No Time Like The Present
Hello wonderful readers,
Happy Monday!
Have you ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media, looking at posts that aren't adding value to your life? Or have you caught yourself watching a video on social media, investing several minutes of your day to just turn around and ask yourself; "what did I just watch?" I will openly admit, I am guilty of both of these things.
I have found myself becoming absorbed by all things social media lately, and I mean all things. My phone would buzz when someone likes a post, it shows a little red number notification when someone re-pins my content, and it is even the first thing staring me in the face when I pick up my phone to check the time, or to make a phone call. I became so engrossed being involved on social media that I was being taken away from things that truly mattered; real life, with real people, in real time.
Social media is a beautiful way to stay connected, whether it be with family from afar, friends that are traveling the world, meeting new people who share common
interests with you, watching news unfold in actual time, and so much more. Social media is a way to stay in contact with almost anyone at the touch of a button, but it is also a way for you to disconnect from your current reality. This post is even a form of social media and I am beyond blessed that you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your day reading and supporting me. Please know I appreciate each and every reader on this blog; I cannot thank you enough.
With that being said, I have come to realize I have been wasting precious time on social media that I quickly wish I could have back. I was constantly drawn to a whole new world that I could fit in the palm of my hand. This small lightweight world was consuming me in more ways than I wish to admit. I was missing out on time with my husband, my yoga practice, my dog, my family, my friends, and the life I was actually wanting to live.
I had to tell myself that enough is enough.
No, I did not delete all of my social media outlets. No, I am not going to throw my phone off a bridge in order to stop myself from being sucked in. Instead, I have decided to start by taking small steps to break my addiction (it is fair to call it a social media addiction because that truly is what it is). I am first admitting I have a problem, and I am making a change. I have asked my husband to help me and he of course kindly offered his assistance. I asked him to remind me to put down my phone and to be with him in the moment. Having him say a few kind words simply reminds me to return to the present moment.
Next, I turned off notifications from my social media applications. I find that I am more inclined to click on that little social media icon if it has a red number in a circle attached to it (thank you social media gurus for fueling my addiction.) Don't get my wrong, I am not mad at the creators of the social media world and the additions they have implemented to get us to stay on their platform. After all, I studied communication in college and have grown very fond of the social media world.
I am sure my next step will be taking a "leave of absence" on my social media platforms by either deleting the application from my cell phone entirely, or just stepping away for a period of time. I might even some day delete my social media account completely, but who knows, that might come years down the road.
I have decided that my time is better spent enjoying life and being absolutely present in the moment. Let me reiterate, I am not against social media, it is a beautiful thing. I have just admitted to myself that I can benefit more by not being involved in it as much as I currently am. I enjoy feeling involved and "in the loop", but the goals I have for my life are more important than my social media presence or any amount of likes I can get on a post. I do accept that this is the age we live in and, I will need to have it in my life someway somehow, I am just believing in the power I truly hold and knowing when to say enough.I am sure I will find that I truly have more free time during the day and I will use this time to enjoy the little things in life such as spending time with my husband, being with my friends, walking my dog, practicing yoga, reading more books, volunteering, etc. I am very excited to see how much my life changes for the better with this new act of minimalism.
Relating this to the eight limb yogic path is another reason I am very passionate about this form of minimalism. The first limb on the path is Yama, restraints. The third Yama is called Asteya which translates to non-stealing. I have come to understand that stealing is not necessarily an act of taking a physical item that is not yours. For example: stealing an article of clothing from a store. Stealing can also be robbing yourself of time, and this is what I have been doing while I am on social media for too long. I would argue that being too involved on social media is an act of stealing from yourself; stealing your time, energy, attention, potential, and so on. Ask yourself how many times a day you go on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and any other social media outlet. Then ask yourself how long you are on these social media platforms each time. I can give you some numbers that might shock you.
"In 2016, The New York Times reported that Facebook and Instagram consume 50 minutes of your time EACH DAY! Maybe that doesn’t sound like so much. But there are only 24 hours in a day, and the "average person" sleeps for 8.8 of them. That means more than one-sixteenth of the average user’s waking time is spent on Facebook."1
"The average time that users spend on Facebook is nearing an hour. That’s more than any other leisure activity surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the exception of watching television programs and movies (an average per day of 2.8 hours). It’s more time than people spend reading (19 minutes); participating in sports or exercise (17 minutes); or social events (four minutes). It’s almost as much time as people spend eating and drinking (1.07 hours)."1
What would you do with almost an hour extra in your day? This is an hour that you are awake and able to do something you truly love and enjoy. It blows my mind that people are spending more time mindlessly scrolling through social media than reading. That statistic makes my skin crawl. This amount of time we spend on Facebook has also continued to climb as years pass. How much time do we need to spend on social media before we say "this has gotten out of hand."
Thinking about your daily routine, and how much time you personally spend on social media, would you rather be spending that time doing something else you love? Could you pick up a hobby you enjoy but don't have enough time for? Could you spend more time with your family and build lifelong memories? Could you make a difference in your community by volunteering? We all have just twenty-four hours in a day, so don't allow social media to steal this precious resource we are so fortunate to experience.
