Removing what's not good for you

Stepping away from the scroll so I can think clearly again.

One thing I struggle with a lot is overstimulation, especially on social media. The fear of missing out. The comparison trap. Seeing people who look like they’re doing better, faster, or more. It can get loud really quickly. Add that on top of regular day-to-day life, and it just becomes too much. A constant stream of noise I never asked for.

So I did something about it.

I quit.

Well, sorta.

Photo by Suzi Kim on Unsplash

The biggest step I took was removing Instagram from my phone. It had become a habit, one of those apps I’d tap without even thinking. I’d scroll through photos and stories and reels, and by the time I closed it, I almost always felt worse. Jealous. Frustrated. In my head. It wasn’t making me feel more connected or inspired, it was making me feel small and stuck.

And the worst part was that I knew it. I knew I wasn’t feeling good, and yet I kept going back. That kind of pull is hard to break. But once I realized just how much control I had handed over to an app, it clicked for me. I didn’t need to keep doing that to myself.

So I took it off my phone. I still have an account, technically, but I’d have to log in from a browser to see anything, and let’s be real, I’m not doing that. Removing the easy access was enough to break the loop.

I did the same thing with Twitter or X. That one was tough because it used to be my favorite platform. I liked how fast it was, how you could jump into conversations or see what people were talking about in real time. But over the last two years, it’s felt heavier. Meaner. Just…chaotic. I’d open it for a quick check and end up an hour deep in some thread about something I didn’t even care about. Refresh, scroll, repeat. I’d close the app and feel worse every single time.

Because of this, I stopped showing up.

I haven’t even given TikTok a shot. I already know how that would go. I know myself well enough to know I’d lose time, fall into the same cycles, and come away with the same weird mix of FOMO and overstimulation. I don’t need that. Skipping it entirely has been the right call.

At this point, the only platforms I really use are LinkedIn (I know, I know) and Substack. LinkedIn surprisingly doesn’t mess with my head the same way (but it does have its moments). And Substack honestly feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s slower. It feels more intentional. Just words and thoughts and connection, the way I wish more of the internet felt.

I still check Reddit here and there, but I’ve cut way back. I’m more careful now about what I follow and where I spend my time. I don’t want to fall into the same kind of rabbit hole. I use it more like a tool than a place to hang out.

And I’ve gotta say I feel better. Not magically better. But more clear. There’s less noise in my brain. Less pressure to be “on” or to keep up. I’m not saying I’ve gained ten hours a week or suddenly become the most productive version of myself. There are still plenty of days where I feel that I am being pulled into the scroll and lost in the comparison game. But, overall, I do feel less scattered.

Of course, I still get the “you’re missing out” feeling sometimes too. I’ll wonder what people are up to or whether I’m falling behind. But the truth is, I’m not missing anything important. If it matters, I’ll hear about it. And if I don’t? That’s okay, too.

I don’t need to see every vacation or life update in real time. I don’t need to compare my life to someone else’s highlight reel. I just need to be where I am. And right now, that means making space. Tuning out some of the noise so I can actually hear myself think.

So I’m giving myself permission to opt out. To not keep up. To protect my peace, even if it means being a little more disconnected from the digital world. Because what I’ve realized is this: I’d rather be more connected to my actual life than constantly plugged into everyone else’s.

We’ll see how it all plays out over time. I’m not trying to be perfect about it. I’ll probably fall back into old habits here and there that’s normal. But even just creating some distance has made a difference. And for now, that feels like a win.

Thank you for reading,
Max

---

---