Breaking the Habit
It’s hard to believe, but another new year is upon us. Seriously. Maybe I’ve grown up (remember when summer vacations seemed like FOR-EV-ER?) or perhaps it’s because I’m always trying to find ways to cram more fun into my life, but the passage of time seems like it’s sped up over the past few years.
Anyway, a new year ushers in resolution season. You know what I’m talking about. Everywhere I look, friends are posting motivational quotes on their Instagram accounts, 10 ways to a fitter you articles are popping up on my Facebook newsfeed and when I scroll through Pinterest every other post is something related to a cleanse, ten-minute healthy meals or the ‘best-ever’ workout plan.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for eating healthier, exercising and setting goals. But while I’ve eagerly jumped on the ‘new year, new you’ bandwagon in the past, this year I’ve decided to try something a little different.
As a girl working in the communications field, I’m tied to my smartphone seven days a week. Now, while it’s conceivable for me to check my email periodically on the weekends to ensure nothing urgent has come through, this diligence has produced a rather nasty habit: I’m on my phone far too often…and I’d be lying if I said it was always for productive reasons.
Back in the day, I eagerly signed up for Facebook, was an early adopter of Twitter and signed up for Instagram as soon as I got my first iPhone. At first, it all seemed so innocent: I’d upload photos from my most recent vacation, wish friends a happy birthday and keep up with the latest news.
While my social media problems aren’t of the over-sharing variety (in fact, I rarely post at all on most channels), the time-wasting capacity of social media has been maximized by yours truly. Before I knew it, I was checking all channels multiple times a day…and for no good reason than do something lazy literally right at my fingertips.
So, for the next month, I pledge to scale back my social media habits throughout my work week and during my personal life. This means fewer Facebook messages and more phone calls, forgetting to capture a breathtaking photo because I’m inhaling deeply and savouring the moment and putting away my phone during a dinner out because the real conversation at the table is more important.
From this, I envision increasing my productivity both at work and at home, reaffirming great relationships with friends and family and gosh darn it, having more fun that isn’t of the digital variety.
Follow along on my journey over the next month and feel free to leave your comments…but don’t be upset if I don’t respond right away. I’ve put my phone down.
About the author:
Jacqueline is a Whistler Water employee who is documenting her journey to disconnect from social and digital media once in a while. Follow her progress here.