Life isn’t a highlight reel, yet why do I, like so many others, feel the need to pretend like it is?

In many ways, curating a highlight reel feels a whole lot like losing your grip of reality. On a surface level, it’s easy to believe that this will make you happier. But the highlight reel was never designed to be a mood booster. It was established to be a social media buffer – an invisible line between actual life and the version we’d rather portray online. It’s the modern day equivalent of “I’m fine” when you’re clearly not fine. And I’m tired of it.

So, as of today, I’m taking a social media detox. I’m going to read, journal, write … and focus on getting that first step on the career ladder. I’m going to check the news – once, daily – to stay informed. I’m going to sit outside, even when it’s cold and all I want to do is stay under the covers and hide away. I’m going to do yoga and stretch when I’m too tired to actually workout. And I’m going to live my truth, as imperfect and lonely and messy as it may seem right now. Because life isn’t the highlight reel that we all secretly want it to be, and I’m letting mine go for a little while.

Melis x

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