The Freedom of Disconnecting: What I Learned from Quitting Social Media
Three months ago, I made a choice that has profoundly changed my daily life: I stopped using social media on my phone.
It started with a five-day water fast, a journey into inner health and reset. By the second day of the fast, I realized something remarkable: I no longer wanted my phone. My dopamine pathways had shifted. My relationship with distraction had changed.
Since then, I haven’t opened a single social media app on my phone, and the results have been undeniable.
What Changed
Energy levels: I have more energy in the afternoons and no longer feel drained by mindless scrolling.
Productivity: Without constant distractions, I can focus, complete tasks, and get more done in less time.
Presence: I’m fully present with my family, no longer half-looking at a screen while life passes by.
Sleep quality: I wake up more refreshed, rested, and ready to tackle the day.
Calmer nervous system: My overall stress levels have decreased, and I feel more grounded.
Before this change, social media had begun to dominate my attention. I’d find myself checking it while driving, during conversations, and at times when I should have been present. The endless comparison, looking at what everyone else was doing and what I wasn’t, was draining my motivation and energy.
The Power of Seeing Life for Yourself
Around the same time, I read something in Matthew McConaughey’s book that struck me deeply. He recounted that his mother would tell him:
"Are you just going to sit there and watch somebody else live their life when you could go out and have those experiences yourself?"
This idea resonated immediately. It became a lesson I now share with my daughters: Are you going to sit and watch life through a screen, or are you going to go out and live it yourself?
By disconnecting from social media and being more intentional with my time, I’ve reclaimed a sense of living my life fully, without constantly comparing myself to curated versions of other people’s lives.
A Reflection for You
Social media isn’t inherently bad, but it can subtly steal our time, energy, and attention. It can pull us into comparison, distraction, and detachment from what matters most.
Ask yourself:
How much time do I spend on social media each day?
Am I comparing myself unnecessarily?
Is my screen time serving me, or is it running me?
Am I watching other people live their lives instead of creating my own?
The truth is, when we reclaim our attention, when we choose presence over distraction, we create space to write our own story, intentionally, fully, and with energy for what truly matters.
Disconnection has given me clarity, focus, and freedom. I encourage you to explore what it might do for you.
Chris.