i deleted social media to fix my attention span.

Key wellness & self-care takeaways (delete social media cleanse)

Break phone “autopilot” habits

• Noted reaching for the phone immediately on waking and checking it every few minutes.
• Removing apps created a clear “withdrawal” period, especially in quiet moments.

Reduce mental overload by removing constant distraction

• Reported less stress and less feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks.
• Felt more “present” because she stopped living in “content mode” (thinking what to post/take pictures of).

Increase focus with a no-scroll default for entertainment

Used other activities instead of scrolling, such as:

• Work at coffee shops (editing, getting tasks done)
• Reading for an uninterrupted stretch (45 minutes straight)
• Movies as the new “entertainment” and a marker of improvement (able to sit through a full movie)

Use “replacement stimulation” strategically

• When boredom hit, she swapped stimulation sources:
  • Podcasts/music while cooking—but recognized they could become counterproductive if they replaced the purpose of the experiment (reducing stimulation).
• Gym time helped because TikTok acted as a temporary distraction, reducing phone cravings during workouts.

Support nervous system regulation

• Described feeling like her nervous system was “regulating itself” and feeling calmer over time.
• After the initial hump, she reported increased emotional ease and lower anxiety.

Lean into solitude and boredom as a learning tool

• Quiet time triggered thoughts/feelings she usually avoided with her phone.
• She reframed this as part of the process—not just “lack of stimulation,” but learning what surfaces.

Maintain productivity without social apps

Built a simple structure around daily routines:

• To-do list writing
• Journal time
• Work blocks at a consistent location (coffee shop)
• Creative project work (mood board for her jewelry campaign)

Plan for real-life constraints (social posting)

• When brands/events required posting, she outsourced the posting:
  • Texted her manager to post on her behalf (so she could stay off the apps herself).

Reassess “missing out”

• Concluded she wasn’t actually missing anything important.
• Shifted toward balance: not necessarily never using social media again, but doing more periodic deletions/days off.

Presenter/source list

• No external presenters mentioned.
• Primary source: The YouTube creator (the narrator of the subtitles).