# My Journey of Quitting Instagram for One Year: Here’s How I Did It
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Chapter 1: The Awakening
In just one day, I found myself checking my phone a staggering 82 times. With an average daily usage of six hours, mindless scrolling had morphed into a full-time endeavor. My typical day began at 9 AM, followed by three hours of scrolling before I could even start my day.
I attempted to quit social media about two years back, but my experience was a rollercoaster. I would manage to stay off for two weeks, only to succumb to the urge to scroll again, leading to another cycle of downloading Instagram and losing track of my goals.
The Year of Discovery: Learning to Quit
Week 1: Becoming Aware of My Habits
During the first week, I diligently tracked my screen time through my iPhone. It’s crucial to avoid skipping this step; understanding which apps consume most of your time is vital. Without this awareness, the temptation to quit your phone entirely can arise, but that approach is unsustainable and often leads to relapse. The objective is to establish a baseline for your social media usage, enabling you to set a realistic reduction goal.
Week 2: Replacing Old Patterns
In the early stages of my social media detox, motivation was essential. I found my drive by changing my lock screen wallpaper to a constant reminder of my reasons for quitting.
This wallpaper prompted me to rethink my intentions each time I reached for my phone, reminding me that every hour spent scrolling could instead be devoted to activities I genuinely love. This approach is known as habit substitution: swapping a negative habit for a more fulfilling one.
Week 3: Transforming My Environment
I firmly believe in safeguarding my energy. Since humans are highly suggestible, it’s crucial to shape your environment to support your goals. Here are three simple changes I made:
- Established a charging station outside of my bedroom.
- Used a traditional alarm clock instead of my phone.
- Placed books on my nightstand instead of my device.
These modifications to my living space helped break the automatic cycle of reaching for my phone throughout the day.
Week 4: Mastering Notifications
I tend to be skeptical of online advice, but disabling notifications proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
Notifications are crafted to capture your attention and lure you back into apps, often resulting in extended use. However, rather than completely turning them off, I customized my "Do Not Disturb" mode to ensure I still received important messages from friends and family.
Week 5: Embracing Mindfulness
I've never been particularly fond of patience; to me, it often feels like postponing action out of fear. However, the initial burst of motivation eventually wanes, but discipline remains. By the end of week five, I was ready to delete Instagram for good. Reflecting on my progress over the past weeks was incredible. Overcoming the daily urge to scroll was challenging, but ultimately rewarding.
I genuinely hope you can break free from your addiction, too.
Adrian
Chapter 2: The Transformation
Video Description: This video recounts my year-long journey of quitting social media, detailing the struggles and triumphs I faced along the way.
Video Description: A personal account of how a year without social media profoundly changed my life for the better.