I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week and can find a benefit spending less time of social media and more time in your beautiful reality.
Resources:
1. https://www.google.com/amp/s/
Happy Monday!
Have you ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media, looking at posts that aren't adding value to your life? Or have you caught yourself watching a video on social media, investing several minutes of your day to just turn around and ask yourself; "what did I just watch?" I will openly admit, I am guilty of both of these things.
I have found myself becoming absorbed by all things social media lately, and I mean all things. My phone would buzz when someone likes a post, it shows a little red number notification when someone re-pins my content, and it is even the first thing staring me in the face when I pick up my phone to check the time, or to make a phone call. I became so engrossed being involved on social media that I was being taken away from things that truly mattered; real life, with real people, in real time.
Social media is a beautiful way to stay connected, whether it be with family from afar, friends that are traveling the world, meeting new people who share common
interests with you, watching news unfold in actual time, and so much more. Social media is a way to stay in contact with almost anyone at the touch of a button, but it is also a way for you to disconnect from your current reality. This post is even a form of social media and I am beyond blessed that you have chosen to spend a few minutes of your day reading and supporting me. Please know I appreciate each and every reader on this blog; I cannot thank you enough.
With that being said, I have come to realize I have been wasting precious time on social media that I quickly wish I could have back. I was constantly drawn to a whole new world that I could fit in the palm of my hand. This small lightweight world was consuming me in more ways than I wish to admit. I was missing out on time with my husband, my yoga practice, my dog, my family, my friends, and the life I was actually wanting to live.
I had to tell myself that enough is enough.
No, I did not delete all of my social media outlets. No, I am not going to throw my phone off a bridge in order to stop myself from being sucked in. Instead, I have decided to start by taking small steps to break my addiction (it is fair to call it a social media addiction because that truly is what it is). I am first admitting I have a problem, and I am making a change. I have asked my husband to help me and he of course kindly offered his assistance. I asked him to remind me to put down my phone and to be with him in the moment. Having him say a few kind words simply reminds me to return to the present moment.
Next, I turned off notifications from my social media applications. I find that I am more inclined to click on that little social media icon if it has a red number in a circle attached to it (thank you social media gurus for fueling my addiction.) Don't get my wrong, I am not mad at the creators of the social media world and the additions they have implemented to get us to stay on their platform. After all, I studied communication in college and have grown very fond of the social media world.
I have decided that my time is better spent enjoying life and being absolutely present in the moment. Let me reiterate, I am not against social media, it is a beautiful thing. I have just admitted to myself that I can benefit more by not being involved in it as much as I currently am. I enjoy feeling involved and "in the loop", but the goals I have for my life are more important than my social media presence or any amount of likes I can get on a post. I do accept that this is the age we live in and, I will need to have it in my life someway somehow, I am just believing in the power I truly hold and knowing when to say enough.I am sure I will find that I truly have more free time during the day and I will use this time to enjoy the little things in life such as spending time with my husband, being with my friends, walking my dog, practicing yoga, reading more books, volunteering, etc. I am very excited to see how much my life changes for the better with this new act of minimalism.
Relating this to the eight limb yogic path is another reason I am very passionate about this form of minimalism. The first limb on the path is Yama, restraints. The third Yama is called Asteya which translates to non-stealing. I have come to understand that stealing is not necessarily an act of taking a physical item that is not yours. For example: stealing an article of clothing from a store. Stealing can also be robbing yourself of time, and this is what I have been doing while I am on social media for too long. I would argue that being too involved on social media is an act of stealing from yourself; stealing your time, energy, attention, potential, and so on. Ask yourself how many times a day you go on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and any other social media outlet. Then ask yourself how long you are on these social media platforms each time. I can give you some numbers that might shock you.
"In 2016, The New York Times reported that Facebook and Instagram consume 50 minutes of your time EACH DAY! Maybe that doesn’t sound like so much. But there are only 24 hours in a day, and the "average person" sleeps for 8.8 of them. That means more than one-sixteenth of the average user’s waking time is spent on Facebook."1
"The average time that users spend on Facebook is nearing an hour. That’s more than any other leisure activity surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the exception of watching television programs and movies (an average per day of 2.8 hours). It’s more time than people spend reading (19 minutes); participating in sports or exercise (17 minutes); or social events (four minutes). It’s almost as much time as people spend eating and drinking (1.07 hours)."1
What would you do with almost an hour extra in your day? This is an hour that you are awake and able to do something you truly love and enjoy. It blows my mind that people are spending more time mindlessly scrolling through social media than reading. That statistic makes my skin crawl. This amount of time we spend on Facebook has also continued to climb as years pass. How much time do we need to spend on social media before we say "this has gotten out of hand."
Thinking about your daily routine, and how much time you personally spend on social media, would you rather be spending that time doing something else you love? Could you pick up a hobby you enjoy but don't have enough time for? Could you spend more time with your family and build lifelong memories? Could you make a difference in your community by volunteering? We all have just twenty-four hours in a day, so don't allow social media to steal this precious resource we are so fortunate to experience.
I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week and can find a benefit spending less time of social media and more time in your beautiful reality.
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Namasté.
Resources:
1. https://www.google.com/amp/s/
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