Monday Motivation:
3 Things I Learned From My Digital Diet
And Why You Need One Too!
About this time last week, I did something that I have never done before. It’s something I haven’t done since I started Good Enough Mother a decade ago but it is something I will definitely do again.
I went on a “digital diet”.
A digital diet Rene? What’s that?”
It was a day for me to unplug so that I could totally and completely recharge.
I remember hearing people say they did things like that every so often. My response? Why? Oh I could NEVER do that!
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A few days ago I needed to drive south to meet with a client. I decided to take a few extra days so I could take a little time off.
A friend asked suggested that I turn everything off. No social media, no writing, no posting, no nothing. As I said I have never done this, at least not voluntarily. I did it once
Say WHAT?
But the more I thought about it the better it sounded.
So I ran around the day before, picked up a jigsaw puzzle, a good book, some libation and got ready to shut it all off.
I posted this message the night before I headed to the dark side of the moon.
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And then.. at 12:00 am on Thursday, June 2nd, 2016, I disconnected. I left the phone on in the event of emergency but I shut off all the notifications that are usually on.
No Facebook.
No Instagram.
No Twitter.
No Snapchat.
Zero notifications. Zero stress.
Truth be told, there was a moment, I almost caved. I got up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. I thought, “Let me just Facebook before I lie down again..”
I did not. The simple fact that I thought I needed to check Facebook or Instagram at 2 am underscores the absurdity of being plugged in all hours of the day. And night.
I learned 3 big things that day.
- I can have fun without sharing it immediately.
- My phone battery lasted a LONG time!
- I wasn’t sucked dry. By that I mean I was able to rediscover my creativity, something that seems to be the first thing to go when I’m on the hamster wheel of busy.
Long story short, I needed it. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. And I will do it again. Not because I want to; because I NEED to.
My advice to you in just my short time on my digital diet is this: if you feel like you’re running around, all frayed and fried, please, please PLEASE take a moment. Or a day. Build a puzzle or ride a bike. Read a book or have a glass of wine by the ocean. You see what I’m saying here?
Take.Time.
Happy Monday all!
Have you ever gone on a “digital diet”? What did you learn about yourself?
Oh and here are some photos from my unplugged day. Please note: I did not feel the need to share them as they happened.. and life went on 🙂
