Well hello again!
It’s been a little while since I last blogged, I hope you and yours had a gorgeous Easter? I did deliberately plan a little digital detox for myself over the Easter holidays and it was everything I hoped it would be: refreshing, thought provoking and motivating too. As well as doing a digital detox where I basically didn’t use social media or post on my blog for the duration, I also made the decision to step away from my phone and only use it where necessary….I might have developed a slight Netflix addiction in the process but we won’t talk about that now!
Being off my phone highlighted for me how often I am on my phone, how often I am connected to the outside world, available to all and; more often than not, distracted. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE social media, I also love the convenience of being able to reach people via a WhatsApp message or a cheeky Instagram comment but it definitely made me consider the way social media can dupe you into thinking those connections represent real life or suffice to keep a relationship intact. They don’t.
‘Checking in’ on what somebody is posting about their life throughout the week doesn’t serve as a fair ‘round up’ of their life on any given day and so for me, it really highlighted my conviction and resolution this year to *try* (even though life with three kids often foils my best efforts) but nevertheless to try my very best to stay authentically connected to the family and friends I don’t see every day via actual phone calls, meet ups and perhaps even the odd hand-written letter too.
Life’s all about moderation, right? And the one thing I keep coming back to when I do a digital detox is that I need to keep a better balance with the way I allow social media to influence me. The connections that are already being drawn between social media and mental health, specifically depression are quite scary and yet I think most of us can relate in some way to feelings of insecurity about ourselves through the constant flurry of information or images concerning what are mostly the edited ‘best parts’ of other people’s lives.
Awareness is key and moderation is definitely a weapon of choice, specifically my choice. The first few days of me not being online played host to the biggest sense of ‘FOMO’, (fear of missing out) as if my blog would never be read again or I would never have another opportunity present itself as punishment for logging off. But those silly thoughts soon gave way to peace and to a growing yearning for a simpler life; or a simpler way of living. The less is more, happy-go-lucky approach of someone who is fully content in their position and who doesn’t seek affirmation of who they are from others, much less strangers- I couldn’t help but crave that as my own reality.
I don’t know the future of my blog yet. I know that I love writing, I still love photography and I LOVE reading other blogs too but I also really like disconnecting from the world and not touching my phone. We’ll see how I manage to keep those plates spinning and I’m sure I’ll update you in the process too!
In the meantime, it is SO nice to be back with the ideas pot brimming and lots of lovely adventures to come!
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