It was awesome.
My head was clearer.
I felt less stressed.
Pockets of time opened up.
And my husband and I had so much fun. We went out and saw friends, went for a walk around the lake near our house, read books while listening to music, worked on creative projects we're often "too busy" to do, and went to sleep early.
As a blog and social media coach, it's probably not a good idea for me to tell you to spend less time on your computer and cell phone, but honestly, it was one of the best things I've done in years.
Synchronistically, later in the week I listened to a free call with Jennifer Louden, Bridget Piloud, Marianne Elliott, Tara Gentile, and Tara Sophia Mohr, about Self-Care, Mindfulness and Social Media. Some of my favorite takeaways from the call were:
- Marianne takes a moment to get centered before opening her computer.
- Jen uses a timer and sets an intention before using social media.
- Tara Sophia stays aware that social media can be addictive.
- Bridget keeps a Post-It reminder on her computer that asks, "What is social media doing for me emotionally?"
My number one mindfulness tip is to be aware of social media envy. Social media has made it incredibly easy for people to share their creations and build their organizations. Witnessing their evolution can inspire you, and, if you put on your comparison glasses, bite you with the envy bug.
My favorite cure for social media envy is to use the Jealous Map exercise from Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way
:- Ask yourself, "Why am I envious of this person?" (e.g. their blog is soooo beautiful).
- Take an action that incorporates what you envy into your own life (e.g. spruce up your own blog's design, use more photos in your posts).
Should I be using, and teaching people to use, social media more, or less?
What do you think? How do you feel about the role of social media in your personal and professional life?
Photo by me and made pretty with Instagram.
Photo by me and made pretty with Instagram.
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