Offline is the new luxury. Escape the digital world.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. While I enjoy staying in touch with friends that live all over the world and sharing my own adventures, it can become overwhelming really, really fast. It’s hard to not compare yourself to what everyone is doing. Also, why is everyone in Italy this Summer?!

The slippery slope for me is becoming so glued to my phone that it starts taking away from my actual life…the life that’s in 3D and not in retina display in the palm of my hand.

Consider this your friendly reminder to maintain a healthy balance with the digital world. Detaching can allow you to get reinspired and to be fully present for the people around you, IRL.

A digital detox is good for the soul.

Sometimes it all just becomes too much. I don’t need to see what my coworker who I haven’t spoken to since 2019 is eating for lunch everyday! Without being able to see what everyone’s doing at your fingertips, you have more time to just work on yourself and to actually catch up with friends instead of just passively seeing what they’re doing online.

Try limiting how much you’re online or go rogue and spend a month offline. It's a great way to escape the digital world.

Do some crazy sh*t without an online audience to judge you.

I don’t make the rules, but I’m here to tell you that you don't have to post everything that you do on social media. You should be doing things because you actually want to do them – not because you think it’ll make for some great content to share.

I challenge you to do something quirky or weird or crazy (without breaking the law, of course) and don’t post anything about it. It’s something that you did for yourself…you don’t need a boost of validation from the online peanut gallery.

Hot take: don’t look up a destination on social media before you visit.

The fun of going on vacation is the adventure. I’m sure we’ve all seen those videos “What to do in XYZ” that’s specifically curated.

I'm not rushing to see the hotspot places that are swarming TikTok and Instagram feeds. While recommendations are always welcomed, it’s not as fun to just copy and paste someone else’s trip exactly. I want to create my own adventure and discover things on my own.

Post your trip after you’re back home so you can actually enjoy it.

Spending dinners and nights on my phone in exotic locations becomes too much for me to curate my entire trip online while still experiencing it.

Find a healthy balance with what works for you – if you post your trip a couple days after being home, it allows you to be fully present on vacation and who you’re spending the getaway with.

Keep what makes you really f*cking happy close to your chest.

If you are really crazy about something, you might not want to share it with the world at all. Not everything is meant to be broadcasted and picked apart by a virtual audience.

I’m definitely not telling you to quit social media, but if you find yourself spending more time upkeeping your virtual life, it might be time to take a step back and find that comfy balance.

Be good,

JB

PS. Sign up to the best newsletter for weekly shower thoughts. Also, make sure to forward it to a friend and add me to your address book so I don’t land in your spam folder.