Wauw, it has been a minute since I wrote! But I am finally coming back! I've wanted to start writing again for quite a while now, but for some unknown reason, I haven't. But today we are going to discuss social media and the fact that it is so damn addicting but also on how to finally break that nasty habit and live!



So as you may know a while back I wrote this article "Why I deleted all my social media accounts". If you haven't read that yet, GO and read it. It's basically how I have experienced it.

I have heard from many friends that they would actually love to do the same! And when I ask the simple question of "Well, Why haven't you done that yet?" they all have answers like "Yeah but I finally have this amount of followers /I could not live without it /They inspires me ...".
That last one is amazing! If social media is still something that, instead of making you miserable about your life and still keeps you inspired, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. But for so many of us, numbers have become an obsession, and we see all these other people, traveling, full of fashion and so happy, and that is what makes us feel bad.

But why do we still keep clinging to it? Well, it's as simple as the fact that we are afraid of missing out. We are afraid of not being part of a community. Something I heard a lot when I quit for two months was "You are so weird, you don't own any social media accounts?" or literally "that is crazy". But that is our fear! We don't want to be seen as weird, crazy or different. We all want to be accepted and to fit somewhere.
I was afraid of missing out mostly, I had finally gained by then around 300 followers and for me, that was a huge deal, I mean, just put that in one room! Just saying. Most people that I followed back then where travelers and nutritionist and/or photographers (can't really remember honestly), and I wanted to stay, continuously, up to date about their lives. It was an obsession.

And now would be the perfect timing to say that I have two new Instagram account again! Yeah... and I am not going to lie, some days I wonder why I got Instagram again. It is really easy to fall back into a sort of addiction. Waking up in the mornings and directly getting to my couch to sit and have a look at my feed... not the ideal. My accounts are: christel.joelle and christeljoelle_photography
One indeed purely for my photography and the other one for my spiritual, art and lifestyle journey.

Although I am going to take a one month break again (except for the weekend in Paris that I am spending with my mother). And I would like to urge every single one of you to try this out. It is game changing! If you want to know why I urge you, if you still haven't, go read my previous article.



And now the main thing, the reason you actually probably clicked on this article, how do you stay on social media but break the habit of addition? (btw I am not going to bore you with all kind of  extra explanations with it, lately, I haven't felt the need to read those either so here are just easy steps)

• First, it is Acknowledging it, but don't act on it. When you feel like taking your phone and scroll, DON'T. This is the hardest part but don't act on it, just feel. 
• I suggest deleting the entire app for a week, at least. This way you can't just give in and go on it. 
• After that week and you reinstall the app, do a cleanse, every single person you follow that doesn't thrill you, unfollow. Ask yourself if you feel inspired or not, if they make you happy, motivated or not. 
• Go through your own photo's and decide which one make you happy and inspired and delete the rest. 
• Make sure to turn off every notifications.
• Don't jump on it the first thing in the morning and evening, when you are bored try to just look around and not take your phone. If you are a planner, set a specific time where you can be on it and not.