My 40 day experiment: What I learned about detoxing from social media

My 40 day experiment

Social media has been part of most people’s daily routine for years now. It’s a quick way to connect, learn, share and entertain ourselves. Whether it’s scrolling through Facebook, watching endless dog and cat videos on Instagram, or reading the latest updates from friends and influencers, social media has become a major time filler. I too, was caught in its grip, spending hours mindlessly browsing as a way to unwind, catch up on the latest trends, and simply pass the time.

However, as my social media usage gradually increased, I decided to detox from this habit. I set a personal challenge: cut out Facebook and Instagram for 40 days. Here is what I discovered along the way.

Week 1: The struggle is real

At first, it was tough! Facebook and Instagram were ingrained in my routine and a first port of call for entertainment in my down-time. It was hard to resist the strong pull. 

During the first week, I felt like I was missing out. There was an undeniable craving to grab my phone and scroll through my feed. I wanted to have access to all the entertainment and interesting information I had grown used to. The habit was hard to break!

Week 2: Adjusting

With each passing day, I began to recognise the impact these habits were having on me, especially how much time was slipping away in small chunks that added up quickly. By the end of the second week, I started to adjust. The cravings to scroll had become less frequent. Instead of reaching for my phone out of habit, I became more mindful of my actions. If I did check social media, I limited myself to only a brief moment, checking in briefly and quickly closing the apps afterward. 

There was a sense of empowerment in being able to control my social media use. I didn’t feel like I was at the mercy of my feeds anymore. Instead of scrolling endlessly, I was becoming more intentional with my time. 

Week 3: The power of fewer distractions

By the third week I experienced increased productivity and mental clarity as social media distractions faded. With more uninterrupted time, I could focus on meaningful activities and became more aware of subtle moments where I avoided discomfort (by turning to social media). I allowed myself to get to know the discomforts that arose, such as boredom, restlessness etc. This led me to greater emotional insight and a chance to do something about it. So with my spare time I explored hobbies which felt productive and rewarding. I revisited old hobbies and took up new ones to see what would capture my inerest. I started painting and drawing, reading novels that I really enjoyed, dancing and spent more time outdoors. 

Week 4 and onwards 

In the final weeks, I noticed that I felt less interested in turning to social media content and referred more readily to alternative ways of accessing information that I was interested in. What I found too was that returning briefly to Instagram and Facebook highlighted how overwhelming and overstimulating the platform had become for me. The flood of rapid, attention-grabbing content felt excessive and left me questioning the effects of the information overload—that our society regards as ‘normal’—on my mind.

40 days after the detox

Observing myself 40 days on from my social media detox, I continue to notice how mindful I have become of not getting lost in mindless scrolling. Self awareness is still required when scrolling but what has been particularly unexpected is that my new mindful scrolling has expanded across all social media platforms, not only Facebook and Instagram. 

After the initial struggle to overcome my reliance on social media, I am relieved to say that I have maintained my new habit of limiting myself to only brief moments on social media at a time.

Taking time off from social media wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth it for me. It gave me the chance to regain my leisure time, sharpen my focus and notice the negative impact that mindless scrolling was having on my mind and on my life. While I don’t plan on cutting social media out entirely, I now believe that I have a healthier relationship with it and can recommend giving it a go if you feel that you are too dependent on it.

7 Steps that helped to change my habits

Here are 7 steps that I found essential to change my habit of mindlessly social media scrolling that may help you:

1. Prayer: If you see the exercise as a spiritual practice and an opportunity to grow spiritually through your challenges, prayer can help to stay focused on a higher purpose for achieving your goal. 

2. Set Time Limits: Use app timers or phone settings to restrict daily usage and prevent mindless scrolling.

3. Create No-Phone Zones: Designate areas or times (like meals, bedtime, or work hours) where your phone is off-limits.

4. Replace the Habit: Swap scrolling with a more intentional activity—reading, journaling, walking or a quick breathing exercise, especially during boredom or stress.

5. Turn Off Notifications: Disable non-essential alerts to reduce the urge to constantly check apps and break the trigger-response cycle.

6. Use Social Media Intentionally: Set a purpose before opening an app (e.g., messaging a friend or checking a resource) and close the app once that task is complete.

7. Track your progress: Keep a journal of your progress, it helps to keep you focused on your goal and be able to reflect on your own journey.

If my story inspires you to find your own benefits to detoxing from social media scrolling, I'd love to hear how you go and how it impacted you!