April 2025 - Life of Challenge

No Social Media: And I’m not Going Back

deanathoms / April 24, 2025

Hi, my name is Dean and I used to scroll like my life depended on it. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat. All of it. I’d pop open one app, then the next, then circle back like I was checking some invisible mail. And it added up. I was averaging 10 hours of social media a week, every week, without fail. For what? A few laughs, a bunch of dog videos, and a steady stream of other people’s highlight reels. I didn’t like how that felt. I didn’t like who it made me. So I deleted them. Cold turkey. And I started a 21-day no social media challenge. The 21-Day No Social Media Challenge For 21 days, I committed to deleting Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat from my phone. I didn’t set out to be some tech-hermit or productivity guru; I just wanted to reclaim my attention and see who I was without the noise. This challenge was about mental toughness, but more importantly, mental freedom. Understand the Challenge The rules were simple: no Instagram, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat. I didn’t count LinkedIn or Slack (because I needed them for work), but I probably should have cut Reddit too… that one snuck in through the backdoor. This wasn’t about perfection. It was about intentionality. And for the first time in a long time, my phone wasn’t the boss of me. Clarify Your Intent I wanted my brain back. I was sick of the comparison loop, the endless scrolling, the dopamine dips. I knew I wasn’t actually connecting with anyone through these apps; I was just numbing out. For the next 21 days, I am committing to removing social media from my phone to practice mental discipline and reclaim clarity, presence, and self-respect. Set Your Personal Baseline Here’s where I started: Finalize Your Plan I removed all the main offenders from my phone. Reddit? I left it… big mistake. That became the digital methadone of this detox. But even so, I tightened things up as the weeks went on. I gave myself grace but didn’t let myself off the hook. For the next 21 days, I will delete Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat from my phone. I will track my screen time weekly and reflect on how my mindset changes. My goal is to reduce social comparison, increase presence, and build digital boundaries that actually serve me. Schedule the Work This challenge wasn’t about adding tasks to a calendar. It was about removing distractions from it. I set a reminder every Sunday night to check my screen time and journal a few notes. Just enough structure to stay honest. Pro tip? Turn your phone grayscale. It makes everything look like a sad 1940s newspaper and totally kills the urge to scroll. Establish Accountability I didn’t make a big public announcement. No “I’m leaving social media for my mental health” farewell post. I just did it. But I tracked the data and checked in with myself weekly. If you’re doing this, tell one friend. Or shoot me a message; I’ll cheer you on and hold you to it. Commit to Your Plan Here’s a sample message you could send if you’re doing this too: Hey [Name], I’m doing a 21-day no social media challenge to reset my brain. I’ve deleted Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat from my phone. Can you check in on me once a week and make sure I’m still holding the line? I might need a meme or two to get through it 😂 Week-by-Week Recap Bonus Insights: The No-Social Effect on Sleep and Recovery I didn’t just scroll less; I slept better, moved more intentionally, and hit optimal recovery zones more consistently. 🖐️ Final Reflections I don’t miss it. The likes. The posts. The constant performance. I do miss the dog videos, but I’m okay letting them go too. I’m comparing myself to others less. I’m feeling more present. I’m spending time being rather than watching. I feel better and not in a “look at me being productive” way. In a quiet, content, grounded way. Next up? I’m thinking about going grayscale full-time, maybe deleting Reddit and LinkedIn too. This isn’t just a detox. It’s a reset. A new normal. Ready to Try? Delete your apps. Reclaim your attention. Feel better. The dog videos will be there when you get back. But you might not want to go back at all.

Stretching Challenge: Loosen Up or Fall Apart

Loosen Up or Fall Apart: My 21-Day Stretching Challenge You’re Not Supposed to Feel This Old at 30 A few months ago, I started waking up with a stiff neck. A long car ride would leave my lower back barking. My knees hurt on runs. And honestly? I felt old. Not wise-old or confident-old. Just creaky-old. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the culprit: mobility—or the lack of it. I train hard and stay active, but I wasn’t doing jack for recovery. So I launched into a 21-day challenge to fix that, one stretch at a time. The 21-Day Stretching Challenge What it is: Stretch for at least 10 minutes every day for 21 days. What it’s for: Build full-body mobility. Get looser, more athletic, and less breakable. The virtue: Discipline. The kind that shows up daily—before the world gets loud, before excuses creep in. Understand the Challenge This isn’t a yoga retreat or a month in Bali. It’s 10 minutes of stretching. Every. Single. Day. You can target certain areas (I learned the hard way my hamstrings are made of rebar), or go full-body. For me, it was about feeling younger, moving smoother, and hurting less. Clarify Your Intent My why? “For the next 21 days, I am committing to stretch for 10 minutes every morning to practice discipline, increase mobility, and feel better in my body.” Set Your Personal Baseline Progress needs a starting line. I chose three benchmark stretches: I took baseline photos on Day 1 right after leg day. Big mistake, they’re embarrassing and I won’t be sharing them. But hey, at least I’m being honest. Finalize Your Plan My plan was simple: Final Commitment: “I will stretch for 10 minutes every morning using guided routines from the Peloton app to improve my mobility, support recovery, and create a sustainable daily habit.” Schedule the Work No ambiguity here. Stretching became part of my morning routine: I even started associating my yoga mat with coffee. It had the same level of non-negotiable. Establish Accountability I told my girlfriend about the challenge, and while I didn’t ask her to check in daily, she occasionally asked if I got my stretching in. Just knowing she was aware of it added a subtle layer of accountability. I wasn’t doing it for her but the idea of slacking off and having to admit it? That was motivation enough. Commit to Your Plan Need a sample message to lock this in? Try this: “Hey [Friend/Girlfriend/Mom], I’m doing a 21-day challenge to stretch every day for 10 minutes to improve my mobility and avoid feeling like an old man at 30. Can you check in with me each night to make sure I did it?” Overview of the First Week Day 1: Post-leg day stretch = humbling. My pigeon pose looked like a wrestling injury. But I showed up. Day 2: Morning stretch done. Lower body focused. Felt sore but looser. Easy to slide into routine. Day 3: Hamstrings and hip flexors are toast. Eye-opening just how tight I’ve become. Still feels good to move. Day 4: Upper body stretch today. Shoulders thanked me. Recovery at 69% according to Whoop, better than expected. Day 5: Back focus. Skipped a workout the day before. Combined with stretching, recovery score soared to 94%. Day 6: Forward fold still a mess. Knees shoot up like jack-in-the-boxes. Tightness = opportunity. Day 7: Toe touches = torture. But consistency is building. Even with a low recovery score (40%), I stretched. Final Reflections By the end of week two, I felt like a new version of myself. My body recovered faster, soreness faded quicker, and I started lifting heavier in the gym. The back pain? Gone. And I wasn’t just tolerating my morning stretches anymore, I was actually looking forward to them. Stretching had become a kind of ritual, not a chore. Sure, I may not keep it up every single day going forward, but this challenge carved out a new habit I’m committed to. Mobility doesn’t just happen. You have to earn it. Quote to Carry: “Discipline is doing what needs to be done – even when you don’t feel like doing it.” You in? Next challenge starts soon.