Instagram the moment I woke up, Reels before sleeping at night. How many times I picked up the phone during the day — I never counted. One day my mother said — 'You're on your phone even while eating.' I laughed. Then thought — is that actually true? That evening I decided on an experiment — seven days, without any social media.
I deleted Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp Status, YouTube Shorts — all apps off my phone. I kept the phone only for calls and messages. The first day began and within five minutes my hand automatically reached for the phone. The old habit was so deep I wasn't even aware of it.
The First Two Days — A Restlessness That Frightened Me
There was a strange restlessness on the first day. As if something had been lost. Every little while I'd think — what must be happening now? Who posted what? How many likes did my old photos get? I laughed at myself — I'm thinking so much about people who are probably not even thinking about me.
On the second evening a peculiar emptiness set in. After lunch that time when I'd normally scroll through Reels — it was empty now. I looked out the window. A neighbour's cat was sunbathing on the roof. I felt good. For the first time in so long I had felt a moment without any filter.
Day Three — When the Mind Started to Settle
On the third morning I woke up to a different kind of calm. Every morning began with the noise of news feeds — whose divorce happened, whose promotion came through, who went on a trip. Without all that the morning was quiet. I made chai and sat on the balcony drinking it. Just that. And it was better than any viral video.
An old friend Riya — we hadn't spoken properly in months, just viewed each other's WhatsApp statuses — I called her. We talked for an hour. She told me her mother had been unwell. I had no idea. Her statuses always showed travel photos. But real life was different.
Anjali Sharma, author"We are most connected on social media but most disconnected from the people who are actually in our lives. This paradox became clear to me that week."
Days Four and Five — When Creativity Returned
On the fourth day I noticed — I suddenly had so much time. That time that used to disappear into Reels was now available. I took out an old diary and started writing. I wrote things I hadn't written in years. No audience, no likes, just for myself. And that writing was the most honest.
On the fifth day I visited a friend's home. We cooked together, talked, recalled old memories. No content was created, no stories were posted. We just lived. On my way home I realised — this meeting was more special than many recent meetups because both of us were completely present.
Days Six and Seven — The Truth That Appeared
On the sixth day I experienced no anxiety for the first time. Every morning there was a strange comparison anxiety — she is moving ahead, her life is good, why am I behind? Without social media, my life didn't feel inadequate. My life was simply mine — and that was enough.
On the seventh day I made a list. What did I do this week that normally wouldn't happen — called two old friends, cooked a new recipe, read a book for two hours, wrote five diary entries, spent an entire evening with my mother without the phone. All this in one week.
Anjali Sharma"Leaving social media didn't empty my life. On the contrary it filled up. The time and energy going there — it went into real relationships and into myself."
The Return — But With a New Perspective
After seven days I reinstalled the apps. But I set rules — no social media in the first hour of the morning, no scrolling after dinner, a break every two hours. In the first week this discipline felt a little difficult. But by the second week it began happening naturally.
If you too feel a little overwhelmed — try a week-long detox. At first there will be restlessness. After three days something will shift. And after a week you may also find that your real life is beyond that screen. That life that will never go viral but is the most true.
