There have been weeks when I have restricted myself from bingeing on social media. During those weeks I realized how much there was to do – and how much I couldn’t think of to do. With all of the time I had in those weeks, I would have been able to have cleaned up every room in the house, finished all of my homework, worked out for 2 hours a day, written 2,000 words a day in my books, and accomplished the goals I had set to actually get done in those weeks. Of course, just because I could didn’t mean I did. During those weeks I found myself lying about the house, sleeping more, finishing all my laundry (which is what I was supposed to be doing), and whining about how bored I was.
I thought about going social media free this summer, but I realized that without access to a car or even a license, and with so many people I keep in contact with over the internet, dropping social media was only a great option if I didn’t want to keep up with the times and feel dramatically detached from the world. So, instead of dropping it, I reflected on those weeks that I didn’t indulge. I realized how attached I was – not only did I not want to do anything without social media, I couldn’t even think of anything to do despite having forty billion things I could accomplish! Even as typed this, I took breaks to talk with people on Facebook and scroll through the never-ending quick tidbits of funny and useful information on Tumblr.
My departure is a gradual one. A planned departure. A letting go of my habitual social media-ing. I look forward to spending less than 8 hours a day learning mindless new facts and finding out what my friends are eating for lunch. I look forward to writing 2,000 words a day, and my mom looks forward to me cleaning… something. I will begin my own intervention, and start by waking up and watering my plants, instead of waking up and snapchatting how cool today’s bedhead is to my partner. I believe that I will begin to breathe more easily, letting go of this thing I have dependence on.
What could you let go of that will help you breath better?
Joanna Benshoof
Love this!