I deleted Instagram because it was making me anxious. I don’t have FOMO now, and I’m close to my friends.

I took it my phone to capture this view then post it on Instagram. Thirty minutes later, I was green with envy, staring at random island vacation photos in my feed.

I remember thinking, “I’m sorry,” to myself. This thought pushed me so much that I got on my phone and deleted the Instagram app. Having done this before, I knew I could download it again after I got out of my self-loathing addiction.

But it’s been 150 days since I used Instagram. I have never intentionally used an app or browser version.

The benefits of deleting Instagram continued to spread

The first days of quitting were hard. However, when I was on vacation, I wanted to post stories for my own satisfaction, but I restrained myself. As I flew from India to my hometown, Toronto, I felt hopeful that the lack of distraction would help me stay more focused at work. Boy, was I right.

By no reel scrolling on my phone during work breaks, I could easily save 15 to 20 minutes per break. Once I added that up, it was almost two hours of production every day. As someone trying to focus more and grow their public relations business, this has been helpful.

Then came the best part – no FOMO because I didn’t know what others were doing. Social media comparisons are linked to self-talk increases and feeling bad about yourself. By completely disconnecting from Instagram, my mental health improved because I couldn’t imagine that someone else was better than me. Since quitting the app, I have felt more secure about myself, and in turn, happier and less anxious.

I asked my friends to send me more messages

It quickly became apparent that I had no chance of finding memes, sending fluttering hearts with friends’ stories, or finding out about the new bougie shop in town. This sounded like a tough trade because I only like to hang out with certain friends, and who doesn’t like a laugh or a lesson? But that was the price I had to pay.

I also didn’t want to miss the important moments of my friends and family. So, I asked them to share pictures of their travels or life events in writing, and I would do the same. They all agreed. This exercise also helped me realize that I needed new ways to stay in touch with the people I care about, so I started texting and calling them more. It took longer than DMing but we had deep conversations.

I play sports now

Without Instagram, my phone lost its purpose, especially with all my work and text apps on my laptop. I didn’t know what to do during my time off. So, I became independent in sports. I’ve always been a bit of a problem solver and I’ve added some games to my phone like Connections, Wordle and LinkedIn games. Generally, they take less than 30 minutes to complete, but it’s enough of a dopamine hit when I want to do something on my phone.

I’ve had the urge to download Instagram again, especially during the holidays when I’m surrounded by beautiful views, eating Instagrammable food, and taking pictures with my loved ones. But I hold back because the benefits far outweigh these fleeting moments of validation and maybe even self-discovery. I’m writing things down and saving them on my phone.

In the early days, I doubted that people who didn’t meet me would think that I had no life. But I have made peace with it and feel comfortable that I have nothing to prove to anyone. Being off Instagram has helped me feel more secure, have more time to work, and create deeper connections with friends. Maybe I’ll go back one day, but for now, these benefits are more important than the app to me.