DETOX TO DE-CLUTTER
DETOX TO DE-CLUTTER
I woke up in the morning and reached my phone, again. Not just to switch off my alarm but to scroll my Instagram & Facebook feeds. It has been my routine to check for messages & notifications upon waking up. This continues right from my coffee until I finish eating my breakfast, before heading to work. Many of you reading this might be able to relate to it. This is actually an age old matter to discuss, in fact partially I have discussed in one of my previous articles long back. https://penningthoughtsofmymind.blogspot.com/2020/05/masked-companion.html.This might be an add-on.
“Adhu epdi eppo paaru thatitey irrukeenga? Apdi enna thaan iruko andha mannakatti phone la!”
(What’s there in that phone, that’s taking up so much of your time) asks my helpless mom at times when she calls out for me and I’m just lost in my own world.
And when she’s really pissed she shouts saying “veral la irukura regai theyapogudhu!”(That your fingerprint will wear out if you go on like this).
Yes, having a tightly packed work routine or during days of having absolutely nothing to do, this one habit of mine never really left me. Constant swiping & refreshing the news feed multiple times a day, irrespective of whether I receive a notification or not. A new notification gives a dopamine hit and the rush to check it immediately. I have always tried to believe the good things about social media content & always seen it on the positive side of reaching out to people. But there is a big difference between using it for the need and being obsessed.
After heavy usage of social media, nearly every hour of every single day, I was fed up & I started to lose my mind. Increased amount of screen time in turn increased my anxiety and stress levels. I was choked with so much information rubbed right on my face. Opinions, news, Cringe content, current affairs and what not. The way any news runs around social media is more disturbing than the actual news itself. Maybe, it’s my point of view or even because I was really active for the past few months. Also, I was putting myself out there in competition with people whom I barely knew. Sometimes even felt cynical and jealous about people. I was becoming increasingly upset, & it’s totally unnecessary as the situation by itself is pathetic now.
That’s when I realized I need a break & it’s time to control my digital habits. I decided to self impose a detox from social media. However, I did not want to go cold turkey all at once, because that just increases the FOMO (fear of missing out) & puts in constant consciousness in the very beginning. So, I took a timely detox. I tried to bring down the average time I spent on screen every day. On the initial days, I woke up and headed to make coffee instead of swiping my screen, had social media- free meal times every day. And just started to look up to content which I really needed and just ignored the rest, reduced the use of social media in late evenings and after dinner. Slowly, I succeeded in spending a whole day without social media. Might not be huge, but this is a big thing to me. I journal-ed this very article on my detox day & wanted to share with you guys.
Like any other day upon waking up, I reached for my phone, then I realized, I freshened up, headed straight to get my morning drink. Then did my morning stretches and picked up the book I was reading. I responded to my messages. Then after breakfast & nearly around mid – morning, I really dint know what to do with my phone. I have logged out of all my profiles, it was like I forgot for what else I use my phone for. So I decided to finish the book I was reading. Post lunch was getting few things done, listening to podcasts and songs. Later in the evening I sat down to write this. To sum up I was pretty much occupied the whole day, I got things done with a clear mind & less anxiety. Had better mornings & at the end of the day felt more positive. Almost entering the second week of controlled media usage & it does really help me feel more satisfied that my energy is directed towards something useful, because of which I feel that this is necessary.
Just remember, Social media handled right will give us its benefits, but excessive usage is just a burden and there is no need that we have to live like that. But, many of us are too proud to accept the fact. Before doing such a thing, what I missed out, is planning. Plan what you are going to do beforehand. This avoids the cluelessness of what to do. Secondly, handle your FOMO, you are not going to miss out anything & worst case if it’s really important, you will be reached out. Third, inform your friends and close circle, so it avoids unnecessary drama. This is it and you’re sorted.
And when she’s really pissed she shouts saying “veral la irukura regai theyapogudhu!”(That your fingerprint will wear out if you go on like this).
Yes, having a tightly packed work routine or during days of having absolutely nothing to do, this one habit of mine never really left me. Constant swiping & refreshing the news feed multiple times a day, irrespective of whether I receive a notification or not. A new notification gives a dopamine hit and the rush to check it immediately. I have always tried to believe the good things about social media content & always seen it on the positive side of reaching out to people. But there is a big difference between using it for the need and being obsessed.
After heavy usage of social media, nearly every hour of every single day, I was fed up & I started to lose my mind. Increased amount of screen time in turn increased my anxiety and stress levels. I was choked with so much information rubbed right on my face. Opinions, news, Cringe content, current affairs and what not. The way any news runs around social media is more disturbing than the actual news itself. Maybe, it’s my point of view or even because I was really active for the past few months. Also, I was putting myself out there in competition with people whom I barely knew. Sometimes even felt cynical and jealous about people. I was becoming increasingly upset, & it’s totally unnecessary as the situation by itself is pathetic now.
That’s when I realized I need a break & it’s time to control my digital habits. I decided to self impose a detox from social media. However, I did not want to go cold turkey all at once, because that just increases the FOMO (fear of missing out) & puts in constant consciousness in the very beginning. So, I took a timely detox. I tried to bring down the average time I spent on screen every day. On the initial days, I woke up and headed to make coffee instead of swiping my screen, had social media- free meal times every day. And just started to look up to content which I really needed and just ignored the rest, reduced the use of social media in late evenings and after dinner. Slowly, I succeeded in spending a whole day without social media. Might not be huge, but this is a big thing to me. I journal-ed this very article on my detox day & wanted to share with you guys.
Like any other day upon waking up, I reached for my phone, then I realized, I freshened up, headed straight to get my morning drink. Then did my morning stretches and picked up the book I was reading. I responded to my messages. Then after breakfast & nearly around mid – morning, I really dint know what to do with my phone. I have logged out of all my profiles, it was like I forgot for what else I use my phone for. So I decided to finish the book I was reading. Post lunch was getting few things done, listening to podcasts and songs. Later in the evening I sat down to write this. To sum up I was pretty much occupied the whole day, I got things done with a clear mind & less anxiety. Had better mornings & at the end of the day felt more positive. Almost entering the second week of controlled media usage & it does really help me feel more satisfied that my energy is directed towards something useful, because of which I feel that this is necessary.
Just remember, Social media handled right will give us its benefits, but excessive usage is just a burden and there is no need that we have to live like that. But, many of us are too proud to accept the fact. Before doing such a thing, what I missed out, is planning. Plan what you are going to do beforehand. This avoids the cluelessness of what to do. Secondly, handle your FOMO, you are not going to miss out anything & worst case if it’s really important, you will be reached out. Third, inform your friends and close circle, so it avoids unnecessary drama. This is it and you’re sorted.
Thanks for the read!
Now it’s your turn…
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