Digital wellbeing
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Access social media only via a desktop browser rather than mobile apps to limit mindless scrolling.
The friction of using a computer makes it easier to stop after a short period.
3 people, independently
Leave negative platforms like Threads or Bluesky if they cause distress, accepting that it feels awful at first.
Eventually you may wonder why you felt you needed them.
- It feels awful at first.
one person who lived it
Switch your phone display to grayscale and cut down on the interface to reduce visual stimulation.
It helps reduce phone usage by making the device less engaging.
2 people, independently
Remove apps from your home screen and set a daily time cap on them to create friction against automatic scrolling.
Small friction reveals how often you open apps with zero intention.
one person who lived it
Perform a mandatory task, such as reading or push-ups, every time you pick up your phone to check an app.
This helps wean off phone usage while building a good habit.
one person who lived it
Commit to a longer detox period, such as 30 days, because awareness fades and relapse is likely if the break is too short.
One day leaves you very aware, but slowly you give in.
one person who lived it
Bookmark e-zines and blogs for long-form reading to improve attention span.
It helps your attention span.
one person who lived it
Block triggers that cause you to feel sucked into social media.
Social media is asynchronous and no one will fault you for being slow to reply.
one person who lived it
Sit in silence without your phone and stay mindful of chewing, taste, and nourishment while eating.
One person found this experience blissful.
one person who lived it
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Replace social media scrolling with physical activities like yoga and meal prepping during the initial withdrawal phase.
It helps manage the boredom and restlessness of having nothing to scroll, and conditions improve over time.
- The first month can be brutal, boring, and antsy.
one person who lived it
Set your phone screen to black and white.
It makes the phone boring and lifeless, removing interest in scrolling social media.
one person who lived it
Take a week-long staycation focused exclusively on building desired habits.
Without work, you have no excuse for being too tired to perform the habits.
one person who lived it
Replace the urge to scroll with specific activities like reading, exercising, learning new skills, or playing games.
It can redirect dopamine cravings toward productive or relaxing outlets.
6 people, independently
Implement a weekly social media detox schedule, such as detoxing Thursday through Sunday.
It makes you feel more present with work and family and more productive.
one person who lived it
Set a morning routine involving reading, prayer, or journaling to start the day peacefully without social media.
It creates a peaceful start to the day.
one person who lived it
Prepare for people not knowing you are offline or missing life events, but embrace the resulting solitude.
The feeling goes away and becomes refreshing.
one person who lived it
Accept that deleting social media may reveal who your true inner circle is.
Drifting from people after deletion indicates they were not part of your necessary inner circle.
one person who lived it
Actively maintain your detox by not re-downloading apps after a few days and avoiding other media pages with spare time.
Using spare time on other media makes no difference.
one person who lived it
Tell close friends and family about your decision to quit social media so they can keep you in the loop via direct messages.
Close contacts may make an effort to stay connected through other channels.
one person who lived it
Join local groups based on a hobby or issue you care about to meet people in person.
It provides opportunities for actual conversation and makes introducing yourself to strangers less awkward.
one person who lived it
Be present in the moment instead of thinking about how to display experiences online.
Thinking about future posts overshadows the experience and prevents enjoying the moment.
2 people, independently
View boredom as a reset button where ideas start showing up again.
one person who lived it
Make phone calls to friends and family to talk and check in, replacing shallow interactions with genuine conversation.
It improved the quality of relationships.
one person who lived it
To decide whether to quit, imagine describing your life to future generations ten years from now and consider if you want them to know you spent hours daily watching others' lives online.
one person who lived it
Allocate more time to studying, working, working out, and enjoying life slower after quitting social media.
It allows for happier processing of life without social media.
one person who lived it
Recognize that social media is designed like high-sugar food to keep you constantly hungry for more.
one person who lived it
Leave your phone in another room during the night and immediately after waking up to reduce immediate digital stimulation.
To see what you actually think without immediate distraction.
one person who lived it
Consider using a basic 'go phone' temporarily to experience freedom from smartphone culture.
one person who lived it
Focus on undistracted, meaningful face-to-face connections with friends.
one person who lived it
Get a new phone with only bare minimum apps and a minimalist launcher to reduce temptation.
one person who lived it
Start your day without checking social media to avoid being influenced by algorithms and maintain happiness.
It helps maintain autonomy and happiness by avoiding algorithmic influence.
one person who lived it
Identify and unsubscribe from 'rage farmer' accounts that provoke anger for ad revenue.
one person who lived it
Realize that modern life is designed to keep you constantly plugged in, which explains why disconnecting feels difficult.
one person who lived it
Adopt a 'no screens' approach rather than just avoiding social media, to prevent replacing scrolling with pointless shows, gaming, or useless research.
one person who lived it
Avoid relying on social media as your primary source for discovering local events or places.
one person who lived it