Should I Take a Break From Social Media? A Guide For People With OCD

If you’re asking yourself if you should take a break from social media, chances are you’ve already noticed the way it’s affecting your mental health. Maybe you can’t go a day—or an hour—without opening a social media app, or your mood plummets when you don’t get the comments or likes that give you a hit of reassurance or validation. 

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may notice that social media has become an avoidance tool, that it makes you feel isolated from everyday life, or that it triggers or exacerbates symptoms at times. “If it’s your value to stay connected, you might still want to be on social media in some way,” says Tracie Zinman-Ibrahim, LMFT, CST. “You should ask yourself: How can you use it in a way that aligns with your values as opposed to exhausting you or making you go into spirals?”

Read on to learn the benefits of taking a social media break, and how to set yourself up for success if you choose to press pause.

We can help you learn ways to cope with OCD that don’t involve social media distractions. Book a free call to learn more.

9 signs that you need a social media break if you have OCD

1. Your OCD obsessions seem to flare up after social media use. Social media apps deliver a constant stream of information that could potentially fuel obsessions, or become an obsession itself. “Being online we tend to find things that feed into our thoughts and interests, especially with advanced algorithms that know what you look at and are curious about,” Zinman-Ibrahim says. “Because of that, you can be triggered by social media.”
2. Your perfectionism is regularly triggered. If you struggle with OCD and perfectionism, comparing yourself to other people you see on social media may activate self-critical thoughts. While people who don’t have OCD can also struggle with this, those with the condition may feel a greater sense of inadequacy, or spend an excessive amount of time comparing their lives to what others post online, Ibrahim says.
3. Social media is leading to more reassurance-seeking than normal. Many people rely on comments and likes for affirmation and validation. But when you have OCD, these notifications can become a vehicle for compulsive behavior. Although excessive reassurance through likes and comments can make you feel better in the short-term, in the long-term it backfires. That’s because it perpetuates the symptoms of OCD and keeps you hooked in an endless cycle of needing feedback from others, who might not always be available to give it.
4. You’re using social media to research your obsessions. Whatever OCD subtype you have, you might find yourself turning to social media to excessively search for answers related to your obsessive thoughts. For example, if you have Health Concern OCD, you may be in a Reddit rabbit hole to see if a headache might indicate brain cancer. Or if you have Contamination OCD, you might be deep in TikTok videos about the amount of bacteria in a dish sponge, says Zinman-Ibrahim. It’s important to keep in mind that “your body and mind don’t exist online. If you need answers for something, ask a professional instead of the internet,” she adds.
5. Social media use has become an avoidance behavior. It might feel tempting to turn to your social media feed for distraction when you’re faced with intrusive thoughts or anxiety. And sure, it may provide a small, temporary sense of relief. But it won’t address the underlying discomfort you feel. Like all compulsions, avoidance behaviors only reinforce the OCD cycle, which makes you feel worse—not better—in the long run.
6. You feel even more isolated from real life. OCD can already be isolating. You might feel like you’re the only person experiencing the kinds of obsessions and compulsions you struggle with, or feel shame or guilt associated with your condition. Unfortunately, social media use can sometimes exacerbate those feelings because it makes it seem like the people you follow are living their best lives, free from any mental health hardships. Not to mention, the more time you spend online, the less time there is for real-world interactions.
7. You’re having trouble sleeping. Studies show that high levels of social media use can disrupt sleep patterns. And if you have OCD, you’re more likely to struggle with insomnia. So if quality shut-eye is hard to come by lately, constant scrolling—especially before bed—may be a culprit.
8. Negative images on social media are triggering intrusive thoughts. When disturbing videos, images, or news articles cross your feed, they can trigger OCD fears and add unwanted anxiety. “Things that are coming up in the media definitely can give people scrupulosity, or even responsibility fears. For instance, they might see a story about a crime on social media and then think they’re capable of something similar,” Zinman-Ibrahim says.
9. Social media is taking time away from self-care. If you have OCD, self-care habits such as mindfulness, exercise, or creative projects can help ease symptoms of stress and anxiety. But social media is known to be a time suck, and you may find yourself scrolling for hours while abandoning the things that are most important for your overall health.

