How to Quit Facebook
Track your usage for a day (or a week)., Think about the things you can do with this time instead., Try to remember your life without Facebook., Think of how you can get the benefits of Facebook without it.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Track your usage for a day (or a week).
Keep tabs of what you actually do on Facebook.
After every session, ask yourself, "What did I just accomplish by checking Facebook?" Odds are, you're probably just logging in to see if you've been poked, check for updates, write a new note, add a song, and other mindless tasks you do to waste time — even if you logged in for a set purpose, like accepting a friend request.
Recording your Facebook activities can help you realize how much time you actually spend getting nothing constructive done.
Mark the time when you log in and when you log out or download an app for your browser that will track how much time you spend on various sites. -
Step 2: Think about the things you can do with this time instead.
If you find yourself spending, say, 10 hours a week on Facebook, make a list of all the other things you could accomplish in that time.
Seeing this number of hours written down can make you feel the harsh reality that you're wasting your life away on Facebook.
Here are some things you could do instead:
Pick up a part-time job and save up (or even invest) that money.
Teach your kid (or kid sibling) how to throw a football.
Get fit.
Spend time socializing with people in your real life.
Clean your room.
Volunteer.
Read a book.
Teach yourself a new language.
Make a Papasan chair cushion.
Listen to music and make it a routine.
An album per day or so. , If you only joined Facebook a year or two ago, or if you got through all of high school and college before Facebook was even introduced, try to think about all of the things you did before Facebook.
Maybe you spent less time in front of the computer in general and more time outside.
Make a list of all of the positive aspects of your life without Facebook to motivate yourself.
Here are some ways that your Facebook-free life could have been like:
Maybe you spent less time stalking your exes, caring what your photos look like, or comparing yourself to all of the "friends" you haven't seen in five years.
Maybe you spent more time playing soccer or tennis with your friends.
Maybe you spent more time actually interacting with people in person instead of just checking up on them online.
Writing down all of the positive things in your life before Facebook will make you see that you don't really need Facebook to be happy.
In fact, if you have an addiction, it's likely that it's making you depressed. , Write down all of the things that Facebook has done for you, and the things that you'll miss the most when you delete your account.
Then, think of a way that you can still get these benefits without feeling the soul-crushing feeling of being chained to your Facebook account.
Here are some ways to do it:
Some people say that they're only on Facebook to remember their friends' birthdays.
Well, if that's one of your reasons for being on it, mark a calendar up with all of the birthdays of your actual friends so you don't forget them, or just write them down on a piece of paper you hang up on your desk.
You could also create a birthday chart that is organized by month.
Some people are on Facebook because they love sharing photos.
Instead of using Facebook, you can share your photos by starting an Instagram account and only connecting with the friends and family members that you'd really like to share with.
Some people are on Facebook because they want to know what their friends are up to.
Instead of being on Facebook to check up on your five closest far-flung Facebook friends, make a goal of calling them or emailing them once a week or once a month to see what they've been up to.
Some people go on Facebook to have the feeling of a social interaction when they're feeling lonely at work, or when they're stuck at home or too busy to hang out with people.
Instead of interacting with people online, grab lunch with a coworker at lunch, or get your work done earlier so you can go home and hang out with your friends.
Some people like Facebook because they like to see the articles that people are posting and commenting on.
Try checking a popular news source instead of Facebook to gain more knowledge and still be in the loop.
Some of the sites that people post from the most are The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Jezebel, Slate, The New York Times, Gawker, College Humor, and The Onion.
Pick a new
-- and more informative
-- website to read instead of Facebook. -
Step 3: Try to remember your life without Facebook.
-
Step 4: Think of how you can get the benefits of Facebook without it.
Detailed Guide
Keep tabs of what you actually do on Facebook.
After every session, ask yourself, "What did I just accomplish by checking Facebook?" Odds are, you're probably just logging in to see if you've been poked, check for updates, write a new note, add a song, and other mindless tasks you do to waste time — even if you logged in for a set purpose, like accepting a friend request.
Recording your Facebook activities can help you realize how much time you actually spend getting nothing constructive done.
Mark the time when you log in and when you log out or download an app for your browser that will track how much time you spend on various sites.
If you find yourself spending, say, 10 hours a week on Facebook, make a list of all the other things you could accomplish in that time.
Seeing this number of hours written down can make you feel the harsh reality that you're wasting your life away on Facebook.
Here are some things you could do instead:
Pick up a part-time job and save up (or even invest) that money.
Teach your kid (or kid sibling) how to throw a football.
Get fit.
Spend time socializing with people in your real life.
Clean your room.
Volunteer.
Read a book.
Teach yourself a new language.
Make a Papasan chair cushion.
Listen to music and make it a routine.
An album per day or so. , If you only joined Facebook a year or two ago, or if you got through all of high school and college before Facebook was even introduced, try to think about all of the things you did before Facebook.
Maybe you spent less time in front of the computer in general and more time outside.
Make a list of all of the positive aspects of your life without Facebook to motivate yourself.
Here are some ways that your Facebook-free life could have been like:
Maybe you spent less time stalking your exes, caring what your photos look like, or comparing yourself to all of the "friends" you haven't seen in five years.
Maybe you spent more time playing soccer or tennis with your friends.
Maybe you spent more time actually interacting with people in person instead of just checking up on them online.
Writing down all of the positive things in your life before Facebook will make you see that you don't really need Facebook to be happy.
In fact, if you have an addiction, it's likely that it's making you depressed. , Write down all of the things that Facebook has done for you, and the things that you'll miss the most when you delete your account.
Then, think of a way that you can still get these benefits without feeling the soul-crushing feeling of being chained to your Facebook account.
Here are some ways to do it:
Some people say that they're only on Facebook to remember their friends' birthdays.
Well, if that's one of your reasons for being on it, mark a calendar up with all of the birthdays of your actual friends so you don't forget them, or just write them down on a piece of paper you hang up on your desk.
You could also create a birthday chart that is organized by month.
Some people are on Facebook because they love sharing photos.
Instead of using Facebook, you can share your photos by starting an Instagram account and only connecting with the friends and family members that you'd really like to share with.
Some people are on Facebook because they want to know what their friends are up to.
Instead of being on Facebook to check up on your five closest far-flung Facebook friends, make a goal of calling them or emailing them once a week or once a month to see what they've been up to.
Some people go on Facebook to have the feeling of a social interaction when they're feeling lonely at work, or when they're stuck at home or too busy to hang out with people.
Instead of interacting with people online, grab lunch with a coworker at lunch, or get your work done earlier so you can go home and hang out with your friends.
Some people like Facebook because they like to see the articles that people are posting and commenting on.
Try checking a popular news source instead of Facebook to gain more knowledge and still be in the loop.
Some of the sites that people post from the most are The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Jezebel, Slate, The New York Times, Gawker, College Humor, and The Onion.
Pick a new
-- and more informative
-- website to read instead of Facebook.
About the Author
Isabella Turner
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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