Cutting the cord on social media can be a hard thing to do, and let me tell you, IT IS DIFFICULT! But, it can be doable. I personally decided to cut off Instagram and Facebook for a bit—to be exact a total of 40 days. To some, the word “Lent” would most likely have popped up in your heads and that is correct. During this time period, many view it as a time of self-reflection and sacrifice, testing their patience and appreciation in some aspects.
Before shutting these apps down, I would spend almost 3-5 hours a day scrolling down the news feed or photos being posted one by one. I would even say I would prioritize it above school work and even sleep. It was leaving a negative effect on me. I started to feel drained and felt that by the end of the day I truly didn’t accomplish anything. That result is so heartbreaking. So, I decided to challenge myself to shut these apps down and focus on myself. During the first couple of days, I had to constantly remind myself that those two apps were off limits. I would open these apps due to the habit I have created. In some way, these apps became my daily newspaper that I read first thing in the morning, after 2 weeks or so I realized that my habit was dying away and my thumb was not going straight to the app button anymore.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
During this time period, a thought made its way into my head, social media has in some way become an obstacle from my other senses to actually enjoy my present environment, but rather on the little screen in my hand. Imagine yourselves walking on a beautiful sunny, breezy day, can any of you decline the fact that your eyes did not go straight to you cellular devices? Or that your fingers start touching the screen and furiously typing. How about your hearing? Was it not blocked by earphones and instead having some jams blasting through them? I came to this realization once on a beautiful afternoon. My fingers automatically searching through my coat pockets for my earphones and phone. It saddens me to say that our senses have become depleted in this way as we become so addicted to our devices.
So here’s a little tip next time you are outside on a beautiful sunny day as spring is creeping in our forecast [slowly but hopefully soon lol]. One day, sit outside and just let your ears take in all the noises around you. Listen to the engines of the cars as they move through the streets, the wind moving through the trees, and even the footsteps of those around them. Let your skin feel the warmth of the sun, I did one time and it felt like a blanket of warmth being wrapped around me (Get that Vitamin D!!). Our sense of smell? Well, try finding a spot where there are many plants and flowers surrounding you, smelling those fragrances from those flowers is my guilty pleasure [I just love flowers!]. That flowery environment would also be very pleasing for our wandering eyes.
.Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
My lovelies give your eyes/ears/hands a break from the digital screen and instead replace it with the nature screen that is present to you daily. Enjoy the present! :)