6 Benefits of taking a break from social media

While taking a break from social media isn’t a panacea, it can help with OCD symptoms, increase productivity, improve your sleep patterns, and give you a greater sense of calm. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Better mental well-being. Stepping away from social media can lead to a reduction in feelings of loneliness and depression, according to researchers. That’s because it allows you to focus on your needs and emotions without comparing yourself to others. Being offline also prevents you from using social media as a distraction, and instead will give you space and time to address any mental health symptoms you’ve been struggling with, including those that result from OCD.
2. Better sleep. As noted above, excessive scrolling—especially at night—can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. Going off social media, even temporarily, can contribute to more restorative shut-eye.
3. Increased productivity. When you don’t have social media to divert your attention, you’ll have more time to focus on work, school, or other hobbies. That can lead to a greater sense of productivity and accomplishment.
4. In-person connection. If you usually use social media platforms to communicate with your friends or family, it may feel strange to lose that form of connection. But cutting back can be the very thing that inspires you to arrange more in-person meet-ups or video calls. This authentic connection can increase your sense of belonging and well-being.  
5. Greater self-confidence. When you limit access to social media, you also limit your exposure to posts that tend to send you down a cycle of “compare and despair”—thereby protecting your self-confidence.
6. Reduced information overload. By disconnecting from the constant stream of news, videos, pictures, and updates, you’ll have a clearer mind and space to focus on what’s really important to your day.

So how do you actually take a social media break? Here’s your step-by-step guide

“It’s important to find a way to not use social media compulsively,” Zinman-Ibrahim says. That said, taking a break from social media might not be as straightforward as it sounds. Maybe you need it for your job, or you use a specific platform to communicate with friends or family members. The key is finding a process that works for you. These tips can help:

• Identify the social media platforms you want to break from: You may notice that there are one or two social media platforms that you spend the most time on, or that are more likely to trigger feelings of self-criticism and anxiety. Those are most likely the ones you’ll want to take a hiatus from. 
• Set time limits: It might not be realistic for you to go off social media for an entire month, or maybe even an entire week, especially if you rely on it for work or other communication. Instead, you might set certain hours in the evening or morning when you’d like to be off a specific app, or take a break over weekends.
• Communicate your goal: Accountability is key to any goal, including social media breaks. Tell your partner or a friend that you’d like to limit your social media use, and ask them to check in with you during your desired break period to see how you’re doing. 
• Delete or limit apps: When it’s time for your break to start, you can delete social media apps from your phone all together, or set screen time limits in your phone settings. There are also computer services like BlockSite that prevent you from accessing websites of your choice from your laptop or desktop.
• Be deliberate about what you do with your newfound free time: If you regularly spend a lot of time on social media, you might find yourself with extra time on your hands. Before you go offline, identify some goals from your free time. Maybe you’d like to pick up a few books, or set a new exercise routine. 
• Reevaluate before your return. Before logging back on, take a moment to write down or reflect on what you learned during the break. Perhaps you’ll decide to take another hiatus soon, or that you want to stay offline for longer. 

Bottom line on social media & OCD

If you’re looking to make changes like cutting back on social media use to improve your symptoms of OCD, that’s a great thing. But bear in mind that alongside these lifestyle changes, it’s important to make sure your OCD is also being properly treated with evidence-based therapy.

The best way to manage OCD long-term is exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP). ERP involves confronting OCD-related obsessions or fears—under the guidance of a licensed, specialized therapist—and learning to make the conscious choice not to engage in compulsions. While it’s just one of the side benefits, ERP can also help you avoid compulsively scrolling through social media when an intrusive thought comes up, and instead teach you to address uncomfortable feelings without needing a distraction.

An ERP therapist can also help you learn what works for you—without being black and white about social media. “Most people want to be on social media in the long run. They want to connect with their friends and family,” Zinman-Ibrahim says. “For people with OCD, it’s helpful to establish boundaries with social media so that you can use it without it being a compulsion.”