As we all know, constantly checking social media can be a bad habit. It's quickly become many of ours go-to activity whenever we have a second to spare - literally.
- Nothing's happening right now? Whip out the phone.
- In line at the grocery? Instagram.
- Taking a shit? YouTube.
- Stressed out and need to run away from our most important goals and dreams? Facebook.
Not only that, but we often feel that weird "seeking for approval" sensation in the back of our minds and souls. (No? Just me?)
There's nothing wrong with using our phones and social media this way. In fact, it's more normal than it is weird. However, if you're someone who has big goals and dreams, the need to focus and be mega productive every day is a must. And although an accumulation of, let's say, just one hour of social media time is had each day, it's much less the TIME that makes constantly checking social media the issue, and more so the constant redirection of focus and lack of being present that's most important to address. This is why I've decided to alter my social media habits dramatically.
I'm currently reading a book called "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt. In one of the exercises, we are prompted to do three things:
- identify and list our bad habits, as well as the long-term impact of them
- create a new successful habit to replace the old one, as well as the massive benefits
- choose one new successful habit, create a 3-part action plan, and take action now
I'll share with you the exact excerpt from the document I used to do this exercise next.
Creating New Successful Habit Exercise
1. Bad Habit: Checking social media incessantly.
- just to check if I got likes or comments
- doesn't really do anything other than give a hit of approval or something
- long term impact: always doing things for approval; wasting time; unconnected with real people, self, and reality
2. New Successful Habit: Check social media after 8pm only.
- will allow me to stay present and focused with big tasks
- will free up MASSIVE amounts of mental space
- will keep me grounded
- will allow me to tap into my sexual energy
- will develop masculine energy
- will play a factor in aligning and creating my true dreams
3. Create a Three-Part Action Plan: Social media and mindless YouTube after 8pm only.
- Action 1 = find an app that adds some type of reminder every time I click open the social media apps
- Action 2 = put YT & IG in a folder called (after 8pm only), in a new spot on phone
- Action 3 = share with ellie (my cousin) my new plan
Doing this exercise is great and all, but it only matters if I actually implement it and experience it in real life. That's exactly what I did.
The Results After One Day
Obviously, one day is not enough to know the long-term impact. However, this one day experience was already a glimpse of the powerful impact this new habit has. Here's a list some of the pros and cons:
Pros:
- forced to stay present in the moment with the people and things around me
- allowed me to stay connected and present with my mother as we were out and about
- kept my mind on track with the many goals and tasks I had on my plate today
- free from whatever thoughts and emotions are randomly evoked as a result of going on social media
- similarly, more boundaries and creative control over my own emotional state and mental state
- felt a sense of priority in my day
- felt like I cared more about what's going on in real life, in front of my face, than going on my phone to be entertained or whatever
- was fun and rewarding to check social media after a full day (aka it's cool seeing 11 notifications at once instead of 1 every other hour throughout the day)
- it only took 10 minutes to check and respond to all notifications
- saves phone battery lol
Cons:
- did not respond to facebook messages right away, could have missed opportunities to serve others
- did not share anything going on throughout my day (aka instagram stories)
- may have missed an opportunity to comment or like someones picture that could have led to some kind of opportunity
Main Lesson Learned: My whole life can change with just one small change in habit.
It was like camping in the mountains where there's no service. Obviously I did a lot of stuff and was productive, but the peace of mind and sense of being in the moment was very much gratifying. I highly recommend trying it out if your lifestyle can handle it! Take your own social media vacation if you will.
As for me, I see myself continuing this habit and tinkering it to best fit my needs. For now, the only adjustment I will consider making is to allow a 15 minute block maybe once, earlier in the day. Say 2pm or something like that. Even then...I kind of like being social medially unavailable. Makes me feel like I'm prioritizing myself, my life, and the things literally around me, than some...fake world? Not that social media is wrong. Just that things are in the right order now.
