Sis!!! I am coming off of a 31 Day Social Media Cleanse that I completed this January, and I cannot tell you how good it felt. I know it feels like we’re missing out when we’re off social media for any period of time, but trust me, that feeling does wear off!

WHY A SOCIAL MEDIA FAST?

I felt God calling me to get off of social this January in late October of 2021. I was a little hesitant, but it was so direct and so very contrary to what I would do on my own that I knew it had to be Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. I prepared my mind and my content, and when I shared the news with a few close friends, I shared the very reason I had peace with all of it. “What my God wants, He gets.” After all, I knew that if He was calling me to do this, it would benefit me far greater than I knew.

It is January 28, and I have yet to jump back on social media, but I feel so good. I joined two new teams and I made the commitment to spend intentional time developing my writing in December. I cannot believe how much it was once everything kicked off this year! In addition to all of that, the nonprofit I direct started contracting ministry partners to work with this month. Talk about full. As I learned how to flow with this new routine, there were days I literally sighed in relief that I didn’t have to worry about planning or prepping a reel. The social media cleanse led me to really focus on my soul care, and it was fabulous!

WINNING AT THE WRONG THINGS

This year, my word could very well be margin. It’s not, but it could be because I am pursuing it like…well, I don’t know what, but I’m pursuing it. Giggle, giggle. I have to. I’m tired of running around chasing some imaginary bone that continues to move beyond my grasp every time I close in on it. I’m tired of trying to keep up with people who haven’t given me a second thought. I’m tired of giving my family the leftovers. I got ahead of it last year, and this social media cleanse was the one thing I needed to start the year off prioritizing the best things first.

Did you know that we could win at the wrong things? What good is it if we grow our following and lose our self esteem, caught up in constant comparisons? What good is it if we miss the most important moments in life trying to look important? May I repeat one of the most profound questions ever asked throughout eternity? What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Whether you’re seeing this in January or it’s August, it is never too late to go on your own social media cleanse. If you want to go cold turkey, feel free. If however, you have a few more loose ends to tie up before you say bye-bye 👋, these suggestions may help you.

• Begin to ask yourself what you could really use the extra time to accomplish. Remember, we have to have a vision so we don’t give up midway. Is it more time with family? Is it intentional time getting back to yourself? Could your business or ministry benefit from some undistracted work time?
• Remember that while it may cost you, the pros will always outweigh the cons. The Sabbath was the only day God called holy, and when we take breaks, we come back more reenergized, recharged, and ready to engage.
• Prepare your audience by building up your email list to maintain contact. You don’t have to go around telling everyone, “I’m going to be taking a break,” unless you want to. You can make it fun and mysterious, citing random benefits or hosting a fun surprise giveaway for those who join your email list.
• Consider prepping content in advance and posting it to Facebook’s scheduling system. Once again, no one has to know you took a break, unless you want them to know.
• Pray that God moves in your heart and your time so that you can truly take advantage of it. The Bible tells us we don’t have to be anxious for anything, and even though it might try to sneak in for a moment, it will go away. Just refocus your energy and attention.

NEED A LITTLE EXTRA SUPPORT?

If you’re anything like me, I know you need accountability. Listen in to season three of The Best Kept Secret for a few beautiful productivity tips that will help you recognize where your energy will be best spent. This year, we’re prioritizing the meaningful over the millions of things the world tells us we should be doing. I also have a little newsletter I release every other week to help you keep first things first, too. Let’s do life together.

I’m sure I missed a tip or two. Do you have any suggestions to make our social media cleanse more effective? Can you drop ’em below? Thanks, sis.

A Week In My Life During My Social Media Cleanse

Want to see what a week in my life during my social media cleanse looked like? Watch this video to find out.