21 Days of No Social Media

My church, Canvas SF, does a 3-week cleanse at the beginning of every year so participants can regain focus and set priorities/goals for the year ahead. This cleanse isn't your ordinary juice cleanse... this year it's "Heads Up, Phones Down" which means no social media for 21 days. 

I kept going back and forth if I would participate. No Instagram or Facebook for three weeks? What would I do when I was waiting in line for coffee or when I first wake up in the morning? But then I questioned why - why was I unable to give up these apps I spend so much time on? 

My competitive nature got the best of me and I decided to join. Part of my job is social media, so I still get on Twitter and LinkedIn during the workday, but there's no more "mindless scrolling" or checking to see who someone is dating now.

We just completed week two and I have been amazed at how much I've accomplished with all my free time. Instead of scanning Twitter first thing in the morning, I'm up making coffee and getting into work early. Instead of liking Instagram posts of puppies (I could do this for hours), I'm having a conversation with an executive in line at Starbucks. 

The past two weeks have allowed me time to completely redesign my blog and my professional portfolio website. I have read an entire book and met a friend for coffee (can you tell I drink a lot of coffee?) almost every day to see how they're doing - I had to meet them in person to see, instead of checking Facebook! 

 It's crazy how life passes by while we are all looking down at our phones. We miss conversations or networking with strangers, we miss catching up in person with our best friends, we miss reading books or learning about culture outside of the latest celebrity birth announcement (looking at you, Kylie). 

I know I probably sound like one of our parents, but this cleanse has put some things into perspective. Don't get me wrong, I still loooove social media and cannot wait to be back on Instagram, but I now realize there's so much more to focus on... that social media can be an effective tool, but I do not need to be on it 24/7. That it shouldn't let us lose focus of life happening around us.

I'm hoping to keep this mindset throughout 2018. What do you think? Have you ever been on a social media cleanse? 

To learn more, watch these teachings on How To Be Here.