5 Things Gained from My Social Media Break
I knew deep in my soul that I was feeling burnt out from everything. Mid-January while watching the Inauguration, I bowed my head and listened to one of the pastors pray a beautiful prayer. As his words of surrender and hope to God and our nation washed over me, I began to cry. Tears streaming down my face, I realized how weary I felt from all of it. The racial tensions, presidential debates, hostile commenting and general anger everywhere. I had thought none of “that” stuff was getting to me, but in the boldness of beautiful prayer my soul gave way to the pain I had been feeling for months. I realized right then and there that my soul needed a break from social media.
Have you been there? Weary, emotionally exhausted?
I decided to delete my social media icons off my phone and quiet my influx of excessive information. The results of my social media fast were amazing. At first it was like a nervous tick with my hands wondering what to do when I had a moment to myself or was waiting. Soon enough, I settled into the rhythm of looking around and up instead of down. I took some walks and dug into books and podcasts.
Below are the top 5 things I gained from my social media break.
1 - Better Sleep I guess the stress of all that information was causing me more anxiety than I realized.
2 - More Perceptive I noticed beauty in nature. I noticed pain in my child's eyes when they were saying they were “fine”. I was missing these being distracted on my phone.
3 - More Creativity My creativity in writing felt lost and burnt out. It wasn't just in writing though, I was not feeling creative in life. The zest for fun and adventure was squelched by the need to get everything done. Getting creative allowed me to step out of my spin cycle of production.
4- More Laughter I am embarrassed to admit this, but I am a doer, a get things done girl. News Flash- no one wants to be around a drill sergeant all the time. That drill sergeant was killing my joy. I was hardest on myself (always). The social media world was telling me to be more, do more, and you are not enough. You don't realize it but it takes a toll on your emotional health. Stepping away allowed me to lighten up a bit and laugh more.
5- Stronger Relationships As you could imagine, more laughter, lightening up and noticing more in others really helped my relationships. Turns out noticing others and laughter really can help in parenting and friendships. Also, funny story, not scrolling on your phone helps you focus more on what God is trying to speak to you. Who would have thunk it?!
So going forward, I will be more intentional with my social media time. My soul and relationships need me to be intentional on those platforms. If you are feeling these warning signs, it might be time for a break.
If you do, send me a message and let me know how it goes!
Love, B
