Written by Evi Idoghor, Creator of Letstalknationblog.com
The start of a new year is typically the best time to declutter your mind and get ready for the road ahead. Many people do so by engaging in fasts either spiritual (denying themselves of food for a short period of time for the purposes of seeking Christ through prayer and the Bible) or denying themselves of certain things or habits that can prove detrimental if not kept under control, such as social media for a period of time.
Some people go off social media for a week, month, or even a year, it is up to you to choose which is the best option for you. Social media has become a breeding ground for cyberbullying and public scrutiny. In order for you to deny yourself the negative impact that these apps can have, you have to disengage from them periodically.
Why is social media fast important?
Going on this fast helps you declutter your mind. A lot of information gets thrown around on social media, and not everything is good for you. Because of social media, we have access to people’s wisdom and also people’s foolishness. Time away from the platform can help you discern what is right for you and what isn’t.
If you decide to go on this fast, it creates more time on your hands for you to do something meaningful. Believe it or not, we all spend hours on these apps every day, hours that could be used to make a difference around us. There was a period of time when I wasn’t writing as much, but I was on Instagram for the most part during the day just mindlessly scrolling away. I knew it had become too much, but I did not stop; it had become routine for me.
I needed to keep up with the Joneses. Then one day my cousin said to me—“you are always on social media, and it has nothing to do with your blog.” I went ahead to delete the app from my phone following our discussion and came back on when I was ready to start creating content.
A social media fast helps you focus on your life, and what is important to you. People don’t want to do meaningful work these days; they want to sit at home and become insta-famous. But life doesn’t always work out that way. If you are looking to build a legacy that would outlive you, you have to do work that will last. If you find yourself getting depressed over what other people post, if you find yourself comparing your life with others, then it's time to put social media aside.
Delete the app(s), recoup, find out why you are jealous or depressed, then begin to make the necessary adjustments in your life. Most times people post outrageous things so they can get their 15 minutes of fame with the hopes of it leading to other opportunities . However, after all the excitement dies down, the world moves on to the next best thing. So you must not live your life for the gram, you should live your life in such a way that you have joy and happiness present in it, you are content with what you have now, and are planning towards where you are going.
Focus on what matters, build stable relationships, spend time with family and friends, serve your community. Then you wouldn’t need people you don’t even know, that you probably will never meet, validating you.
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