One Month Off Social Media...And I Don't Miss It

On grief, growing things, and the unexpected peace of missing out.

It’s been a full month—and a few extra days—since I turned off my social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram, if you’re just tuning in). And, if truth be told, I don’t miss them at all.

The first week, I was really excited and couldn’t wait to settle into a new rhythm. By Week Two, though, I hit some bumps. First, I started to wonder if I was a little nuts to imagine I could run a business without talking to the ubiquitous but faceless “people” of Facebook—especially since that had been my main platform. But with a few exceptions (a quick jump into a private group for a resource, or a time-capped moment on Messenger), I’ve managed to stay off. These days, I primarily communicate through text and email, and that shift alone has felt... quieter. Cleaner. More human.

Second, I realized some of my heaviness that week was because of the calendar—specifically, the birthday of my late son. Even though it’s been eight years, his birthday still leaves a weight in the air. The grief doesn’t go away, it just rearranges itself. It sneaks up. I struggled with the idea of continuing my business at all that week—and that’s when I started asking if I was crazy. But I gave myself grace. I reminded myself not to make big decisions around Johnny’s birthday. That has become a rule of sorts for me. Incidentally, that same day I watched a documentary whose ending gave me just the encouragement I needed to keep stepping out in faith. But I’ll save that story for another time.

By Week Three, I was planning a little vendor table for a pop-up event at an alumni weekend. It felt like the joy was coming back. I had real conversations with real people—some old friends, some new—and shared about clean beauty and ate way too much good food. Later that week, we hosted an Independence Day party for local veterans. That kind of fellowship, that sense of being present, was the thread that tied the whole week together. It was also a week of comings and goings—a dear friend headed back to her mission work in Thailand, and one of my oldest and best friends moved here to begin a new job. Helping her during this transition has been an unexpected gift—and one made possible, or at least easier, by my decision to be offline more. I have the time. The margin. And I’m realizing how precious that is.

Now, I’ll be honest: stepping away from social media hasn’t meant never using the internet. I’ve had to pop on Instagram to coordinate a meet-up and then delete it right after. I’ve used Messenger a few times to keep up with clients who aren’t yet on my text or email lists. Follow-up is vital to business, especially when you care deeply for your people, as I do. Many of my clients were friends long before they ever bought a product from me.

I’ve also watched a few short videos on YouTube—mostly slow living channels or health-related ones. I’ve never been a big TV person, and YouTube hasn’t replaced anything. I use it intentionally. If something speaks to me, I watch. If not, I move on.

So here I am at the start of the second full month without social media—and halfway through the year. July 2nd snuck up fast. The garden is bursting. In June, we used 17 quarts of strawberries, and now the raspberries and boysenberries are coming in strong, which means the kitchen is starting to hum. The kids and I are also sorting and donating things before a church rummage sale begins. Summer seems long, but every parent knows the truth: the back-to-school rush is already lurking.

There are still a few question marks ahead.

How much writing will I get done?
Will I see growth in my business, even off the grid?
How much can I get organized before fall prep begins?

I think the answers are going to come—not in a flash of clarity, but one slow, steady step at a time. I'm starting to trust that pace. I’ve surrendered much of the anxiety I used to carry around business and productivity into God’s hands. I'm choosing peace over pressure, presence over platform. And no, I don’t miss the drama. I don’t miss the endless scrolling or the steady hum of everyone else’s updates. I’m discovering that not knowing is a kind of freedom.

The time I used to spend online is now filled with things that feel far more real:

Tending my family.
Tending the garden.
Reading, Writing.
Listening.
Helping a friend unpack boxes.
Checking in on a neighbor.
Thinking, praying, resting.

I’m not here to tell anyone else what to do, but I will say this: if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, noisy inside, or tired of performing for invisible strangers… you might want to try stepping away for a while. See what you rediscover.

You might be surprised.

Let’s Reflect:

What might you rediscover if you took a break from social media?
Time? Peace? Creativity? Space to hear your own thoughts again?

I’d love to hear what you think. Or if you’ve tried something similar, what came of it?