If I tell most people that I deleted Instagram by choice, they might think it’s because I’m antisocial or insane. Yet to me, it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Nowadays, technology and phones are everywhere and people usually feel the need to be online. Although you probably already know this, and you have probably heard the “negative effects” of phones countless times, unplugging yourself for a while can definitely lead to some freedom.

Social media is a place where you are constantly witnessing the lives of others. What you may not realize is whatever you see online isn’t always the truth; you see a place where people try to put out their best selves and the good aspects about their life rather than the bad. Someone may have an incredible feed or look like their life is perfect when in actuality that is not the case because that is what they choose to post.

“Social media presents us with a distorted version of reality,” said Elite Daily.

This distorted reality can often lead to comparison and without even realizing it, every time you go on social media you are constantly comparing yourself to others.

When I decided to delete Instagram, it was only meant to be temporary, a week or two. After I deleted it and failed on going more than a couple days without it, I was finally able to rid myself of it for a week. And then that week turned into two. And once I got it back because I thought I absolutely “needed it,” I scrolled through my feed, and it hit me that all of these virtual pictures didn’t even matter.

Those two weeks gave me a sense of clarity and self-focus that I didn’t have when I was looking at social media every hour. Once I realized that it’s truly not as big of a deal as everyone makes it, I felt freer and part of that was understanding that the constant thread of comparison isn’t in my mind, and I can focus on myself rather than what I see people put out.

One of the reasons social media has such a huge demographic is because it is simply addicting. Many studies show that there is a similar effect on the brain when using the phone in comparison to using drugs.

One popular ASAP science video, in particular, said that “Brain scans of people actually show a similar impairment of regions that those with drugs addictions have. Specifically, there’s a clear degradation of white matter in the regions that control emotions, attention, and decision-making.”

It’s simple: social media provides the brain with rewards with little effort required and thus causes constant desire for more. Think about it: how do you act when you lose your phone? When was the last time you went somewhere without your phone? These may not be signs of a true addict but there is an authentic medical term known as “FOMO: fear of missing out” that occurs within people who are addicted to social media and have withdrawals without it.

However, I am not going to be like your mom or dad and lecture you about how using your phone a lot will lead to brain damage. Instead, like the example in which your self-esteem decreases constant comparison, I will say using social media a lot will isolate you from the present.

Even celebrities want to get rid of their phone to enjoy their lives a little; Selena Gomez, for example, posted an Instagram picture with the caption, “left my phone behind to be present” while on vacation.

Natasha Bure, daughter of Candace Cameron Bure from Full House, also implied she was taking a social media break in an Instagram post captioned, “ending my break from social media early because I couldn’t not post about this!”

When you get so addicted or attached to something virtual and your mind is constantly telling you that only the numbers matter, you may forget to be in the moment and just live life to the fullest. Taking a social media cleanse will allow your mind to rest from capturing every moment to post it, but rather remembering every moment to live it. It may just take a week or two without your phone or social media to realize how much you depend on it around others and see that although you may feel connected to it, you are actually disconnected.

Finally, taking a social media break will improve your mental and physical well-being.

Mentally, it will bring you closer to the people and things around you so that you aren’t just living life, but noticing things in it, as well. It may make you happier because again, you will focus on yourself more rather than getting the most amount of likes or constantly looking at others through a screen. You will be less distracted, be able to focus on things more, and form deeper connections with family, friends, and strangers.

Physically, your mind will feel less strained, and your brain won’t light up in those same areas that would if you were using drugs instead. You will generally sleep deeper because of higher melatonin levels, which help regulate your sleeping patterns resulting in feeling better during the day and higher overall enjoyment of things.

Social media is a great platform for people. It unites us in the good and bad times and is a great way to share our lives. That is why I am in no way implying that you should permanently delete it or abandon it. But if you take a short cleanse to simply give your mind a break, you may realize that you really are better off without it and over time,  feels less dependence on it.