I came across the book ” Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport ” a year back and knew I had to have it on my shelf. Whether it was going to get read was a different story. Still, I knew I had fallen in love with the title and what it potentially represented for my journey of simple and intentional living that I had begun.
Several chapters in, and the thought of plugging off social media in the way Cal was suggesting was giving me anxiety. So I neatly tucked the book back into my bookshelf and decided to craft my own version of digital decluttering which as you would all guess – amounted to nothing. Hehehehe.
The new year came in and as part of our kickstart program, we were going to do a 21-day social media fast as a church – no exceptions. Cal’s ghost was clearly on my case. A part of me loves a good group challenge so I thought to myself ” What’s the worst that could happen to me ?”
Become outdated?
Appear ‘not cool’ to my friends?
Perhaps die??
Two hours into the start of the fast, I was convinced that the world was going to end and I would not know of it. It was suddenly too quiet for my mind to comprehend. For someone who enjoys the quiet, this was a little too much. And that’s when it dawned on me :
I was and had been ‘over plugged’! – Lesson 1
I didn’t know what to do with the quiet and so in a bid to keep my mind a little engaged and not lost in thought, I decided to listen to music and clean my house. Man, this just made it worse because it dawned on me :
Social media was controlling my life and not the other way around – Lesson 2
I was practically hyperventilating. I did not know what to do with all the time I had on my hands. Social media had unknowingly become like a crutch in my life – What I use to get through the day, the evenings, the nights, and the mornings. I read a book to lull myself to sleep that night and people,
You need to find something outside of a screen if you ever intend to remain sane and nourish your brain as it was intended for humans – Lesson 3
Day 2 went well. The withdrawal symptoms stabilized, and my breathing got proper until day 3 when I subconsciously reached for my phone and went directly to where the Instagram app was and …
I couldn’t find it guys! ( Of course, because I had deleted it ) But I did all this subconsciously – it occurred to me. In an almost reflex-like manner. I was lowkey addicted & I didn’t know it – Lesson 4
This realization really hit me hard. I think I shed a tear or two. I was all in my feels. Battling emotions. Realizing how much of a backseat my actual life had taken as I was busy keeping up with other people’s lives. – Lesson 5
Realizing that I had forgotten the innocence of a chill evening at home, playing or crafting something with my hands, listening to my dad play some soft rhumba music in the background as I waited patiently for my mom’s cooking, telling stories and teasing my sister while at it. Before phones were a thing. Before this heavy social media consumption was a thing.
I was busy watching people live their lives online whilst mine was just passing right in front of me.
And that’s when I said to myself “No more.”
Have you ever done a social media fast? Would you do one? What’s the longest you have gone unplugged? Let me know below 🙂