scrolling through instagram mindlessly had become too much of a habit for me. watching youtube videos while i cleaned our townhome, nursed my son, and did the dishes became a regular thing. sending marco polos to my friends anytime i was in the car was something i did everyday.
am i the only one?
i don’t think so. obsession with our phones has become a new norm for our society sadly…
now, i realize those social media platforms in and of themselves are not bad things, but they were becoming addictions for me. i needed a break- a reset for my spiritual and mental health.
trevor and i are currently reading through a book all about creating and sustaining good & healthy habits. and one day, i was hit with the Holy Spirit convicting me of my social media usage. it had gotten out of hand. i felt as though i needed to do a month long fast from all things social media.
so, i decided i would do it for the month of november. no instagram, facebook, youtube, or marco polo. i knew it’d be hard, but i knew the benefits would far outweigh what i was temporarily giving up.
**i did plan to go on 1 time to post for my son’s 5 month, but i wouldn’t check anything else while on there.**
as i’m writing this, i’m about a week in. has it been challenging? yes. but, breaking any bad habit is going to come with its challenges. especially when the week you choose to do this is the week your whole household gets sick and you’re at home laying out the couch resting for days on end.
one week in, here are my thoughts:
- i’m practicing being okay with silence. now, this is a tricky thing for me- to be in complete silence. but i know that we can so much fill every empty space with music, netflix, a podcast, youtube, etc., that we forget how to survive with complete silence. but, it’s in times of quiet where we can hear the Lord’s voice.
- when i normally would be playing a youtube video while doing the dishes, i’ve begun to use that time to pray or to listen to a podcast. a podcast that is going to get my brain thinking and help me grow.
- this may seem obvious, but i’ve been on my phone a lot less this last week. it’s crazy that when a phone is only used for what a phone was made to do, it’s not as much fun.
- i’ve been more present with my loved ones, having more time to notice what’s around me and not filling every free moment with a phone in my face. and realizing that sometimes the best moments are not moments you have to document or put online. it’s hard when your son is just so adorable haha.
when the month is over, i’ve realized i need to set some healthy boundaries in place. i’m thinking maybe setting an app limit for the apps i tend to be on. or maybe giving myself a few minutes in the morning and a few at night to check? i’ll need to see what works with my schedule. but overall, i’m challenged by doing this, but i can already see the benefits.
who wants to join me on this month long social media detox?
tia marie
tia marie 