Recently I started experiencing intense anxiety: tightness in my chest, shortness of breath, racing thoughts, and waking up in the middle of the night unable to fall back asleep.

These symptoms were unusual for me, especially since I regularly use tools like meditation, yoga, pranayama, mindfulness, and spending time in nature to stay grounded.

Even with all these practices, the anxiety persisted.

So three days ago, I decided to make a simple change. I deleted Instagram and reduced all screen time at least two hours before bed. Almost immediately, I began to feel better.

Today I finally woke up without anxiety and with a sense of relief in my chest.

It’s wild how much social media, especially something like Instagram, can affect our nervous system. And I wasn’t even a heavy user. I can only imagine the impact it has on someone who’s on it all day.