I Quit Social Media for 4 Months

Last year, I went off the grid for four months. Why? Because I wanted to be mysterious. That’s quite literally the short answer.

However, if I ever had a blog  where I could dive into the real tea and share things people might actually relate to, I’d tell you this: I unplugged from social media because it felt incredibly superficial and suffocating. Every post I saw was a glaring reminder of how much of a failure I felt like and how much potential I was wasting by doom-scrolling my days away. As you can probably guess, I wasn’t in the best place mentally.

My days had started to blur together-wake up, scroll, go about life half-heartedly, scroll some more, fall asleep to the blue light of my phone screen.

Social media had become a crutch, but instead of holding me up, it felt like it was dragging me further down. And yet, I couldn’t stop.

It was as if I was looking for some kind of permission, permission to pause, to fail, to exist without needing to prove something to an audience of strangers. But no matter how much I scrolled, that validation never came.

Social media had started to feel like a game I couldn’t win, no matter how much effort I put in. Everyone was out there thriving, posting career milestones, exotic vacations, and those “just got engaged!” photo dumps. It wasn’t just comparison; it was this weird, endless loop of comparison and shame. It felt like being stuck in a room full of people shouting their accomplishments while I sat in the corner, questioning if I had anything worth shouting about.

One day, as I stared blankly at yet another video of someone’s “day in the life,” it hit me: I wasn’t living my own. The reality was hard to swallow, I was so busy watching other people thrive that I’d forgotten to focus on my own growth. That realization was the slap in the face I didn’t know I needed.

So, I did something drastic (at least by modern standards): I deleted all the apps. I turned off my notifications and put my phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode. I told myself it was just a temporary experiment, a way to clear my head. But deep down, I hoped it would be the reset I desperately needed.

What I didn’t realize at the time was just how much those four months offline would change me. I went into it thinking I’d find a little peace, but I ended up finding so much more—a new sense of clarity, creativity, and connection with myself that I hadn’t felt in years.

You may be wondering, “Well, Akos, how can I stop being on social media? My whole life revolves around it, my friends, my family, my content!” Blah blah blah. Here’s the thing: before you were born, our parents, foremothers, and forefathers survived just fine without social media. Think about that for a second. They thrived, they connected, and they lived. So, ask yourself, would it actually kill you to just… stop?

No, like seriously. Just stop.

The world has tricked us into thinking we have to be in constant “go mode.” Always grinding, always chasing, always doing. But for what? A little dopamine hit from likes? A resume of accomplishments that we carry into retirement with back pain and arthritis as our only rewards? Just stop. Let things be.

I’m not saying it’s easy-trust me, I know it’s not but it’s necessary. We’ve been conditioned to believe that productivity and visibility are the measures of our worth. But what if we flipped the script? What if we paused, stepped back, and allowed ourselves to just exist without feeling the need to perform?

Social media is a performance, and we’re all jesters dancing to the tune of its greed. But here’s the thing you’re not Zendaya or Viola Davis. You’re not winning a Golden Globe for it, so why are we trying so hard to impress an audience that doesn’t really care?

I’m saying all this to bring your mind to a point: social media has turned us into performers in a play no one asked to watch. We bend, twist, and contort ourselves to fit an algorithm, chasing applause that’s fleeting and empty. But what’s the cost? Our time, our energy, our peace. The question isn’t whether you can step away. It’s whether you’re willing to reclaim your life from the grip of a screen.

So im asking you this: what if you just stopped?

What helped me detox

When I decided to step away from social media, I didn’t have a detailed plan. All I had was a desperate need for clarity, peace and a dream. But as the days turned into weeks, I started to find small ways to make the detox sustainable. Here’s what helped:

1. Deleting the Apps

Let’s start with the obvious: I deleted the apps. Tiktok, Instagram, Pinterest—I mean all the apps that distracted me. This wasn’t a half-hearted “let me put them in a folder” situation. I pressed delete. Out of sight, out of mind. It wasn’t easy.

I caught myself unlocking my phone out of habit and staring at the empty spaces where Instagram and TikTok used to be. But after a while, the muscle memory faded, and so did the urge to scroll.

2. Turning Off Notifications

My phone went into full “Do Not Disturb” mode. I turned off notifications for everything except calls and texts from close friends and family. This simple step changed everything. Without the constant pings, my phone stopped feeling like an extension of me.

3. Rediscovering Old Hobbies

Remember hobbies? Things you used to love before your life became a highlight reel? Yeah, me neither at first. But the silence of being offline gave me space to rediscover them. I started journaling again, reading books that had been collecting dust, and taking ‘hot girl walks’ while blasting my favorite playlists (add me on Spotify, by the way). These small joys reminded me what it felt like to actually live in the moment.

