Why You Should Take a Break from Instagram (and how to make it effective)
I used to spend so much of my life on Instagram.
Nearly every day, multiple times a day, I liked posts, tapped through stories and checked notifications. In attempts to build a platform, I posted staged pictures of books or flowers or sunsets. I spent so much time trying to write an engaging, not-too-long-but-not-too-short caption.
I tried to look up from my phone and enjoy the world around me, but I constantly found myself sucked back into the endless Instagram scroll.
But that was okay, right? I was slowly building my platform and connecting with fellow writers and friends. It was “productive scrolling.”
Recently, though, I discovered that lifestyle might not be as great (or as productive) as I thought it was.
As time went on, new responsibilities piled up in my life. Life got busy, and I started doing less of the activities that mattered to me (i.e. reading, spending time with family, and yes, writing.) I had very limited time. Every minute in the day was valuable.
And yet, in the midst of that busy season, I still scrolled through Instagram. Soon, I realized that I spent more time on Instagram than I did writing.
I thought I can’t write every day, but I can scroll through Instagram every day, without fail?
So I decided to take a break from Instagram. I deleted the app from my phone, and gave myself two weeks to see what things were like without it.
And honestly, that was one of the best things I did.
Instagram can be a great tool for connecting with friends, building a platform, or finding new ideas. But let’s be honest – it’s also a master time sucker and can distract from what truly matters to us.
I learned a lot about the world and how I spent my time with this Instagram break. So today, I will share with you a few reasons why you should take a break from Instagram.
Regain Your Time, Energy, and Focus
Set up a screen time tracker on your phone and see how much time you actually spend on Instagram. Before I did this, I genuinely thought I spent maybe 15-20 minutes on Instagram every day. But after I set up the screen time tracker, I learned that I consistently spent an hour or more on Instagram every day.
This put things into perspective. I “didn’t have time” to do the important things in my life – working out, writing, reading, journaling, etc. – but somehow I had enough time to spend an hour on Instagram?
When I took a break from Instagram, I regained so much of that lost time and energy. I had an extra hour in the day to do what was actually valuable to me.
Instead of spending fifteen minutes scrolling Instagram before I got out of bed every morning, I got up and ready for the day. Instead of getting lost in an endless loop of reels, I sat down and wrote in my book. Instead of tapping through stories and reacting with emojis, I spent time playing with my siblings.
I also became more focused when I got off Instagram. It can be hard to focus on schoolwork or writing after watching short, five second long, uber stimulating reels. After deleting Instagram, my ability to focus improved greatly.
I didn’t realize how much time I was wasting, or how little focus I had until after I took a break from Instagram. There was so much I didn’t realize I was missing out on. By taking the break, I regained a lot of time and focus.
Improve Your Mental Health
Let’s be real. Social media in general isn’t the best way to be happy.
Looking at it logically, Instagram is made up of endless pictures that people will only like if the picture is pretty or fits a certain vibe or aesthetic. Along with that, the more time you spend getting more likes and attention, the more comparison from others you face.
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but many of the pictures on Instagram aren’t depictions of real life. The use of filters and camera angles and photoshop can make it seem real, but it really isn’t.
And we can wrap this entire toxic burrito up in the fact that it’s extremely addicting, time wasting, and generally not very helpful to being a productive human being.
I didn’t realize how unhappy I was until I took a break from Instagram. When I stopped seeing pictures of other people’s “beautiful” or “aesthetic” lives, I was able to see the beauty in my own life.
Yes, It’s Cliche, but Live in the Moment
I used to go out of my way to take pictures of pretty things, whether it was a flower or an aesthetic cottage or a wondrous mountain. I had the urge to take pictures of anything I thought would make a good Instagram picture.
I would scramble to get the perfect lighting, pose, and angle. Later, I would stress about making the pictures look nice with cropping and filters.
After I got off of Instagram, that urge to photograph anything and everything went away. Instead, I was okay with not taking a picture of that “aesthetic” thing, and I could simply enjoy it with my own eyeballs.
