I thought I’d share my most recent experience with you. I decided to do a digital detox.
I know we’ve all heard about it before... like many of the other million things we “should” be doing.
But it’s one of those things you’ve heard before, yet when it matters, it doesn’t immediately spring to mind. I didn’t realise I was driving myself crazy looking at social media content. The truth is, as somebody who’s worked in the digital space for 10 years, you’d think I’d know better, right? Well, no. Wrong.
A Big Change
Last year my boyfriend and I packed up our lives in the UK and moved to Costa Rica for a year. It was a mix of adventure and curiosity. He wanted to work abroad and learn Spanish, and we both wanted to see what life outside our little bubble in the UK looked like. With rising costs and the feeling of one thing after another hitting the country, we decided to take a leap. The big question was, is the grass really greener on the other side?
At first, it was exciting. New culture, new routines, new everything. But after the initial buzz faded, reality set in... I suddenly found myself without my favourite hobbies, without my usual group of friends, and without those small comforts that make home feel like home.
“Doomscrolling” Myself Down the Rabbit Hole!
I found myself spending hours “doomscrolling”, just spending hours a day letting one video play after another. Although I never steered the algorithm in any direction, as most of my interest lies in watching funny animal videos, psychology and health... even I got the random misogynistic Andrew Tate video or hate-filled political clips every now and then.
And the problem is, the more you react to them (even negatively!), the more they serve them to you. That’s the downside to these algorithms, causing a storm of negative videos coming our way... So if you’re in a position of shock regarding a topic and comment in disagreement, the algorithm will feed you more of this content, which can cause a negative spiral and a feeling that the whole world is in the “dumps”, even though it was really “my world” heading that way.
It brought me down... like really down.
And the worst part? Even though I’ve worked in the digital space for years, I didn’t notice how much it was chipping away at me until I felt heavy. Sluggish. Sad for no real reason.
If I had lost my job or someone close to me had fallen ill, I’d understand why I felt that way. But this was different. It was like my brain was quietly overloading.
And the Science?
The science makes sense too. Studies show that constant exposure to negative or emotionally charged content activates the body’s stress response. That means higher cortisol levels, disturbed sleep, and that strange mix of being wired yet drained. The brain clings to anything that feels like a threat. It’s called negativity bias. Great for surviving in the wild, not so great when you’re trying to enjoy your morning coffee without being flooded by bad news.
So, I did the thing I’d been avoiding for months. I deleted the apps. Not just logged out, but gone completely.
Now, I only check Facebook occasionally and only on my laptop. Removing it from my phone stopped me from reaching for it first thing in the morning or before bed. You’d be amazed how much calmer your mornings feel when you’re not immediately bombarded with everyone else’s lives and a game of social media Russian roulette, never knowing when a depressing story might hit you.
A Shift... Using Hands
I dare you, with all the times we say we don’t have time for things, to look at your phone stats. I have to shamefully admit that at times I’d feel busy, too busy to say yes to things, but then found out I was averaging a few hours a day on my phone. Every iPhone has this feature (I’m not sure if others do?).
Ok, I don’t have children or elderly parents to look after, so I’m not saying this may relate to you, but even 30 minutes a day? What could you do in that time?
I joined a local pottery class...
At first, it was just something to fill a few hours a week, but then it became an absolute obsession. I was creating again, using my hands, getting messy, making something real instead of endlessly consuming. Learning a new skill... I wondered, had I just replaced one addiction with another? I would say so. I became obsessed, planning my next project well in advance.
Swapping One Addiction for Another?
But there’s something I realised... I was addicted to social media, and I needed to replace that with something healthier, to feel passionate about something again. My whole system, body and mind, shifted from survival mode into something softer, lighter, more creative.
One week during class I told my teacher I’d deleted social media. She said she’d done the same during Covid because she was getting flooded with videos of sick children, until it made her terrified her own child would get ill. She confessed to turning into a germophobe. That really hit me. It showed how easily the content we consume can shape our emotions, our fears, even our sense of safety.
Since stepping away, I’ve noticed the changes physically too. Less tension, better sleep, more energy. And mentally, my thoughts finally feel like my own again. The heavy cement bag on my shoulders lifted.
Here’s what I’ve learned. Social media isn’t the enemy. It connects us, inspires us, sometimes even makes us laugh until we cry. But when it takes over, when it feeds us more chaos just to keep us hooked, that’s when it starts to harm more than it helps.
My detox wasn’t about giving it up forever. It was about taking back control. Choosing when and how I connect. Protecting my body from that wired, anxious energy and giving my mind a little space to breathe.
And it feels good.
Nina
Your Feminavit Team xx
