October is here and that means a new challenge!

This month’s challenge is a social media detox 😱
Wait don’t close the page. I know, I know this is going to be a real challenge for some of you. It will definitely be a challenge for me.

Why even do a social media detox I hear you ask?
Sometimes we do things instinctively and we don’t take the time out to way up the positive and negative effects it can have on our health. This isn’t a post to simply tell you that social media is bad. Everyone is different and even though we all may do or partake in the same activity the effect on each one of us as individuals will be different. It’s a really good idea every now and then to step back and review or look closely at what becomes a habit in our lives.

Back to social media, it’s so easy to become part of the crowd and just do things because others are doing it. Now I love social media and I think it’s a great way to share what’s going on with me with my friends and loved one and also see what’s going on with them. But every now and then I notice things that make me question the way I use it, the security and privacy of my information and how easy it is for me to lose hours at a time with nothing to show at the end. I’m sure you have a similar experience.

Use the next month to give yourself a bit of head and breathing space from social media and see what you notice about yourself and others. Use it as a time to build in healthy new habits online and offline.

Enter the challenge.

This time there are 3 different levels of challenge for you to try. Pick the one that suits you.

Green – turn off your notifications. Delete your social media apps and only access them by logging on to a computer

Yellow – limit yourself to no more than 30 mins of social media time each day.

Red – go all in cut out all social media. Use the time you would have been online to connect with others, reading a book, engaging in a new hobby.

Here’s a cool spoken word video talking about having balancing online and office - Can we auto correct humanity

Also if you haven’t already had a read of Molly’s article about some of the positive ways social media can be used for social change.

or have a read of this article it's time to take a break

There are loads of examples of people doing social media detoxes so have a google and see what others have said about their experience.

Happy socialising