1: Stop over-thinking it
Worried about losing touch with old friends? Don’t. If you were actually friends — not mutual stalkers — you would be chatting over a cup of coffee right now.

What about networking? I get it, you don’t want to talk to someone you met at a work function over the phone. Here are some other modern options for you: texting and email. (Whew, that was a close one.)

And all those groups you’re in? Well, there are simply some things you’re going to have to give up. Think about the trade-off — you’re getting an hour per day (on average) back. That’s 365 hours per year. That’s a lot of hours over the course of a lot of years. You’re welcome.

But I use messenger! Not sure if you’ve heard but most people have a phone number that you can send text messages to. There’s also WhatsApp. (Also, you can deactivate your account and still use Messenger. More on that later.)

Step 2: Disconnect those apps (like Spotify)
You’ve probably used Facebook to log into other apps and services dozens of times. And why not? It makes signing up for new things super fast.

Problem is, those logins inadvertently burrowed you deeper into Facebook’s grasp. It’s reversible, but it’ll require some time to undo. Here’s how:

Make a list of all the apps you log into using Facebook. One way to figure this out is to go to Facebook (desktop) > Settings > Apps. Scroll through this list and make note of the apps and websites you still use.
One by one, log into those apps. Visit the Settings page and find the option to disconnect from Facebook. This process varies quite a bit, so you might want to Google “disconnect Facebook from [insert app here]” to speed things up.
It was once nearly impossible to disconnect Facebook from Spotify, but the company recently made it much easier. In Spotify, go to Settings and choose the option to disconnect from Facebook. Now log off. In the login window, hit “Reset Password.” Follow the instructions, and you’re golden.

Step 3: Download all your memories
You probably want to keep all your photos, posts, friends and all the other data you accumulated on Facebook. Luckily, saving all that data is really easy.

Go to Facebook (desktop) and head to Settings. In that first window, hit “Download a copy of your Facebook data.” Follow the instructions and wait while Facebook emails you a downloadable file.

Step 4: Delete, deactivate or detach
This is the part where boys become men. Girls become women. Caterpillars become… you get the idea.

You have three options when it comes to quitting Facebook:

Permanently delete your account. This is irreversible — all your data will be removed, your profile will disappear and you’ll need to sign up for Facebook again if you want back in.
Deactivate your account. This option is for people who know that, eventually, they’ll succumb to their addiction. Deactivating essentially puts your account on hold, so you can restore it to the same state it was in when you left it. This also lets you continue using Facebook Messenger.
Detach yourself. I really don’t recommend this one. There are very few people in this world who have enough self-control to forgo deleting or deactivating their account in favor of ignoring Facebook. But if your addiction is mild or you were never really into Facebook anyway, this option could work for you.
To permanently delete your account, go to this page. To deactivate your account, go here. Just be warned, Facebook uses a weird combination of psychology and desperation to try and prevent you from quitting.

If you plan to detach yourself and use self-control to “quit” Facebook, here are some tips:

Opt out of Facebook’s email notifications
Minimize your profile by making your Timeline, photos and anything else you can private
Delete the app from your phone and remove any bookmarks
Use an option like Space (for iPhone) to reverse your addiction