Why deleting my Facebook was one of the best decision I’ve ever made
I’m going to be honest with you and say I didn’t actually delete Facebook since I need it for my job, but I did delete the app from my phone and it was life-changing!
If 2019 was, for me, a year of learning and growing, 2020 was supposed the year of “me”. A year of continuing my growth and going after my dreams. A year of travel, seeing new places, and maybe moving abroad. Clearly, 2020 had different plans for me. For all of us.
So when the pandemic closed down whole countries and we were all supposed to stay inside, it was inevitable not to constantly be on social media to keep up to date with the news. This took a turn on me without even realizing it.
I am familiar with panic attacks since I’ve had a handful of them over the years, but this time it was different. Normally when I have panic attacks I can’t breathe and my whole body and mind stop functioning and I can’t move. This time it was a constant state of anxiety. I constantly felt like I couldn’t breathe. My chest was in constant pain and it felt like my throat was closing to the point that I couldn’t even swallow. I got angry when I couldn’t see even a glimpse of hope. At first, I didn’t know what this could be since it never really happened before. At least not on this level. But then I realized that when I started to stay away from Facebook was starting to feel a little bit better. And then when I was back on Facebook, the pain and the lack of breathing were starting again.
So one day it got so bad that I just deleted the app altogether and lo and behold, the pressure and pain I felt in my chest started to disappear.
It’s been around two months since I’ve been off Facebook and it’s such a liberating feeling to be able to breathe again. And not only because of the news. People also played a big part in it. On the one hand, seeing others coping so well (at least on social media) with the quarantine it made me feel like I was doing something wrong because I wasn’t able to do all that they were doing while being locked down. On the other hand, there were others who were just so ignorant about the whole situation that it made me angry.
Do you know the saying that ignorance is bliss? It really is. Not knowing EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON, can be very freeing. I’m not saying to be oblivious and not keep up with the news, but do it selectively and from sources, you trust and know. Plus, avoid reading all the comments and all the conspiracies. It will only make you angry and rest assured that you won’t change anyone’s mind by trying to reason with them.
So what do I do instead of scrolling down on Facebook? I scroll down on Instagram. (Kidding, but not really) Where and when do I get my news? I quickly give a scroll on a couple of news websites in the morning to see the latest updates if I really feel like it. I also have a couple of friends that always find the time to keep me up to date with what’s going on.
In the end, what are the takeaways of this?
- Stop constantly scrolling on social media.
- Get your news from sources you know and trust.
- Find something useful or entertaining to do with your time instead of following all the negative news going on in the world.
- The FOMO is real, but sometimes it’s better to miss out than to lose yourself in the online chaos.
- Your mental health is important for your well-being so make sure you’re you put that above anything else.
Now I’m curious how have you dealt with all this news influx during quarantine and what do you do for your mental health and well-being?
