I Gave Up Facebook For 6 Months, Here Is What Happened

I gave up Facebook because Facebook and I have never been friends.

In fact, I've despised Facebook for as long as I can remember. 

Facebook Was Unhealthy For Me

I hated its ability to make me uncomfortable, and critical, of myself.  I hated watching people do one thing and completely advertise another.  I couldn't stand being at group events when people would leverage Facebook posts as a means to gossiping. My gosh, I hated the constant political battles.

Mostly, I hated how it made me feel completely insecure about my own life. It was toxic.

There is something about putting yourself out there and fearing for your life that people are judging you for it, whether it be a photo, a post, a quote, or even a comment on someone else's content. 

And it isn't the people we are attempting to network with that get us, it's the people we have known the longest.  These are the people that can hold that kind of power over us.  We simply care about their opinion, too much. 

I finally said enough is enough...

I deactivated Facebook. No more creeping on people, wondering who liked what, who is doing what when, why I wasn't invited, etc..

Giving up Facebook didn't mean the world ended.  I didn't lose friends, I didn't receive concerned emails, and quite frankly, hardly anyone noticed.  

ONLY I DID.

My mental health improved drastically once I did.

How Giving Up Facebook Changed My Life

I WASTED LESS TIME

It’s amazing how much time somebody wastes on Facebook in a given day. I took that energy and redirected it elsewhere.

The time spent on Facebook was now spent researching other people and their online endeavors. This would eventually lead to me starting my own business. I became inspired by tons of people on different platforms that gave me an entirely different perspective of online networking.

Taking a step away from the personal side of Facebook was one of the best ways that I can focus my digital energy in research, development, and entrepreneurial ideas. This made me feel much more better about myself as well.

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND

With Facebook, out of sight literally means out of mind. Once I deactivated Facebook I didn't look back. I didn't think about it, the people on it, (not to offend my wonderful friends and family though!) or reactivating it. The mental time that would have been spent on Facebook had been completely redirected elsewhere.

There was no more frustration towards friends or family. There was no more insecurities about my online “popularity” which is completely dictated by algorithms (but most people don’t realize it). I was in a much more healthier state of mind.

I JOINED NEW NETWORKS

I didn’t just drop off social media altogether. Instead I joined other platforms, particularly Instagram.

Now I know everyone is like “why would you leave one platform to join another?”. However, the truth is that these platforms I could start fresh on. I could create audiences that weren’t personal. I could be the person I wanted to be without being judged. When you aren’t worried about what your friends and family thinks, you tend to be a lot more bold and creative.

I was still interested in social media, I just needed to feel comfortable enough to post the things I wanted, and not feel criticized for it. This type of confidence is incredibly important when developing an online business.

I OVERCAME MY SOCIAL MEDIA ANXIETY

The more you post, the more you realize the world isn't going to end if you post something that isn't a "mega hit". Suddenly confidence starts setting in and it becomes fun. Being on platforms that allow you to advertise yourself to people who are interested in your niche... rather than your personal life, is the best. thing. ever. 

If there is one thing I want people to take away from this article, it’s that.

I FOUND THE VALUE IN SOCIAL MEDIA

There is money in social media.  There are friendships that can be made on social media. There are so many opportunities in life that can only be found on social media!

Finding like minded people, meeting them and bouncing ideas off of them, joining them in an adventure are gifts the modern world gets from social media.

By stepping away from my inner circle on Facebook, and connected with people who had the same interests as me around the country, changed my life for the better.

I REACTIVATED MY ACCOUNT

Finally, after 6 months of evaluating myself, my goals, and my mental health - I decided to reactive it.

This time, however, it was for an entirely different purpose. This time was business.

Clients and businesses use Facebook as a means of communicating with their internal groups. They share ideas, they network, and essentially hold meetings through their Facebook groups. I was actually given an ultimatum. 

If you want to grow in the online space as an entrepreneur - you will need to accept Facebook.

Now days, I don’t use my Facebook personal account for anything. I only use Facebook for business.  I use it to promote my writing, videos, grow my oudoors Facebook page, communicate in blog groups, and network.  I also communicate with friends and family, who have been incredibly supportive, despite my initial concerns.

I'm not afraid to post things that benefit my business or me.

Learning How To Gain a Healthier Mindset With Social Media

I guess the only person with the actual problem was me. Once I learned the benefit of Facebook and stopped being driven by my insecurities, I developed an entirely new, beneficial relationship with the platform.

Facebook makes me money.

So what do I recommend? If you are currently using Facebook for business , don't give it up.  If you only use it to keep track of friends and family, then sometimes a break can allow you to realize just how much free time you actually have, and how you want to use it.