I deleted Instagram...this is what happened.

Deprivation + Friction your keys to growth

Shut the world away for a while

On Sunday (October 20th), I deleted Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook apps from my phone.

Instant relief filled my body as the time-sucking apps left my home screen.

Eleven minutes later, I reached for my phone, and my finger instinctively went to select Instagram.

It’s not there, I remembered.

A wave of anxiousness moved through my body.

What if I miss something important? I thought.

I took a deep breath and put my phone down.

Over the next two days, I repeated this same scenario, looking for an app that held too much of my attention.

I’m not anti-social media.

I use social media in my business; almost all of my clients have come from some form of social media.

I’m anti-allowing something outside of myself to push and pull my emotional state—which is why I chose to take a break.

It’s been five days, and I feel lighter.

Like my news fast (I don’t watch the news—I read it sparingly), I have come to understand that my attention doesn’t make the world spin, but giving it away mindlessly makes me spin.

Events happen regardless of whether or not I know about them. If I’m not going to create change around something that bothers me, I don’t have to allow it to consume my mind (neither do you).

We are not prepared to take in information nonstop all day long. Our nervous systems aren’t designed for it.

Staying plugged into the news cycle and mindless scrolling on social media does nothing for my health or relationships. In fact, it hurts both of these things.

I realize it can sound ignorant, but the truth is I don’t care.

I choose to prioritize what truly matters to me and what I have the agency to change.

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This isn’t my first social media fast

And it won’t be my last. Sometimes I vacate the platforms for months.

The apps will come back onto my phone (well, probably not TikTok and Facebook), and I’ll continue to use the platforms to create and market my business.

Temporary deprivation can help you reassess your relationship with something that has a hold on your attention (I did this with alcohol a few years ago—now I barely drink).

After a break, I bring that thing back into my life with boundaries.

• I purposely create friction. For example, I post to Facebook through my computer, so I don’t have access to the app on my phone.

• I also give myself alternative habits: I moved the Substack app to the first page of my phone, so if I want a distraction, I read long-form content.

• Oh, and I say the Serenity Prayer when I start to spin: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

As Tony Robbins says, “Energy flows where attention goes.”

Where and what are you allowing to take your energy?

This is your invitation to add temporary deprivation and healthy friction to your life and prioritize what truly matters to you.

If you fast, I’d love to hear about it.

(less time scrolling = more time with my people—like my sweet new nephew)

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