I first tried digital detoxification years ago where I would unplug and stay away from social media for an amount of time for different reasons. My first attempt was only for seven days normally in observance of Holy Week. Then, back in 2018, after going through heartbreak, I decided to disappear from my social media accounts for a month. It was the longest period of detoxification I did to date. While I would get a surprising look from other people, saying they can't do it, apparently for me, digital detox was something I seemed to have mastered.

This year, I decided to do it again. As of this writing, I've stopped using Facebook for 15 days  and am planning to do so for a reason -- I preferred to prioritize peace of mind and my mental health instead of reading, seeing and hearing other people's toxic shit.

I decided to be quiet and stay away from social media just to save my sanity. Next to the feeling of uncertainty that this ongoing lockdown situation is giving me, I noticed that there would be days when I would feel fed up and tired even after just spending minutes of browsing my newsfeed. I also observed I became moody and more masungit to people, and that's not even due to hormones or PMS.

And no one had to call me out for those mood changes because I was quick to pinpoint the culprit myself: little by little, I'm already experiencing mental and emotional exhaustion and it's all because of the negativity I am seeing and reading both on TV and social media.  

For a long time, Facebook has become a breeding ground not just of trolls and hatred, but lately, it has also transformed its space to nothing but a place of unhealthy, toxic conversations. Even the ones that seem "intellectual reasons" end up to actually be "toxic opinions." And even if I am not engaging on useless arguments, just reading through posts of people (including friends) has left me feeling tired and irked. It was that unpleasant that I reached a decision to just to run away from the whole platform indefinitely if that would do my mind something good.

I had to choose between staying at a breeding ground of trolls and people with toxic opinions versus finding a breathing space to rest my mind and save my mental and emotional state. 

I chose the latter, no questions asked.

I'd rather opt for a clear and relaxed mind than read or hear a heated argument where people don't have the heart to concede out of pride, entitlement and wanting to be right because they always want to be even.  

But unlike the past when I completely deactivated my account, this time, I left it as is. I might appear online on my profile, but that was just for the sole purpose of being able to use my Messenger app and post on Instagram once in a while. These days, I would either be checking out accounts related to arts, crafts and dance on Instagram and listen to my playlist on Spotify as I do other things on my list. I would check Messenger once in a while, but I filter which messages to reply to, regardless if those are coming from friends or even family members. If I don't feel that a reply is necessary, by all means, I leave it as it is. Just read it, replying is optional.

If there's a good thing that has happened (and continues to happen) in the two weeks that I unplugged, it's that I feel more relaxed and productive. I am still unsure when I would return on Facebook after my post last September 23, but the zen of being offline is something I prefer to embrace for now.