If you’re anything like me, social media plays a part in your daily life from only minutes after waking up, to sometimes minutes before you fall asleep. From the time to the headspace, social media can have a negative effect on your life.

As someone who deals with mom guilt, social media comparison, and low self-discipline, social media was becoming a dark cloud over my head. After hearing of a seven-day social media challenge from a fellow mom on Instagram, I knew it was the perfect time to disconnect from the outside world to be able to reconnect with myself. The results were amazing.

If you’ve ever considered doing a social media fast, I highly recommend it. Below are my top three takeaways from my seven-day social media fast.

My productivity skyrocketed

It should go without saying that eliminating social media would improve efficiency, but the results were better than I expected. Those 5, 10, or 15-minute social media breaks I usually take turned to breaks I used to do something productive. From starting a new project to reading a few pages from a book, I accomplished so much more on a daily basis because of the absence of social media.

I was more present

There’s a big difference between being somewhere and actually being present. As a busy mom, my mind is usually in multiple places at the same time.

Being present was never something I put much effort into. I thought that by simply showing up, I was getting it done. During my social media detox, I really got an opportunity to fully enjoy every moment of the day by myself, my daughter, and my husband.

My self-discipline increased

I broke two records during my detox. I meditated for eight consecutive days. Clearing my mind allowed me to really understand why I was doing the social media fast. It put me in a mindset that would allow me to get a clear understanding of what my plan would be moving forward. I also attended a yoga or barre class for five consecutive days, a new personal record. Yoga also allows me to clear my mind while pushing my body to new limits.

As someone who lacks self-discipline (and admits it), being able to push me to check these things off felt amazing.