a social media rest (part 2)

"I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift." ~ Septima Poinsette Clark

How to move forward with everything that I've learned from my Social Media Rest experience? 

I realize that there needs to be better boundaries or rules when any type of chaos arrives in my life. 

In this case, Instagram is my chaos.  It's untamed, out of control and a bit too time consuming for me. 

After my 8-Day Social Media Rest experience (read here) I have come to many beautiful revelations that have helped me to develop boundaries for more intentional use of Instagram. 

These boundaries were specifically designed after reflecting on what kind of value Instagram brings into my life. 

Below I have listed my "rules" that are helping me tame the chaos around social media, in order to better serve myself and the life I want to create. 

my instagram boundaries 

1.  Capture photos and videos off of Instagram.  Give yourself some wait time to decide what you want to share with the world. 

2.  Prewrite captions for posts on my Google Notes, not on Instagram.  Allow space to write what you feel without the pressure of having to post immediately. 

3.  Less writing on Instagram and more writing in my journal and/or my blog.  Instagram should not be the primary tool to share in depth thoughts about topics I truly care about.

4.  Stay focused and use your time wisely.  Allow yourself only 10 minutes a day on Instagram. 

5.  If you want to connect to a rad human on Instagram, ask for their phone number or email address.  Use texts, phone calls, and emails to connect and communicate - not DMs on Instagram.  

6.  Create a "home" for my phone in my house.  This will create space for me to be fully present with my family, instead of always checking in with my side kick (phone). 

7.  If I decide not to share anything on Instagram for a day, text or call my parents to share what we did that day to stay in touch.  Both of my parents live in different states, and I know my mom enjoys Instagram because it allows her to feel connected to us.  
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creating social media boundaries gives my mind and minutes spent some much needed clarity. 

This Social Media Rest has helped me identify what specific things light my ass up and what BS can be left out. 

Now my time and energy spent on Instagram feel a little less gray and a whole lot more black and white. 
​And honestly, I was craving some more order in my social media usage.  

Life is already messy and beautifully chaotic, so setting some boundaries gives my mind and minutes spent some much needed clarity. 

I would love to hear your boundaries when it comes to intentional social media use! :)

always learning,
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Jillian