Reconnecting with nature, catching up with family and old friends, and even picking up new hobbies like baking and cooking became my go-to ways to fill the social media void. Not only did they help with the urge to scroll, but they also became acts of self-care, ways of pouring back into myself, of giving myself life again after being drained by the vices of social media

4. Replacing Mindless Scrolling with Mindful Activities

Every time I felt the urge to grab my phone, I replaced it with something intentional. A quick stretch. A glass of water. Journaling my thoughts. At first, it felt silly—like I was trying too hard to distract myself from what I really wanted to do (scroll, obviously). But over time, those small acts of mindfulness started to add up in ways I didn’t expect.

Stretching turned into a 10-minute yoga session, which helped clear my mind and loosen the tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying. That glass of water? It became part of a larger habit of staying hydrated, something I’d neglected while endlessly refreshing my feeds. And journaling? It started as a way to pass the time but soon became a daily ritual of self-reflection—a space where I could untangle my thoughts and actually process what was going on in my life.

The beauty of mindfulness is that it forces you to be present. When you replace scrolling with something intentional, no matter how small, you reclaim moments that would otherwise disappear into the void. These moments become opportunities to check in with yourself, to breathe, to exist. It’s a quiet rebellion against the noise of the digital world, a way of saying ‘This time belongs to me.’

What I learned is that mindfulness doesn’t have to mean meditating for an hour or retreating to the mountains (although, if that’s your thing, go for it). It’s in the small, conscious decisions we make throughout the day—decisions that remind us we’re alive and don’t need a screen to feel connected to ourselves.

5. Reevaluating What Matters

Stepping away gave me clarity to see what actually mattered. It wasn’t the curated feeds, the endless scrolling, or the follower count. None of that really made me feel fulfilled. What mattered were the connections—the kind that happen offline, in real time. The kind where you’re fully present, not half-listening while refreshing your notifications.

I started having deeper conversations with family and friends, the kind I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. There’s something so grounding about hearing someone’s laugh in person, not through a meme exchange. I found joy in the little moments—calling a friend instead of DMing, sharing a meal without my phone on the table, or just sitting quietly with someone I care about and feeling that unspoken connection.

And then there was time—something I’d been giving away to my screen without even realizing it. When I stopped scrolling, I felt like I had hours back in my day. Hours to read, to think, to rest, to simply be. It’s wild how much more expansive your life feels when you’re not constantly rushing to consume content.

Stepping away also helped me redefine success. Instead of chasing likes or the illusion of productivity, I started asking myself: Am I happy? Am I at peace? Am I present in the life I’m living? These questions became my compass, helping me focus on what truly adds value to my days. Spoiler alert: none of it had anything to do with algorithms.

The Choice Is Yours

At the end of the day, stepping away from social media isn’t about proving a point or making some grand statement. It’s about choosing yourself—your peace, your time, your connections. It’s about reclaiming the parts of your life that may have been overshadowed by the noise of constant notifications and curated feeds.

I won’t lie and say it’s easy. Breaking away from something so deeply woven into our routines can feel daunting at first. There’s a discomfort that comes with stillness—a sense of FOMO that makes you wonder what you might be missing. But here’s the truth: you’re not missing out on much. The world of social media will always be there, spinning its same predictable cycles. What you might be missing out on, however, is the world right in front of you.

Imagine the time you’d gain if you stepped back, even just a little. The deep conversations you could have. The hobbies you could rediscover. The rest you could give your mind, no longer comparing your every move to the highlight reels of strangers.

If you’ve ever felt the pull to unplug, to step away from the scroll, this is your sign. Start small—delete an app, turn off your notifications, or set boundaries for your screen time. Take a single day, then another. Allow yourself the space to pause and ask, What actually matters to me?

Social media can wait. Life, however, can’t. It’s happening now, in the quiet moments, the messy ones, the beautiful ones. It’s happening offline, beyond the screen, where connection and presence thrive.

So, take the leap. Log off. Reclaim your time. I promise you, the world will keep turning and you might just find that the one you’ve been ignoring is even better than you imagined.

What’s Next?

If you’re ready to start your own digital detox, here are a few simple steps to help you begin:

• Set a specific time to log off each day and stick to it.

• Turn off unnecessary notifications to reduce distractions.

• Replace screen time with a mindful activity like journaling, reading, or walking.

• Reflect on how social media makes you feel.Does it add value to your life, or does it drain you?

Let this be your reminder: you don’t have to perform. You don’t have to scroll. You just have to show up for yourself.

What are some ways you’ve tried detoxing from social media? I’m curious to know!

With love and care,

Akosua ❤