We have a routine we all religiously follow.
7:00 am – The first alarm rings.
7:00:01 am – Check notifications
7:01 am – Figure out the important messages.
7:05 am – Done with the first attempt.
7:30 am – The second alarm rings.
7:31 am – Facebook, KakaoTalk, Instagram, Line
8:00 am – The third alarm rings.
Mentally up, but still absorbed in the same messages you checked last at 7:00:01 am.
And the day starts.
Calls. Texts. Memes. Videos. Music. Books. Skype. Articles. Phone.
Engaging mindlessly with 500+ people in various places and living the 21st-century life.
And ending the day the way we started – exactly in the same style.
Drowning actively in our social media life, we constantly move our fingers and stay updated while staying online. But at a certain point in between the day, we feel tired and fully exhausted.
On the verge of a breakdown – unable to understand why we try to distract ourselves from one platform to another.
There is a tried and tested way of avoiding yourself from the torture of these feelings that make a home in your subconscious every day. To not feel suffocated; to not compare; to not feel inadequate – all you got to do is hit that button.
Deactivate.
Detach.
Detox.
It’s only fair to feel that getting away from your social media or phone is easier said than done because in this pandemic, digital has become more necessary than ever.
But ask yourself –
- How do I feel after talking to people on chat or scrolling through their feed? If the answer isn’t instant happy, you know there are changes to be made.
- Is what I see and show on social media the reality or just a façade? We all know the answer.
- Can I take out an hour for myself every day? Keep that phone away.
- Do I need all these apps? Deactivate the ones which are not necessary.
- Are you blessed enough to not be restricted by professional or personal constraints and can give yourself a complete break? Switch off and keep your devices aside.
We might not even realize the amount of exhaustion we feel inside our brains with the unnecessary load of information piled up from the morning. That plays a role in almost everything we think or do in the rest of the day, directly affecting our productivity and inter-personal relationships.
An interesting concept of Dunbar number holds 150 as the limit for people that we can hold stable relationships with, knowing our circle in and out.
But as a result of technological advancements, we try to create 1500 such networks, because more networking means more acceptance and inclusion. And who doesn’t like an increased sense of belongingness?
However, a more peaceful way could be to give yourself a little break from this routine and see where you stand in reality.
The idea is a simple 3-step process incorporated in your routine:
- You consciously put your phone away at least for an hour for the next one month. Don’t touch. Don’t text. Don’t call. Don’t even keep it beside you.
- Out – Step out and walk in your balcony or park and walk for 15 minutes just letting your head talk to you about what it feels about the day.
- Unlearn – Pick up the most favorite hobby: reading, writing, dancing, singing, painting, jogging, cooking – anything. But make a point to invest regular (minimum) 15 minutes to it.
Just remember, this is all a part of your social offline and at least for the above three steps, you can keep your phone down and invest 1 hour for yourself.
A month is all it will take to create a better version of you while giving yourself mini-break treats practically every day. A gift from you – to YOU.
So, how do we get the break we deserve? We simply create it.