Laura, you so eloquently put into words how I feel about comparison coming before inspiration when I scroll. My excuse for staying on Instagram is that I find inspiration there, but do I? Now I’m not so sure. Also, I LOVED ‘I’m Only Here To Enjoy Myself’!
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I went kind of old school (lol) and now go to Pinterest for any inspo. Perhaps when it’s photos of people you don’t know (on Pinterest) vs people you sorta know (on Instagram) it removes the comparison factor. Also regarding the memoir, I liked it at the beginning! It started off strong. And then in the second half it really dragged on. Did you feel that way with it?
Yeah I don’t feel comparison on Pinterest - I never noticed that before!! And agree about the book, I skipped over the entire section where she was doing deep dives on the lives of historical women. I get the point she was trying to make, but it kinda came out of nowhere and went on for too long.
Ok, yes!! Those are the parts. My eyes skimmed over those sections and I felt like I just blacked out, like what did I just read? It didn’t feel very memoir-esque of her to include those sections! I have 3 chapters left to get through lol wish me luck!
I listened to the book on audio and her spoken French was absolutely atrocious. I know she mentions that in the book, but hearing it…made it difficult to continue. Ultimately I liked the premise of the book more than the actual book.
I have to admit, this is probably the first long-form post I have read from start to finish in quite some time. I always like to check in on Instagram here and there to keep a pulse on the local happenings as you mentioned, but it is hard to make clear boundaries and stick to them. And ultimately, I am so much more at peace without the constant tug of missing a "great deal", a "need" that is anything but. So much of this resonates with me and motivates me to rethink my own relationship with the app. Thank you Laura!
I’m so glad this resonated with you and that you found it to be helpful! Breaking the addictions takes some time, baby steps and commitment. I think at the end of the day it’s about asking yourself what do you want to commit your time to — a social media addiction or yourself? After a while off the app you really will experience a big shift in the right direction! I just know it.
three years ago i purged my instagram account to remove anyone i do not know from my following and followers list, outside of Beyoncé and Tracee Ellis Ross because their pops of energy are always energy boosting. but outside of that its all people i actually know and it has increased my enjoyment for using the app, but i also don't spend hours on it either. i also have a second account to talk about the silent book club i host, and i am more active there than on my personal account. removing the tether has dramatically increased my desire to live a life off the app and experience life in front of me. but i still take a gazillion pictures that live now within text threads with friends or on a Substacj blog.
i saw another writer share that she always felt too good for Instagram, and i was like, damn this might be me.
I love this! I think life off Instagram definitely made me feel like my life without it was so much cooler and more fun than the life I had with the app. I love the shift you've experienced!
Fantastic read, thank you Laura. I really respect and resonate with your point about hours in the day and how so many of us are unaware that we are literally LOOSING those hours scrolling content that has absolutely no connection to us. It's also a good indicator that we should reframe our thoughts about being excited about the new found freedom and time we'll discover once you choose to come off Instagram.
I am grinning from ear to ear for you, what a delicious new morning you have created for yourself, bravo!!! I have Instagram locked on my phone with an app and can only open it for 15 minutes a day within the window of 12-2pm and I open it like once a month-- this makes me want to just delete it entirely, one less app! I'm in the process of turning my smart phone into a dumb phone and I think I'm ready to say farewell to the gram, easy peasy!
I loved this post — it resonates so much with my current stage of life, starting a new business and returning to IG to connect with customers, but feeling like I’m missing out on the serenity & quiet that my previous IG-less life provided. I’ve been brainstorming for months how to keep up with my business without sacrificing my quality of life. This is a great start - thanks for sharing!
Honestly, this was the longest substack article I’ve read — usually I’ll skip them if they’re too long. But ever since I deactivated my instagram about 2 weeks ago, I’ve noticed the same benefits you mentioned — regarding having more focus and more clarity! Which is why i think that I was able to read this :)
I enjoyed reading this and I’m glad that you’ve discovered numerous benefits from focusing more on yourself. I’m a big advocate for self improvement, and I do the same shower hack too! (shifting from hot water to cold water) — it’s such a mood enhancer!
Aww, thank you for taking the time to read this! I'm so glad you've experienced such beautiful shifts in your life too after signing off from the social media lifestyle.
In December I put a 30 minute time limit on my social media apps and only my husband had the password. It was very embarrassing to ask for extensions so… I just wouldn’t. Once I had that time limit, which still adds up to a lot by the end of the week, I realized just how much time other people were spending on the app - people who’s lives I envied. I realized how much time they were spending making that content, and how little time they must be spending off line actually living it. That cured a lot of my envy, and made me realize that I’m not missing out on much or becoming irrelevant by getting off IG entirely. It’s almost like there’s two separate realities: being chronically online, or being in the real world. Once I noticed the dichotomy, the choice was easy. Thanks for sharing how it is going for you! I just picked up the Artists Way over the weekend and I’m excited to see who I meet (within myself) on the other side of it.
