How many of you have taken part in some sort of diet-related cleanse or detox?
It is becoming more important and acknowledged than ever the connection between what we put in our bodies and our health. More and more, people are looking to flush out toxins that have built up in their bodies from consuming processed and pesticide grown foods, through going on cleanses by eliminating certain foods from their diet.
While advances in technology have created abundance and convenience in more ways than just food, it has come at the cost of our health in equally as many ways. Technology has brought us smartphones and social media, but staring at screens all day is creating strain in our posture and our eyes, creating imbalance in our circadian rhythms, and Facebook and Instagram are eroding our capacity for empathy and real human connection, while elevating levels of neuroticism and FOMO.
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| Virtual reality is largely taking over the place of real reality |
Like modern food, the dangers of social media are also becoming more important and acknowledged. I see more and more social situations in which people are encouraged to put their smartphones facedown on the table.
On an individual basis, social media seems like an all-or-nothing deal. There's no middle ground. It's hard to meaningfully engage without simultaneously getting sucked in to the detritus of glamorized selfies, 'Like' seeking posts, sympathy seeking shares and divisive opinions. Among my generation, the millennials, most people use it - and use it too much - the remaining stay completely away from it. And for those that use it, whether for productive or recreational purposes, it can be very addictive.
Because social media is so ubiquitous today, perhaps as ubiquitous as smoking and drinking was in the early 20th century, it feels impossible to give it up. Go cold turkey. But, like going on food cleanses, it is possible to take similar action on social media.
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| Last December I did a detox and left my contact details in a hidden spot |
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| I just completed another one month digital detox |
I recently completed my third digital detox, going an entire month without using social media. Okay... I cheated a bit - I logged on Facebook from time to time - in order to look up events or other relevant information. And I maintained access to the messenger app, which I don't lump in to the rest of Facebook as social media use.
In the end I forgave myself the occasional cheating because overall it had the impact on my life I was seeking. I was more productive, spent more time outdoors and was more present. I became aware of moments I nearly defaulted to logging on to FB, for lack of anything better to do, and reversing course.
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| Disconnect from technology and connect with nature. Stand-up paddleboarding |
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| Kayaking with friends |
Like food, going on repetitive detoxes helps the body to cycle closer and closer to purity with each detox. After my third social media detox I feel closer and closer to flushing out the addiction for good.
With each detox the wisdom and awareness sink in. I'm more aware of how different I am on versus off social media, and more quickly recognizing, the moment I go to log in to FB, that there's no point; that it doesn't serve me in any way. I'm learning the art of meaningfully engaging while floating above the detritus and not getting pulled in by it. Which is why I ended the detox - so I can meaningfully engage through sharing blogs, photos and ideas, and find out what some of my amazing friends are doing in their lives.
Alas, the cycle to social media enlightenment continues and there will be more social media detoxes to come.
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