I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I love connecting with my audience and sharing my life in hopes of inspiring and helping other people with parenting and ADHD. But… I hate that I often compare myself to influencers who have a seemingly perfect life. I never want to show up on social media with a highlight reel. You get my good, bad, and ugly. 

I’ve been unplugging from social media more often lately for my mental health. After baby #2, I decided I needed to be present for my child, and I unplugged for about three weeks. It was so great to spend undistracted time with my new baby and my 2-year-old. I didn’t feel the pressure I often do to post something on Instagram and it was amazing.

After listening to this episode, I hope you feel inspired to take some time off social media. It has so many benefits to your mental health and can help reduce ADHD symptoms. Alright, let’s get into the episode before I spoil it all in the introduction!

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• Imposter syndrome
• Social media effect on ADHD
• How to start unplugging from social media
• The benefits of a social media break

Imposter Syndrome

Many of us struggle with imposter syndrome. We scroll mindlessly through perfectly curated pictures of what you THINK your family, home, and life should look like. You’re consumed by ideas and fantasies that you don’t consider your reality, which is perfect and normal the way it is! You don’t have to be like everyone you see on social media. It’s a highlight reel – they’re only posting the perfect parts of their lives, not the messy parts. And everyone has messy parts of life.

The Duo on Air podcast has a great episode about imposter syndrome and tackling perfectionism on social media!

Social Media Effect on ADHD

I always say social media equals ADHD symptoms. It’s hard enough for us to focus, but for us to feel like we aren’t doing enough?! Then, we get distracted and start working on things we shouldn’t be doing. This is the worst hole we can get trapped in.

People with ADHD are very sensitive. Certain things on social media can easily hurt our feelings or make us feel like we aren’t enough. And when we’re bombarded with those feelings every day, we can lash out at the people around us in anger, sadness, depression, anxiety, and many other ways.

Unplugging from social media causes you to have a different approach and mindset when you eventually come back from your social media break. It’s a good thing to step away for a bit and come back!

How to Start Unplugging from Social Media

Some of us don’t want to unplug from social media. It’s how we stay connected to family and friends, research new things, and get inspired. I get it. I’m not denying the perks of social media. But we need to start setting boundaries and unplugging from social media so we can enjoy it and not feel stressed by it. Here are some ways to take a social media break.

1. Fully unplug for one day per week.

For me, I unplug on Sundays. I know unplugging isn’t good for the ‘algorithm’ (😒), but it’s good for me. Thats what matters. I spend quality time with my family and reset for the week. I actually don’t use my phone at all on Sundays. I’m completely present with my family. So 

2. Set time boundaries.

Decide when you’ll get on social media and when you’ll get off it each day. I get on social media around 10 am after I work out, shower, and eat breakfast. I get off social media two hours before bedtime. This helps reduce the mindless scrolling people with ADHD can get trapped in!

3. Unfollow people who are bringing you down.

This could include your friends or family. It could be accounts that you used to think were fun to engage with. Think about if an account is bringing you value. It’s okay to follow influencers as long as you’re getting something useful out of their content and it isn’t making you feel worse about yourself. 

Structure to social media can help reduce your screen time and improve your mental health.

The Benefits of Unplugging from Social Media

Now, let’s talk about some benefits of unplugging from social media.

1. The time you get back in your day.

How much time do you think you waste scrolling on social media? Mine is probably embarrassingly high! It happens so fast. I get on Instagram to check in, and then all of a sudden, 30 minutes have passed! And that happens multiple times a day! Imagine what we could do with an extra hour or two back in our day. You could achieve all the goals you set! 

Decluttering is a great use of your time away from social media! Download my free guide to help you get started!

2. You’ll be in a better mood.

Instead of comparing yourself to everyone on social media, you’ll be more content with the life you have. You’ll be happier and more optimistic about your day. You aren’t experiencing imposter syndrome because you aren’t surrounding yourself with ‘perfection’. 

3. You’ll have better relationships.

When you don’t spend as much time on your phone, you have better relationships with the people around you. You’re focusing on quality time with them by doing things together offline. You make more plans with people and go out and do more things. Don’t forget about the world you ACTUALLY live in, now the one you have online!

Feel free to reach out to me on social media (haha) and let me know your thoughts on this episode. I’m excited to talk to you about how social media impacts you (whether or not you have ADHD) and if you’ve unplugged before and seen benefits. 

If you liked this episode, check out…

Episode 4: How I Manage my ADHD Without Medication

Episode 7: Finding Balance with Compassion and Discipline

Episode 19: Declutter Your Mind: Decluttering Tips for ADHD Management in Adults