Thank you so much for reading! You know what's funny is that now that I don't chronically use Instagram, I feel like the version of me that I am when I solo travel where I sit and people watch and observe my environment around me rather than stare at my phone. Something I've noticed by doing that now is seeing just how many people have their heads down around me and are constantly picking up their phones like it's a tic. Rather than sitting with the temporary discomfort of silence that comes with taking in their (possibly new) environment, they'd rather pick up their phone to feel busy or important. It's been an interesting thing I've picked up on.
I have started using Routinery for my morning routine and has helped significantly to stay on task (ADHD). I also love the design. Might be a fun switch from your notes app. ✨
It's interesting that you mentioned how your brain responded in avoidance when trying to read. I mentioned something similar to a friend recently regarding the initial difficulty in sitting down and trying to focus on reading. At first it seems like a struggle but if you stick around long enough to get over that slump, it becomes so much easier to digest the material you're reading. It's really unnerving when you realize how much our presence on and use of social media has damaged our brains reception to the consumption of good information through longform/slow mediums.
Thank you for sharing this ! I feel I’m exactly in the same spot of no attention span and doomscrolling— definitely taking notes and applying this ASAP. I’m a photographer too so I appreciate the tips for marketing while staying away from the app.
I too am taking a break from Instagram. It’s life changing!! I didn’t realize how much it was changing how I felt about myself (in a negative way) or how much nonsense stuff I was buying because I was influenced. Thanks for sharing!!
Laura, you so eloquently put into words how I feel about comparison coming before inspiration when I scroll. My excuse for staying on Instagram is that I find inspiration there, but do I? Now I’m not so sure. Also, I LOVED ‘I’m Only Here To Enjoy Myself’!
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I went kind of old school (lol) and now go to Pinterest for any inspo. Perhaps when it’s photos of people you don’t know (on Pinterest) vs people you sorta know (on Instagram) it removes the comparison factor. Also regarding the memoir, I liked it at the beginning! It started off strong. And then in the second half it really dragged on. Did you feel that way with it?
Yeah I don’t feel comparison on Pinterest - I never noticed that before!! And agree about the book, I skipped over the entire section where she was doing deep dives on the lives of historical women. I get the point she was trying to make, but it kinda came out of nowhere and went on for too long.
Ok, yes!! Those are the parts. My eyes skimmed over those sections and I felt like I just blacked out, like what did I just read? It didn’t feel very memoir-esque of her to include those sections! I have 3 chapters left to get through lol wish me luck!
I listened to the book on audio and her spoken French was absolutely atrocious. I know she mentions that in the book, but hearing it…made it difficult to continue. Ultimately I liked the premise of the book more than the actual book.
My feelings exactly! I liked the premise more than the actual book. haha So glad I'm not alone with that review.
Is this your / my calling to write the book we wanted this to be? lol.
Actually!!! Perhaps it is our sign!!
I have to admit, this is probably the first long-form post I have read from start to finish in quite some time. I always like to check in on Instagram here and there to keep a pulse on the local happenings as you mentioned, but it is hard to make clear boundaries and stick to them. And ultimately, I am so much more at peace without the constant tug of missing a "great deal", a "need" that is anything but. So much of this resonates with me and motivates me to rethink my own relationship with the app. Thank you Laura!
I’m so glad this resonated with you and that you found it to be helpful! Breaking the addictions takes some time, baby steps and commitment. I think at the end of the day it’s about asking yourself what do you want to commit your time to — a social media addiction or yourself? After a while off the app you really will experience a big shift in the right direction! I just know it.
three years ago i purged my instagram account to remove anyone i do not know from my following and followers list, outside of Beyoncé and Tracee Ellis Ross because their pops of energy are always energy boosting. but outside of that its all people i actually know and it has increased my enjoyment for using the app, but i also don't spend hours on it either. i also have a second account to talk about the silent book club i host, and i am more active there than on my personal account. removing the tether has dramatically increased my desire to live a life off the app and experience life in front of me. but i still take a gazillion pictures that live now within text threads with friends or on a Substacj blog.
i saw another writer share that she always felt too good for Instagram, and i was like, damn this might be me.
I love this! I think life off Instagram definitely made me feel like my life without it was so much cooler and more fun than the life I had with the app. I love the shift you've experienced!
