No social media for 28 days - Week 1

Last week, I wrote about taking a 28-day break from social media. This week, I am sharing my thoughts and experiences I recorded in Apple Journal. The first week off social media has been a success and liberating. 

Day 1 - Tuesday 27th October

Today was my first day off social media. I wrote a blog post about it and published it. If I was endlessly doomscrolling, I would have been distracted, resulting in not doing something like writing for 25 minutes. I’m proud of myself for taking action. 

Surprisingly, I didn’t miss social media today. The act of blogging, reading and keeping busy helped me. It’s amazing what you can achieve when there’s no distractions to waste your time. I even got 20 minutes on the Switch, playing Minecraft Dungeons, which I haven’t touched in over a year!

Day 2 - Wednesday 28th October

It only dawned on me this morning as I woke up that I have historically checked all my social media platforms within the first twenty minutes of waking up. What a way to wake up (sarcasm intended). It felt refreshingly different not to do the same today. 

Instead, I listened to an audiobook for thirty minutes through my newly purchased Apple AirPod 5 earbuds. I also rekindled my love of books over the past five days. In fact, it is my favourite activity right now. I really need to see what audiobooks are out there and where’s the best place to listen to them - car, living room, office, bedroom, who knows?

I also realised I have to watch Slow Horses on Apple TV. With the distractions, I didn’t get past episode 3. Consuming TV series and movies is not going to be a replacement for social media but I must acknowledge there’s alternatives to endlessly scrolling on social media. 

Day 3 - Thursday 29th October

I spent time this morning to review my neglected goals for 2026 - reading, exercise, meditation and watching movies. With this extra time, I have been able to review my goals and see what is important and what can go.

I looked at my book target in Apple Books. It was set to five books, of which, I had only achieved three so far. Two months to go, I know I need to work on this target. I’ve picked a fictional novel called The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I saw somewhere as a recommendation and I was curious to see Chinese culture through texts.  

I’m on episode five of Slow Horses now. Why did I not start this TV series sooner? It is great like most other shows on Apple TV. Yes, watching shows and movies is consumption but it is quality over quantity. I already pay for Apple TV through my Apple One subscription, so I might as well take advantage of what it on offer. There’s another show I am interested in called Nocturne starring Live Schreiber, Zazie Beetz and Stephen Graham. 

Day 4 - Friday 30th October

In my quest to learn more about resting heart rates and sleep improvements, my online searches pointed me towards Reddit. I was annoyed that I couldn’t view the posts but I knew it was for the best. There will always be opportunities after the challenge to delve into them. 

I’ve managed to watch all of Slow Horses season 1. It is a show I am enjoying a lot, so knowing there’s six seasons in total is something to look forward to. Another Apple TV series has started called Nocturne and I want to watch it before I get behind on the series. 

I’ve noticed my dedication to exercise and mental wellbeing improve over the past week. As I am enjoying the half-term holidays, I have created a routine of meditation and journaling in the morning. How will I keep this practice up when I return to work? I will have to adjust the routine, I suppose. 

Day 5 - Saturday 31st October

I’m starting to appreciate the new routine I have put in place this morning. Waking up to intention is far more exciting than waking up to negativity online. The big question is will I keep to the routine once I return to work?

I have no intention of going on social media, which is a massive relief and success. In a way, I don’t have a burden on my back. I am noticing more of the world around me and how freeing it is to focus on the now. Around midday, I went for a nature walk and completed one of the Time to Walk exercises on Apple Fitness+, which was one of the free samples on Apple Fitness+ this month. 

Reading, meditation, breathing exercises, exercising, spending time with family all feel so much worthwhile over the time I was spending social media. 

Day 6 - Sunday 1st November

This morning, I decided to subscribe to Apple One Premier, upping my integration within the Apple ecosystem. I had an interest to read magazines and Apple News+ content as well as the selection of Fitness+ content. This is not the act of consumption to replace other consumption. It is about quality over quantity It is about intent. 

I have recently started exercising more and reading to further my interests. Both News+ and Fitness+ offer something I am interested in without the AI slop or toxicity found on social media. In addition, I’m enjoying the content on Apple TV+. 

I listened to a Vergecast podcast talking about TikTok and Instagram. Both of which I don’t have. I’m still unaware of what the appeal is for Instagram. I personally don’t see the point of it. What they explained about both backs bias against both platforms. 

Day 7 - Monday 2nd November

My son was off school today as the teachers had their INSET day, which is a training day for professionals in education. I know all about them with me being a teacher and all. I didn’t want to be sitting around the house with a bored teenager, so I knew planning something to do would be the best thing to do. 

A trip out to Alton Towers theme park meant I was away from my phone and computer for most of the day. As I looked around me, there were scores of people glued to their phones. Quite tragic to witness to be honest. I made the decision to put my phone in my bag and rely on my Apple Watch for navigation. I didn’t really use my watch apart from receiving little health tracking notifications to say it detected an exercise activity. I managed to rack up 16,000 steps in the theme park. 

With my first week out of the way, I can honestly say it has been much easier to complete by having a plan going into the challenge. The same plan will be used in the week ahead. One noticeable change is the amount of exercise I am getting - I have closed my rings in Apple Fitness since starting the challenge. In addition, I have journaled, meditated, read a book, completed breathing exercises and gone to bed early. Happy days!

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As always, thank you for reading my blog. Week 2 update will come next Monday (9th November).

Mark