What has been your experience with stepping away from social media? Can you even imagine doing it? With summer just around the corner and many people planning vacations and/or trips to visit loved ones, this topic has been on my mind.

Recently I traveled to northeast Oklahoma to spend time with family members. During those few days, I found myself truly relaxing and slowing down. It was good for me.

attorneys and a young hand with a cane. visit the grandchildren

Though I did check my Facebook newsfeed occasionally, I rarely thought about social media during those precious days. Instead, I focused on my loved ones.

This experience reminded me of the importance of taking time away from social media and from the hustle and bustle we find ourselves in every day.

 

Tips for Taking Breaks from Social Media

  • It’s OK to miss the news that constantly flows through social media sites. If something is really important, you will hear about it.
  • Avoid constantly checking your smart phone. I recently heard that people in the millennial generation check their smart phones over 150 times a day! How often do you check? (If you have no idea, consider keeping track for two or three days and taking an average. It’s probably a lot more than you think.)
  • Use other types of communication to stay in touch with family members and friends. Your elders appreciate a phone call or a short note (remember those?). I was reminded of this when talking with my stepmother who so appreciates calls from her family and friends.
  • Really focus on the people you are with – that includes those you see regularly as well as those you have traveled to see (or who have traveled to see you). Ask them questions and relish their stories – even if you have heard them before.
  • After a break, think about which social media sites you hardly missed. Maybe it’s time to close out those accounts and use the time for more experiences “in the real world.”

How About You?

How often do you check your smart phone? What percentage were social media sites? Have you ever taken a break from all social media? What are your tips for doing so? How long were you able to stay away? Which sites did you miss the most?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers' Social Media Tutor

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. She provides social media tutoring and training to business owners, business development professionals, authors, speakers, coaches, business consultants, job seekers, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.