It’s amazing to see how media consumption has changed over the past couple decades. You might consider a media fast if you feel stressed or overwhelmed, or if there is simply too much going on inside your head. You can see what a media fast did to me or watch the video below.
Why you might need a media fast
Because I was feeling overwhelmed and super stressed, I decided to do a media fast. It felt almost as if I had a media fast. “head clutter.” I had trouble focusing and was feeling stressed. We forget to clear our minds and declutter our stuff. If you’re like me, you don’t even realize how much media you’re consuming or how many hours your spending on your phone (you know– unless you’re an iphone user, and you get that embarrassing screen time notification on Sunday– ugh)!
What media types might you need to stop watching?
Social Media
Instagram was my greatest media stressor. You are allegedly looking at Instagram. “real people” IG. Even though I know that I am seeing only the highlights of their lives and not the entire picture, there is still an element of disconnection where I compare myself to them. It’s easy to imagine moms spending so much of their time with their perfect children, helping them lose weight and get healthy. It all just sits there in my head, making me feel inadequate.
I quit looking at IG 6 months ago. And it was a huge help. I feel better mentally and better about myself. I am back on IG Stories to share my stories, but this time I have more control over what I consume.
Facebook and Pinterest could also be included in this category. While Pinterest can be very helpful, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ideas it offers. Pinterest can inspire me to organize my house and make it more organized. It’s impossible.
Video/Entertainment
I’m talking about Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube– I didn’t really cut much out here because for me it wasn’t the biggest problem. It’s possible to spend too much time on TV but it didn’t cause me stress or take up too much space in the head.
YouTube is more social than social media. However, I tend to look at it when I am looking for something specific.
Additional reading: goorganizedhq.com