There’s nothing wrong about photographing beautiful things, but I think there’s something valuable when we enjoy them without looking through a camera lens, and enjoy a temporary moment for what it is.
Connect With the Things that Actually Matter
The combination of having more time, better focus, improved mental health, and “living in the moment” helped me connect more with the things that actually mattered to me.
Instead of scrolling on Instagram, I played with my little siblings. I had conversations with my family. I went outside and explored. I went on trips and soaked in every moment.
Getting off of Instagram helped me realize what was truly important to me.
But the truth is, Instagram and other social media apps are extremely addictive. They were specifically designed to wrap you in and get you stuck scrolling, and make you want to come back.
The battle against Instagram goblins can be fierce, but here are a few practical tips I used to take a total, effective break from Instagram.
How to Take an Effective Break
1) Delete. Delete. Delete. (at least for a little bit)
I’m sure you were a bit scared when you saw the world “delete,” but I promise it’s not as intense as it seems. 🙂
I’ve tried before to take breaks from Instagram by simply not opening the app. I thought I had the willpower to do this… but I was quite wrong. I found myself opening up Instagram simply out of habit, and then I got sucked back in before I knew what I was doing.
Deleting the app from your phone, even temporarily, can help force you to get off of Instagram. Plus, the good news is that deleting the app is not the same as deleting your account. I’ve been able to delete the app, and then download it again and hop back on, right where I started.
Creating a clean split from Instagram is the first step to taking a truly effective break. Beware the Instagram goblins… they will suck you in… *dramatic music*
2) Avoid Other “Instant- Gratification” Social Media
After I deleted Instagram, I realized that I watched a lot more Youtube videos, especially Youtube Shorts (basically the same thing as Instagram reels, which are in turn the same thing as Tik-Toks.)
Just because I was off Instagram didn’t mean that I was completely free from the goblins.
Along with deleting the app, I’ve set screen time limits for Youtube, and so far that has worked quite well. Every once in a while, though, I find myself craving the instant gratification of videos. When that happens, I try to accomplish something off of my to-do list before I start watching videos, or I set a timer to keep myself from endlessly scrolling.
This is something to be aware of, and a break from Instagram can easily turn into a total social media break.
3) Getting Over FOMO
You might be thinking “I want to take a break from Instagram, but it’s how I connect with my friends. What if I miss out on something?”
That’s a valid point. I used Instagram to stay up to date with friends who live far away, and the idea of missing something they posted was scary.
Instead of staying in the endless loop of scrolling through Instagram, though, tell yourself that you are taking a temporary break just to see what life is like without it. You can let your friends know that you’ll be gone, and you can even exchange phone numbers with closer friends.
After I did this, I was able to connect with a few really close friends by texting. And the connections we made were more personal and meaningful than simply watching an Instagram story.
Your break from Instagram doesn’t have to be permanent, and you don’t have to completely cut yourself off from your friends. Instead of using Instagram as a way to “halff” connect with a lot of people, you can get to know the ones you care about, and foster the relationships that truly matter to you.
4) Dive Right In
Imagine you’re an old lady and looking back on the life you lived.
What experiences will stick in your head, even after many years? Will you remember all of the endless stories and reels and posts you liked on Instagram?
Or will you remember crazy family road trips, adventures while working at a fast food restaurant, simply reading in the sunshine, and many other real moments?
In the long run, what truly matters?
I don’t want to be an old lady who doesn’t have fun, real experiences to look back on, and I’m sure you don’t want to be either. Spending time on Instagram and other social media apps can take away from the more meaningful, impactful, and memorable moments in life.
Perhaps those are more important than likes and a pretty picture.
By now you should know that these are definitely not depictions of real life, but I digress
There you have it! I hope this post can help you explore the non-Instagram side of life, even temporarily. If you do decide to take a break, tell me how it goes! What new things did you notice? Did you come up with any other tips for keeping the dreaded Instagram goblins at bay?
Thanks for reading!
-Hannah
