please know that it was not without its challenges. It’s been a rollercoaster of a whirlwind and I’m equally as grateful for the ups and the downs of it all.
To be honest, I’ve learned far more from the “downs” than the “ups”.
I wrote a lot of words to simply tell you this. I truly believe that stepping away from social media cleared the space for me to go within and to listen and attune to what I needed.
What This Might Mean for You
So friends, if you’re feeling some dissonance in your life and not sure what to do, I invite you to consider tuning out any distractions that are preventing you from connecting to your true needs. I’m not saying taking a break from social media is the answer for you. I’m not even saying there is an “answer.”
If you’re not feeling aligned and not sure what to do, just begin to notice. What feels aligned and what doesn’t.
This can be a tricky path because sometimes, in our very complex lives, what feels aligned is not actually serving us. It can take time to untangle it all.
While this post makes the path sound easy and doable, I spent decades working on myself—moving through an eating disorder, addiction, anxiety, depression, OCD, and undiagnosed ADHD.
And I share that to also provide hope. This didn’t come easy to me and…I didn’t see any other way.
Remember that my way is unique to me. The key is finding your way.
One way to do that is to notice what is resonating and what isn’t. Just in asking that question—whether or not you get any “answers”—builds this muscle of gentle, compassionate observation of self.
You can learn more about how I navigated this path in the video below.
Until next time friends, stay curious!!
You Might Enjoy:
- Divine Timing On The Road: What A Reckless Driver Taught Me
- A Powerful Lesson Hidden in a Few Bumps and Bruises
- Lessons Learned: Social Media
- The Misdirection of Energy: A Path to Finding Balance
Creative Offering:
If these words serve you, let them fly.
If you teach from them, may they bloom again.
Credit is kind. Integrity is everything.
Blair is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, E-500 RYT and Reiki Master. She integrates spirituality with modern day science to help people heal and reclaim their relationship with their body and food.
Disclaimer:
These are my current musings — proofread and edited by AI. This content is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support of a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional regarding any concerns or conditions.