It’s been nearly 4 weeks since I stepped back from Social Media.
I still post my content to my various social media channels, and I still interact with the people in the Superhero Institute Facebook Group. Once in a while, when I sign in to post something, I’ll get distracted by the feed, or stories, or I’ll get a little FOMO. On those occasions I’ll typically spend a little under 5 minutes looking around at my friends’ posts and maybe drop a comment or two.
Overall, the move had been great for my mental health and happiness. I feel a greater sense of balance in my life. Life on Social Media has increasingly become the story of political polarization and little else. Without that, I’ve found myself less angry or anxious.
Something I’ve noticed…
I signed in to Facebook today and it took me approximately one full scroll down my newsfeed to find something that made me angry. It was a news article posted by someone who I don’t even know. I’m not sure when I connected with this person but I’m certain I’ve never engaged with their content. Yet, one full scroll and I was looking at their post and getting angry.
This is, of course, by design.
But this time, I’m not taking the bait. I just signed off and went about my day.
The Seven Day Challenge
My challenge to you is to step away from social media for one full week. Spend no more than 5 minutes per day on it for that entire week. Just sign in to check for notifications directly to you. If you don’t see anything, close the app.
This isn’t a lesson in grand enlightenment…it’s a challenge. I’m challenging you to do it just so you can see how you feel.
For the week that you do this, pick something that will fill that time instead. Maybe read a book or listen to an audiobook, listen to a podcast, meditate, watch an online course, do a few lessons in Duolingo to learn a new language.
See how you feel and let me know how it goes in the comments. If you do, please leave politics out of it. 😉
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