What Changed When I Decreased Instagram Usage
stepped away from Instagram after realising how burnt out I felt from the constant, low level demand to be visible. Not in a dramatic way, just the quiet pressure to post, engage, respond, and exist online in a way that felt overwhelming.
Nearly a year ago, I started using an app called Opal to create some forced distance. Recently, I raised the stakes to a single 30 minutes window each day to scroll. Miss it, and I am locked out for another 24 hours. It sounds extreme, but to me it felt necessary, an honest response to how addictive these platforms are. I’m now on a 342 day streak and these are the things I did not expect to learn when I stopped being online so much.
More Observant
Without the constant pull to document, I found myself becoming more interested in my immediate environment.
I’d leave the house and actually look at things. That quiet noticing became surprisingly satisfying. Even as I sit writing this, I’m people-watching and taking in the pre-Christmas energy at Gatwick Airport. Not to mention the new meaning nature takes on! I started choosing walks not because they were good content but because I knew they’d make me feel better. Green spaces became something I actively sought out.
Business Improved
:As someone who runs a personal training business, it’s easy to believe that you have to constantly post what you’re doing to promote your work. The assumption is that if you’re not visible, you’re falling behind. I realised this was adding a significant amount of work to an already packed schedule. Filming, editing, and even thinking about what to share all took energy away from the actual work. So I stopped sharing my day-to-day sessions, which meant I could properly ‘clock off’ after a full day of coaching. This change helped me sit more comfortably inside a full, busy working life. Sessions feel more private. More focused. I’m a better coach when I’m not trying to capture the perfect shot of someone’s lift. And perhaps the most reassuring part: enquiries are still coming through, despite my lack of sharing. It’s been a useful reminder that business still travels through word of mouth, Google, and IRL connection.
Friendships Got Better
Time with friends stopped feeling like something that needed capturing. There was less checking, less half-listening, less background urgency. Being with people felt fuller like I was actually there, rather than splitting my attention between the moment and how it might look from the outside.
Motivation to Train Got Stronger
My motivation to train came back in a quieter, more honest way. I wanted to go to the gym not to post a session but simply to build and strengthen my body. Training stopped being performative, and as a result, my desire to lift returned. It’s a reminder that the strongest motivation doesn’t need an audience, and is often dampened by one. Now sessions take half the time!
Entertainment Got More Interesting
Without scrolling or competing for attention, music, films and podcasts took on a new role. I listened properly. Whole albums. Long conversations. Silence between tracks. They became something to enjoy, not something to fill space while half-doing something else.
Favourites at the moment
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Geese: Getting Killed
Album -
Louis Theroux Podcast
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Armchair Expert
Hosted by Dax Shepard & Monica Padman -
First Things Thurst
Hosted by Mike Thurston -
High Performance
Hosted by Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes -
The Energy Plan
Author: James Collins-
How Bad Do You Want It
Author: Matt Fitzgerald -
The Mastermind
Directed By Kelly Reichardt -
Like the Wind Magazine
Editor-in-Chief: Simon Freeman -
The Running Ground
Founded by Luke Tyburski - Pluribus
Apple TV Series created by Vince Gillian
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In Sum
There’s an assumption that stepping back from social media makes life smaller but i’ve found the opposite. Without passive drip-fed connection, I made more conscious effort to reach out to friends. Not knowing what others were training, buying and achieving opened up a huge amount of mental space. Less comparison. Less background noise. More room for my own thoughts, ideas, and routine. These apps are a great tool to promote your brand and I’m a big advocate of them when used in a balanced way. This is all to say that it’s not a recommendation to follow suit, but rather an observation of how much lighter life feels when you actively spend less time in the virtual space.