Mental Health Benefits 5 reasons why you need a social media cleanse now

The likes, the comments, the threads. Admit it, you just may be

Social media is fast becoming an addiction in our hyper-connected world, and it’s silently wrecking you. Maybe you don't even realise how much you depend on those comments, shares and follows.

If you recognise any of these signs, it's time for a social-media cleanse.

1. You’re uninspired.

Inspired people do inspiring things. Of the 99 billion options, social media is not one. Make room for inspiration in your life by trimming the Facebook fat.

2. Your to-do list never gets done.

One step at a time is the best advice for accomplishing anything. But our modern world begs for a caveat: One uninterrupted step at a time. Social media competes for your focus and swamps your ability to power through work.

3. You haven’t hung out with offline friends in a month.

Social media is instantly gratifying.Flip open your laptop or glance at your phone, and you get a quick fix that affirms your opinions and latest selfies. But it's not truly satisfying because it isn't the real thing. You definitely need the real thing.

4. You mindlessly navigate to social media during downtime.

Success is a combination of dozens of small habits. Each of your programmed responses either pushes you forward or pulls you back. Reaching for your phone like a zombie doesn’t scream 'success'.During your social cleanse, retrain your brain to fall back on useful things.

Engage in mini-sessions of directed mindfulness, read a book or reflect on all the gifts that make you grateful in life. See how many success-boosting habits you can form in the gaping void created by social media's absence.

5. You haven’t read a good book in a while.

Life is better with books. But it’s hard to read something useful when every spare second is devoted to social media. Your online fast is the perfect opportunity to make reading a habit. Read a book, the real kind with pages, an hour before bed.

The routine itself and the calming activity will help you drift into a more restful sleep.