The Big Quit: Breaking Up with Instagram and Reclaiming My Peace
How I Quit Smoking in Vegas: A Moment of Clarity
I was walking down the street in Vegas when I heard a voice in my head: “I’m done smoking.”
I put my cigarette out, and that was that.
I’d started smoking cigarettes about ten years prior.
On this day in Vegas, I was 23.
Life-changing decisions can happen in an instant.
A decision is, at its core, a choice to cut something off.
That day in Vegas, I learned something important: when my inner voice speaks, I can trust it.
I’ve carried that lesson with me, even into seemingly smaller decisions, like quitting Instagram. The same clarity hit me—this doesn’t serve me anymore.
And just like that, I decided.
The Day I Quit Instagram: Trusting My Gut Again
I left Instagram the same way—I just decided. Even though I felt scared about it.
Twitchy.
FOMO-y.
I trusted that inner voice again.
The Questions That Held Me Back
The questions flooded in:
• How will I get my news?
• My pop culture?
• How will I see pictures of you or your kids doing something amazing?
• How was I going to find out about that random life-changing product?
• Or that super cute t-shirt?
• Who’s going to send me memes??
The answer: I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
Navigating Discomfort and Finding New Ways to Connect
I know that feeling uncomfortable is part of the process. Of course, I’ll miss trading memes back and forth with friends. Memes have gotten me through a lot of hardship.
There’s going to be an adjustment period as I find new ways to access my news and pop culture (hello podcasts?), but I get to make these choices intentionally, and I really appreciate that.
Now, I can consume what I want, when I want, for as long as I want—free of interruptions.
Besides, when I really look at it, what I want is connection, fun, and inspiration. And there is no shortage of ways to do that.
I’m excited for this relearning.
The Goodbye Post That Surprised Me
Leaving any party early is my M.O. I’m the person who Irish-goodbyes every event. But not this time.
This time I let it be known I was done.
And the wild thing is—that goodbye post “did better” than anything I’d posted in at least five iterations of the algorithm.
And I wondered why.
I was being honest about where I was at.
I didn’t overthink it.
I think a lot of people feel the same as me.
The Detox Period: Unlearning Old Habits
Unlike smoking, I sense a detox period coming.
I’ve already noticed my twitchy finger mindlessly trying to find my Instagram app, which is now hidden in the recesses of my phone.
I won’t delete it yet. Then I would have to remember my password, and that seems unnecessarily taxing. I also like some of the things I’ve created there and I’m not ready to kill them yet.
It’s normal to feel discomfort in the absence of something you’ve become used to. Seeing it as part of the process is helpful. I use a lot of tools (one of my favorites is here) to heal the root of this discomfort instead of replace it with something else unhealthy.
My Secret Instagram Account and the Grey Areas of Quitting
Here’s what I haven’t fully admitted: I have a secret Insta account.
It’s a little place where I only follow one type of creator for one specific topic. No jarring surprises there.
I check this account very sporadically, so for now, it feels aligned—it’s intentional, it doesn’t suck me into a spiral, and I decide how I engage with it.
If it ever starts to feel like the main account did or just too many off-topic ads, I’ll let it go too.
Because this isn’t really about Instagram (well, sort of—screw you, Mark Z.)—it’s about me consciously choosing what feels good and cutting out what doesn’t.
While you might be shouting, “hypocrite!” I share this because I used to be such a black-and-white thinker. I don’t need to completely cut something out in order to be done with it.
If I smoked a cigarette or had a drink on some random night and I made that choice intentionally, then I’m ok with that.
I acknowledge that doesn’t work for everyone.
My philosophy is more like Intuitive Eating - nothing is off-limits.
I’ve learned that the moment I tell myself I can’t do something is exactly when I suddenly NEED to do it.
It’s more about finding a way that feels like I’m focusing on what I’m saying YES to in my life.
Right now that’s yes to peace, clarity, authenticity, inspiration, and connection (with you!).
The Power of Letting Go: What I’ve Quit to Be More of Myself
Here’s to all the things I’ve quit that’ve made room for me to be more of who I am:
Instagram
Facebook
Smoking
Drinking
Believing I was stupid
Hating myself
Doing what others said I should do
Having ugly fingernails
Believing everyone knows what I know
Judging myself for what I eat
Doubting myself
Playing piano
Believing I needed a man to want me in order to feel worthy
Friends that I felt icky being around
Doing jobs that don’t suit my natural rhythm and gifts
Making myself wrong for being who I am
Every time I’ve let go of something, it’s created more space for me to be more of myself.
Redefining Freedom: Quitting as a Path to Authentic Living
Quitting doesn’t mean failure—it means choosing freedom. And freedom, for me, looks like doing what I want when I want how I want. Freedom is me being me- the true in the moment me. Not some aspirational version based on other people’s perceptions.
So here’s to The Big Quit—habits, platforms, beliefs, and anything else that doesn’t feel like you.
Because when you let go of what doesn’t fit, you create room for your real life to breathe.
If this resonates, I invite you to join my community The Casual Coven, or check out my workshop Intuition Made Simple.
With reverence & wild magic,
Carmen xo