I Ditched All Social Media for 30 Days. Here’s What Happened to My Brain, Productivity and Happiness.

Social media overload is real. 

With 3.6 billion social media users worldwide, most of us mindlessly scroll for hours every day, losing precious time and mental clarity to the black holes of Instagram, and
Facebook.

But what would happen if you unplugged completely? Could ditching social media entirely unlock surprising benefits? 

As a millennial who hasn’t gone a day without checking social media in over a decade, I decided to find out. For 30 consecutive days, I temporarily deleted every social media app from my phone and avoided accessing any accounts through my desktop.

Cold turkey. No Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for an entire month.

Here’s what happened to my brain, focus, mood, and life when I went completely offline...

My Brain Surged With Dopamine After Just 3 Days

Within 72 hours, it was as if a fog cleared my brain. I could concentrate intently on work tasks for hours without wandering over to peek at my feeds. I tore through books relishing every word. 

Why? Going social media cold turkey removed the addictive short hits of dopamine I usually got from notifications and likes. After a few days, my dopamine receptors reset. Longer-term, feel-good dopamine from completing tasks surged instead. I felt motivated and immersed in every activity in a way I haven’t since I was a kid.

My Distracted Monkey Mind Became Laser-Focused

Along with boosted motivation, I gained this incredible ability to focus deeply on whatever was right in front of me. No more getting side-tracked by text notifications or boredom scrolling. 

Turns out our phones provide irresistible stimuli that scatter our attention. According to one study, most people touch their phones over 2,600 times a day on average. Without this constant distraction, my monkey mind became laser-focused.

My Mood Leveled Out Like Never Before

I never realized just how much social media dictated my emotional state...until I unplugged.

Without riding the rollercoaster of polarizing posts, FOMO-inducing images, and self-esteem-crushing social comparisons, my mood stayed relatively stable and content day-to-day.

I avoided getting overly excited about likes or plunging into despair over an insensitive comment. Eliminating this external validation caused my self-worth to grow internally. I felt in control of myself. Calm.

“Unplugging from social media allows your brain to regain emotional equilibrium,” says Dr. Amelia Hayes, psychologist. “You cultivate self-acceptance rather than chasing validation through shares and likes.”

My Creativity Skyrocketed.

I rediscovered long-lost hobbies like painting, photography, and writing poetry that I had abandoned over the years. Turns out I had more creativity buried in me - I just never made time for it between work and scrolling. 

                                                                             

Beyond rekindling these passions, I found myself getting creative in everyday tasks too. I infused more art into my journaling, optimized my schedule through colorful visual planners, and invented new healthy recipes. 

When those mental blocks cleared, my latent creativity came flooding through.

My Sleep Quality Improved Immensely 

According to one study, using social media before bed leads to 50% more disrupted sleep. So it’s no surprise that my sleep improved dramatically.

Instead of tossing and turning after getting riled up by a heated debate on Twitter right before bed, I soothingly read fiction books and meditated.

I woke up feeling well-rested and energized nearly every day of the month. My Fitbit confirmed I averaged 1.5 more hours of deep sleep per night. Just one of many ways improved sleep turbo-charged my energy, focus, and well-being.

My Relationships Became Richer and More Real

When I wasn’t aimlessly scrolling, I had more bandwidth to nurture my relationships and show up fully present with people. Rather than just texting memes back and forth, I called old friends for 2-hour conversations to genuinely catch up.

                                                                                    

In-person, I asked thoughtful questions without zoning out and listening half-heartedly like I used to. It strengthened my bonds tremendously. 

“Excessive social media often displaces time once spent connecting face-to-face,” explains Rachel Wright, therapist and author. “When you unplug, your organic social health rebounds.”

I Permanently Deleted Most Social Media From My Phone

While the 30 days flew by surprisingly fast, the clarity I gained made it one of the most rewarding experiments I’ve ever tried. Over 80% of people in one survey said they would be happier if they used social media less - and now I know why.

I'm keeping almost all social media permanently deleted from my devices. The new hobbies I picked up have only gained momentum, and limiting social media use has done wonders for my attention, happiness, creativity, relationships, and rest.

I encourage everyone to try going completely offline from social media for 30 days. What could unplug unlock in your own life? The benefits might just surprise you! 

Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried taking a break from social media. How did it impact you? I’d love to hear about your experiences!