Around Christmas last year, I made a decision that was shocking to myself and anyone who knows me: I deleted my Snapchat account.

I had never been the most avid user; I'm awful at keeping things like streaks up, and I don't have the personality to narrate my day on my snap story. Still, I would compulsively check Snapchat at every moment I could. I had to watch everyone's stories and, by extension, keep up with everyone's lives.

However, it wasn't as if I was just checking up on my close friends. I had around 150 people on my Snapchat - not a huge amount, but far more people than I actually know well. I had friends, family, acquaintances I thought were cute, a handful of celebrities... You get the picture.

Instead of Snapchat feeling like a fun thing to do, it became upsetting. Whenever I was home alone on a Saturday night with my tea and Netflix, I'd check Snapchat. There I'd see all the hangouts, concerts, dates, and parties that other people were at. I felt that I should be out doing something too, and that I was uncool/lonely/sad because I wasn't out with friends and broadcasting it to the world. The thing is, most of the time I was actually HAPPY to be home alone. It was a choice I had made to recharge from my week. I didn't feel guilty about it at all, until I went on Snapchat.

Additionally, the "filters" you can use on your selfies really messed with my self-esteem and perception of myself. I became convinced that I HAD to use the dog filter or the "pretty" filter (you know the one) to seem attractive. If my eyes weren't bigger, my nose wasn't hidden, and my skin wasn't blurred, I was ugly. I also had to have the perfect lighting, angle, and expression. Only then was I fit to be seen. Except... I forgot something. The people whose opinions on my appearance I actually care about? They know I have chubby cheeks and acne. They weren't fooled by a dumb filter, because they know who I am and what I look like.

So I made the choice to delete my Snapchat without telling anyone first. That way, if I failed, I could come back quietly. It's been around seven months now, and I haven't regretted my decision even once. Sure, there's occasional moments when I'm late on some gossip - but if it's really that important, my friends end up telling me anyway. And while deleting Snapchat hasn't totally cured my FOMO (because Instagram still exists), it really has helped. Ignorance truly is bliss.

I'm not saying deleting Snapchat is for everyone - if you're an occasional user who has no strong feelings either way, keep using it! But if you feel lonely or left out when you watch other people's stories, or stressed that you have to keep up, do yourself a favor and delete your account. You'll thank me later.