Why I Quit Social Media

Key wellness / self-care strategies & productivity tips

• Quit or significantly reduce social media to improve mental health

  • Rationale: social media can feel less social, creates comparison/competition, and adds mental “noise.”
  • Reported outcomes: better focus, less boredom/fatigue, and improved sleep, mood, and overall well-being.

• Do a “social media fast” (time-bound detox rather than moderation)

  • Tried approach: delete social media for a full week (example includes a 7-day fast).
  • Key methodology points:
    • It “has to be” long enough for the body/brain to decompress—a 5-minute break may not produce noticeable effects.
    • A fast requires full “turning off”; moderation or constant nibbling won’t deliver the same benefit.

• Use simple rules to remove ambiguity

  • Rule 1: All social media banned (no exceptions/acceptable use).
  • Rule 2: Allowed alternatives during the fast:
    • Audiobooks
    • Podcasts
    • Long-form, headphone-based conversations during workouts or activities—meant to replace compulsive checking with deeper input.

• Replace scrolling with productive, grounding activities

  • After reducing/quit: fill time with more productive things.
  • Benefit noted: feeling “young again” and experiencing time as slower once scrolling stops.

• Track what becomes visible when attention stops being hijacked

  • After disengaging, people reported:
    • Noticing more in the environment
    • Seeing more of their own thoughts and emotions
    • Becoming aware of previously overlooked problems (example: toxic turf in the backyard)

• Frame disengagement as nervous-system safety

  • Advice theme: it’s safe for the nervous system to disengage, and it’s possible to be more alive without being driven by the algorithm.

Presenters / sources

• Brian Johnson (referenced as “Brian Johnson” and “I’m not Antonio, I’m Brian Johnson.”)
• Antonio (referenced only indirectly as the speaker name corrected to “Brian”)