I’ve been off of Facebook for a week*. I also spent under 40 minutes total on my phone this weekend (17 minutes Saturday and 18 minutes on Sunday) — and most of those minutes were doing things like entering transactions into YNAB, putting on podcasts, or starting up Google maps.
YOU GUYS. It has been wonderful. I am horrified at how many moments I was spending staring into that little screen, nauseated by the “need” to do a quick Instagram or email check as the very first action of my day. It meant that I “shared’ fewer photos (and took fewer, too). But I was more focused, centered, and actually present. For Josh, for A&C, for myself.
So what did I do instead? Not that much in terms of tangible “to do”-type items. We were together with both kids, after all, and preventing Cameron from injury is still a (more than) full time job. But I just felt more fully there. My brain wasn’t flitting from playtime to Instagram and back again. I feel like I connected better with Josh and with the kids.
Somewhat ironically, the weekend’s highlight did involve a screen — I took Annabel to her very first movie, to see Inside Out. It sort of went over her head, but she still really enjoyed watching it and got the basic premise. She told me “the girl has 3 thoughts in her head! Happy, Joy, and Disgust.” Close enough.
I am hoping to sustain this digital detox long term and I am hoping that perhaps new swathes of time will emerge, or more creativity. Or something. But even if not, just feeling more present and less disjointed is worth it. Must remember especially in times of stress for when the siren songs of apps call . . .
* I temporarily deactivated my account. This is not permanent, nor do I plan on making it permanent, but I also think long FB “vacations” are going to become a regular thing.
Post-movie coffee/hot chocolate
(Yes, it was cool and rainy. In Miami Beach in July. Go figure!)
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