Fantastic read, thank you Laura. I really respect and resonate with your point about hours in the day and how so many of us are unaware that we are literally LOOSING those hours scrolling content that has absolutely no connection to us. It's also a good indicator that we should reframe our thoughts about being excited about the new found freedom and time we'll discover once you choose to come off Instagram.
Yes!! We can’t let the most meaningful real life moments pass us by while we’re heads down on our phones. Thank you so much for reading!
Lately I’ve been feeling like I need more hours in the day and that I want to delete or at least deactivate my instagram. This feels like my sign.
Sometimes things we read resonate at just the right time we need to hear them. <3
I am grinning from ear to ear for you, what a delicious new morning you have created for yourself, bravo!!! I have Instagram locked on my phone with an app and can only open it for 15 minutes a day within the window of 12-2pm and I open it like once a month-- this makes me want to just delete it entirely, one less app! I'm in the process of turning my smart phone into a dumb phone and I think I'm ready to say farewell to the gram, easy peasy!
I love this for you!! And thank you so much for reading!
I loved this post — it resonates so much with my current stage of life, starting a new business and returning to IG to connect with customers, but feeling like I’m missing out on the serenity & quiet that my previous IG-less life provided. I’ve been brainstorming for months how to keep up with my business without sacrificing my quality of life. This is a great start - thanks for sharing!
This was so well written!
Honestly, this was the longest substack article I’ve read — usually I’ll skip them if they’re too long. But ever since I deactivated my instagram about 2 weeks ago, I’ve noticed the same benefits you mentioned — regarding having more focus and more clarity! Which is why i think that I was able to read this :)
I enjoyed reading this and I’m glad that you’ve discovered numerous benefits from focusing more on yourself. I’m a big advocate for self improvement, and I do the same shower hack too! (shifting from hot water to cold water) — it’s such a mood enhancer!
Great article once again 🤞🏼
Aww, thank you for taking the time to read this! I'm so glad you've experienced such beautiful shifts in your life too after signing off from the social media lifestyle.
In December I put a 30 minute time limit on my social media apps and only my husband had the password. It was very embarrassing to ask for extensions so… I just wouldn’t. Once I had that time limit, which still adds up to a lot by the end of the week, I realized just how much time other people were spending on the app - people who’s lives I envied. I realized how much time they were spending making that content, and how little time they must be spending off line actually living it. That cured a lot of my envy, and made me realize that I’m not missing out on much or becoming irrelevant by getting off IG entirely. It’s almost like there’s two separate realities: being chronically online, or being in the real world. Once I noticed the dichotomy, the choice was easy. Thanks for sharing how it is going for you! I just picked up the Artists Way over the weekend and I’m excited to see who I meet (within myself) on the other side of it.
Thank you so much for reading! You know what's funny is that now that I don't chronically use Instagram, I feel like the version of me that I am when I solo travel where I sit and people watch and observe my environment around me rather than stare at my phone. Something I've noticed by doing that now is seeing just how many people have their heads down around me and are constantly picking up their phones like it's a tic. Rather than sitting with the temporary discomfort of silence that comes with taking in their (possibly new) environment, they'd rather pick up their phone to feel busy or important. It's been an interesting thing I've picked up on.
I have started using Routinery for my morning routine and has helped significantly to stay on task (ADHD). I also love the design. Might be a fun switch from your notes app. ✨
Ooooo!! Thank you for the tip! I'll check it out.
Really loved this post ❤
Thank you!
It's interesting that you mentioned how your brain responded in avoidance when trying to read. I mentioned something similar to a friend recently regarding the initial difficulty in sitting down and trying to focus on reading. At first it seems like a struggle but if you stick around long enough to get over that slump, it becomes so much easier to digest the material you're reading. It's really unnerving when you realize how much our presence on and use of social media has damaged our brains reception to the consumption of good information through longform/slow mediums.
100%! The immediate satiation of short form content has really ruined our practice and appreciation of patience and commitment.
Thank you for sharing this ! I feel I’m exactly in the same spot of no attention span and doomscrolling— definitely taking notes and applying this ASAP. I’m a photographer too so I appreciate the tips for marketing while staying away from the app.
Love this next step and new beginning for you! Thank you for reading!
Loved this... and not only because my pinned note in my phone is exactly "DAILY" with a check list of things
Haha love that!!
I too am taking a break from Instagram. It’s life changing!! I didn’t realize how much it was changing how I felt about myself (in a negative way) or how much nonsense stuff I was buying because I was influenced. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for reading! I’m so glad you’ve already noticed the positive shift!
Randomly stumbled across this post while doing my own social media detox and I also live in Charleston!
awww, I love that! How are you enjoying the detox?
Day one and feeling great!
Awesome! Stick with it — it’s life changing!