This post may contain affiliate links, and may use advertising partners which may display ads. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more at the bottom of this page or see the full disclaimer for details.
If you find it difficult to stay off social media and feel like it has a hold on your life, or you like the convenience of using it to manage your life and business but can’t handle the constant exposure to headlines and conflict, this post is for you. Here I will share 5 ways to stay off social media for your mental health, even if you need it for your life and business.
If you want your whole household to become more screen free, you may love this post about 31 screen free activities for kids that’ll actually give moms a mental break.
In this post…
Protecting Your Peace as a Mom by Leaving Social Media
If you have a phone, or even an internet connection, you hear the news. The tragedies and the violence.
The headlines are awful enough, but what really undoes me are the comments and the posts. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to argue, justify, or point fingers. And I just sit there frozen, my chest tight, thinking… we were never meant to carry all of this.
It hit me that my mind, my nervous system, and even my spirit were being pulled into battles that weren’t mine to fight. And I’m guessing you’ve felt this too.
Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Nervous Systems
When we see these constant headlines and images, no matter where we stand politically, our nervous systems take a hit. Again and again, our bodies react as though danger is happening right in front of us.
Normally, when you are in a heated argument with someone, the hormones spike and the blood pressure rises. Our nervous systems go into overdrive. Sometimes it takes a while to cool down.
But on social media, not only are we hit with the headlines themselves, we’re bombarded with the opinions of others we normally wouldn’t see or hear. And when those opinions feel false, twisted, or dismissive, our minds scramble to push back. We think of comebacks and counterarguments, again and again, and whether we actually comment back or not, before we know it we have wasted so much time and energy on battles that bring no peace and have changed nothing. Mentally, we are constantly in arguments… our nervous systems in “fight” mode.
What was once harmless scrolling now feels more like standing in a crowded room where everyone is yelling at each other, but no one is listening.
It’s no wonder all of us are drained, anxious, and discouraged.
How Social Media Changed How We See The World
There was a time when we only knew what was happening in our homes, our churches, and maybe through the evening news or the local paper. Today, we are bombarded with images, opinions, and details every hour of every day. And while technology connects us in amazing ways, the constant exposure is leaving so many of exhausted, anxious, and completely weighed down.
I decided to get rid of social media and figured out a way to manage my online business without it (read about that here!), but sometimes even that isn’t enough to limit media exposure.
That’s how I knew, more than ever, how important it was to step back, and to choose peace over panic.
Why We Weren’t Made for Constant Media Exposure
Our brains and bodies are incredible, but they weren’t designed to process thousands of tragic headlines or millions of clashing opinions… at once. The weight of the world starts to feel like ours, and before we know it, we’re running on empty. Instead of focusing on my child’s meals for the day, I am grieving the mother of two lost in a car wreck in a far away state, or anxious about when the next act of violence will be and if it will be close to home.
We confuse what is our burden with what isn’t. Yes, God calls us to love, to pray, and to carry each other’s struggles. But He never asked us to absorb the weight of every tragedy on the planet, and to try and change everyone’s minds regarding such events.
Even Jesus, who came to save the world, knew that not everyone would listen or understand. Some people still walked away unchanged.
When we try to carry everything, we end up anxious, distracted, and disconnected from the very people we can impact—our kids, our marriages, our closest friends.
5 Practical Steps to Protect Your Peace by Disconnecting from Social Media
So how do we step back without disconnecting completely (as tempting as that is)? Short of unplugging completely (which I did and which is what inspired this new way of life), here’s what I’ve been practicing:
- Remove social media apps from your phone. If you need them for business, manage them through something like Meta Business Suite or Tailwind. That way, you can post and check in without getting sucked into the scroll. (I wrote more about how I use this tool in my post about managing an online business without being glued to your phone.)
- Choose trusted news sources sparingly. Instead of hearing every opinion on every issue, and seeing hundreds of dramatic headlines designed for clicks, I’ve learned to check in once or twice a day from sources I trust. That’s it. My favourite place for this is Substack — I get updates from publishers I trust right into my inbox.
- Lean on your inner circle. Conversations with people who truly lift me up—friends, mentors, or family—always bring me back to what matters. If a conversation turns toxic or dismissive, I give myself permission to let it go and simply pray for them. If you constantly engage in conversation with people who refuse to see nuance or be respectful, no matter their view or relationship to you, just move on. That said, you may not agree with everyone in your inner circle, and that’s ok… you also don’t want to put yourself in an echo chamber. You just want to find people who are compassionate and careful and have an open mind. But if you are in a fragile place, speak with someone who understands what you are feeling and why you are feeling it. You won’t be able to debate healthily with an activated nervous system… let that come later.
- Unload what you’re carrying. Journaling, prayer, talking with a counsellor, or even just sharing with a safe friend or mentor helps me hand the weight back over. Sometimes I literally have to say out loud, “This isn’t mine to carry,” and I feel my shoulders unclench.
- Care for your body. Our physical rhythms matter. Eating well, moving our bodies, and fuelling with things that support, not drain, our energy makes a huge difference. This is where my greens, energy fizz, and meal replacement shake posts come in. It’s not about products, it’s about learning that when I’m nourished, my mind and spirit are steadier. Check out this post about small grounding habits you can try in moments of overwhelm.
Unique Ways to Limit Your Social Media Exposure
If you have a hard time disconnecting from social media, chances are you have a smart phone. And chances are this smart phone has a “down time” feature. I have attempted to use this feature many times, by turning it on at night time (which is what the “down time” name seems to suggest). But what I never realized is that I don’t have a social media problem at night time when I’m sleeping. I have a problem when I am up with my kids.
So I set the down time feature for when I want to be present with my kids during the day. It’s been a game changer. The default setting are the evening, but for, from the hours of 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (their bed time), I cannot access any apps except for texts, calls, messenger, email, camera, and internet. I personally don’t have any social media apps on my phone, but if I did I would add hose to my restricted list as well.
Having apps that steal my focus blocked during the day has helped me so much. And if you find yourself constantly approving more time for yourself… have someone else set the screen time passcode. I almost guarantee you will not ask them for it when you feel the urge to override it!
Another way is using this Brick phone blocker. It’s a physical device that blocks apps and notifications, similar to app limits on your smartphone but external. Tap your phone on the Brick to activate it, and tap again to deactivate it. It even has Strict Mode, which doesn’t allow you to override or delete the Brick app! 😅
What The Real Goal Is When You Limit Social Media
It’s not about pretending the world isn’t broken or ignoring the pain others go through. It’s about remembering that our first calling is right in front of us: our homes, our children, our marriages, our homes.
When I step back from the chaos of online opinions, I notice the joy on my boys’ faces when we bake muffins together. I notice how my anxiety lowers when I take my coffee outside and thank God for another morning. I remember that this is the life I was given, and this is where I am meant to show up. At home. Not online.
That’s the heart of Let’s Glow… moving from chaos to intentional living, from exhaustion to rhythms of peace.
If you’ve been feeling suffocated by the noise of the world, you are not alone. You are not weak for wanting to turn it off. You are wise. So delete the apps if you need to, set boundaries, and remember, it’s okay to unplug. The world will keep spinning, but your home will glow brighter when you choose peace.
If you are working on more intentional rhythms at home, you might like these products in my shop:
- Glow Weekly Rhythm Reset | A Gentle Decision Framework for Moms Who Are Overwhelmed
- 7-Day Home Reset Guide | A Repeatable 7 Day Reset To Create A More Functional Home
And if this spoke to you, I’d love for you to subscribe to my blog or share this post with a friend who might need the reminder today.
