A detox diet from social media for mental health

A few from the city are choosing to say ‘no’ to the all-pervasive social media and are going for a detox

For representational purposes

HYDERABAD: Social media can be a double-edged sword. In the grip of a pandemic that no one has experienced before, people want to be well-informed about the virus, but at the same time, too much negative information can leave our mental health in shambles. That is why, a few from the city are choosing to say ‘no’ to the all-pervasive social media and are going for a detox.

Chhaya Sharma, Instagram influencer and founder of parenting community ‘Hyderabad Moms’, says: “I run a few 24/7 support groups. I also started Covid-19 support groups from last one month. I strongly believe in positivity and positive thoughts, but at times, I have to keep myself away from all negative news to keep myself sane.

There were also a few deaths in family and among friends, which has left me anxious.That is why, I decided to go for a digital detox.  I stopped using social media for sometime. I feel that spending time with my kid makes me forget what’s going on in the outside world. Taking care of my plants and meditation also help me a lot. I stopped my digital marketing company work for three weeks because I was feeling very drained and exhausted. I wanted to spend time helping others rather than working.” 

For Satwik Reddy, an entrepreneur, keeping off social media helped him stop procrastinating. “I also became fed up with fake news articles. With things becoming more and more confusing, I decided to give mindless scrolling a break.” Devender, a network engineer, says that keeping social media at bay made him worry less. “I felt I was spending more time on social media than being productive. So I deleted all apps. I feel better now and am able to focus on work,” he adds.

'Social media creates panic'
Baijesh Ramesh, a clinical psychologist, says: "Everything we read on social media affects the way we think, perceive and relate to situations. During the second wave, our social media feeds were filled with cries for oxygen, hospital beds and ventilators. Though most of it was reality, there were a few exaggerations too. This created a wave of panic among people. I know people who started stocking up on Remdesivir in case they contracted Covid-19. For me, every death started feeling like a personal loss. That is why, in my workshops during the pandemic, I have been advocating a social media detox at least during the weekend. Using it in moderation has helped me.”

'Digital detox has helped me'
Andrew Fleming,  British Deputy High Commissioner to Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, has been doing his bit to highlight 'Mental Health Awareness Week' (May 10-16). He tweeted a series of mental health tips, and one of them was to reduce the use of social media. In one of his tweets, he hailed the Covid warriors of the city and wrote: "For my part, I am trying to minimise social media time during leave for my mental health, but will amplify any of your key tweets. Do not hesitate to DM & I will keep an eye out." When asked if the digital detox is helping him, Andrew said: "I am not able to cut social media consumption totally, but I do feel better. Reduced engagement with news has helped me. I cannot switch off from work if I check at the normal levels."

Kick off your social media detox with these tips

Here are 10 ways to social media detox. It’s not that tough; you just need a bit of willpower and discipline

• First, give it an honest shot. Start with staying away from social media for two-three days, probably over the weekend. If it goes well, extend the duration, this time for four-five days  
• Find a friend to detox with. Check in on each other if you both are doing fine and support each other through the exercise     
• Make a list of the apps and websites you visit the most to interact with people 
• Inform your circle that you would be going offline for a few days
• Clear your phone of all of the social media apps and websites you use every day
• Plan your detox. Distract yourself by reading more, spending time with your family, picking up a hobby, cooking and working out
• Reset your phone security code or pattern. Every time you reach out for your phone, you will end up recollecting the new pass code/design, which gives you time to rethink your action
• Get an alarm clock and immediately stop the habit of setting an alarm on your phone 
• Make a rule that you will not use your phone after a certain time. For example, decide that you will not touch your phone after 10 pm 
• Detoxing can make you restless. So, practise meditation to calm yourself down