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8 Reasons to Take a Social Media Break

Published August 2, 2023 | 5 min read

In our high-tech, uber-connected world, it’s easy to become overstimulated, so taking a social media break from time to time has become an essential part of self-care.

Social media is an excellent tool for those with a business to help you engage clients, increase your brand exposure, and provide you with low-cost marketing.

We all know that Facebook is a powerful social media platform that helps you stay connected to friends and family.

However, you may be guilty of checking things too regularly and staying on a little longer than planned.

Here are seven reasons you should take a social media break and spend less time on Facebook.

Keep reading to learn why you should spend less time on Facebook and take a social media break altogether.

1. Decision Fatigue

Psychologists believe that your decision-making and self-control deteriorate as you make more decisions throughout the day, regardless of their importance (i.e., which Facebook posts to read, respond to, and what to post).

It’s not a coincidence that high achievers (e.g., Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg) wear the same style of clothes daily, as they reserve their decision-making energy for more critical tasks.

2. Loss of Motivation

Your brain is fried once you eventually pull yourself away from the screen after a mammoth session.

You’re not motivated to do the important things you set out to do, as you require time to recuperate and recharge.

That’s why you need a social media break.

3. Delayed Goal Achievement

Every minute you spend reading and reviewing Facebook is another minute you have to delay achieving your day’s goals or life’s ambitions.

For example, if you want to get that article written by 2 p.m. and spend another 45 minutes looking at cat videos, don’t expect your work to be done before 2:45 p.m.

4. Reduced Life Satisfaction

Seeing others posting their latest successes, travels, or restaurant experiences can be significant and motivating.

However, a growing body of evidence shows that social networking can reduce personal life satisfaction.

This may be due to unfair comparisons with others in your network who appear more successful than you.

5. Unrealistic Expectations

People rarely – if ever – post their failures and complete flops for the whole world to see.

Everyone from Jeff Bezos to Richard Branson has had their fair share of troubles, sometimes more than their fair share.

When you only see the successful results that people post, without the required toil, you set yourself up to have unrealistic expectations on how your day, life, or ambitions should pan out.

6. Poorer Health

Computer and smartphone screens are now a well-ingrained part of daily life and jobs.

There’s no getting away from that.

However, why spend even more time looking at an electronic screen during non-working hours?

Study findings show that increased screen time interferes with sleep patterns and may cause eye strain, headaches, and irritability.

Keep yourself healthier by taking a social media break.

7. Opportunity Cost

If you are in front of a screen reading Facebook, it means you are NOT in front of a client, future employer, or sales prospect.

On the face of it, you may have lost little time – but what opportunities have you also missed by reading and posting to social media?

8. Missed Vacations

For every 10 minutes you spend on Facebook throughout the year, you miss over 60 hours of potential working time.

That’s over a week and a half for those working a 40-hour workweek!

Would you instead browse for 10 minutes a day or take that vacation?

Given the above, you need to stack the odds of breaking your Facebook habit in your favor.

Below are some life hacks you can do to get started and keep on track.

What drives you to have a look at your updates?

Is it when you are bored?

Is it at a particular time during the day?

Is it when you’re in a particular place?

Once you are conscious of your triggers, you can plan a different routine to replace your browsing.

Following tip #1, you need to be aware of the perceived reward you get from looking at Facebook.

In one example above, browsing eliminates boredom temporarily.

Therefore, can you do something else to alleviate the boredom that will have a net positive effect and replace browsing?

Make it challenging to check in on updates by pre-planning your environment.

This will make it easier to follow through when your self-control is running low.

For example, you can use browser extensions that limit your time on Facebook or other sites, so you are motivated to use less (e.g., StayFocusd for Google Chrome).

Nothing motivates like competition.

Challenge a friend to see who can stay off Facebook the longest, with the loser having to pay for the winner’s night out.

Ironically, Facebook can track this for both of you!

Or challenge yourself to do a forfeit if any of your friends catch you browsing while they are online themselves.

As you can see, there are many reasons and creative ways for you to, at the very least, reduce your Facebook habit.

It won’t be easy initially, given it is a well-ingrained habit.

However, with some focus, a little persistence, and maybe the help of some well-chosen friends, you can take a social media break – and surprise yourself.