Detox Update-Social Media Sabbatical, Day 30-ish
Social Media Sabbatical ~ it’s been 30 days since my last…. indulgence.:-) [if you want to read Part 1 of my Social Media Sabbatical, click here]
Hi, my name is Sandy and I’m a Facebooking Twitt-aholic
The first 2 weeks were the hardest. It’s really humorous to watch your brain as it thinks in 140 characters and status postings. I find myself wanting to take pictures of a beautiful dessert or a fabulous cocktail and share it, but where do I share it now? How? With who? (or is it whom…. this would have been a great question for my Tweeps, dammit)
When I’m clinking that glass with my date (er, husband), instead of performing my usual ritual of Cocktail-Toast-Interuptus, which involves a complicated maneuver of arranging the glasses & candles on the table “just so” and taking several pictures to make sure I’ve got just the right angle and lighting. Now, I just take a breath and say:
“I Declare This a Perfect Moment” (my all-time favorite toast)
I’ve been doing lots of reading and not nearly enough writing. I decided to use this down-time to do a 15 day Juice Reboot (inspired by the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead – which I HIGHLY recommend – it’s so inspiring!) The movie, not the juice reboot, that kinda sucks, but feels like you’re doing something extremely healthy for your body…. I digress. 
The biggest thing I’ve noticed is a generally calmer state of being. I notice it when I’m driving in the car, picking up or dropping off my girls somewhere (which I spend A LOT of time doing), I notice the fall leaves and how beautiful the colors are. I used to have this constant nagging feeling that I “should” be doing something or that I might be missing something. That’s the thing about social media, it never sleeps. You could literally be tweeting and face-booking 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I used to think if I wasn’t connected and saying something interesting, or quoting something inspiring, or sharing something funny or cool, then I would be forgotten.
I guess I thought if I wasn’t tweeting and face-booking I might disappear.
But I didn’t disappear! What I’ve come to realize is, not only didn’t I disappear, I’m actually more HERE than I’ve ever been.
That nagging feeling that I’m supposed to BE somewhere else DOING something else has dissipated.
And in it’s place is a more joyful daily experience.
My life has not been without it’s challenges the last 4 weeks, I have two teenage girls living in my house, so the hormones are out-of-control (my poor husband). However, I’m convinced that this Social Media Sabbatical has helped me navigate those challenging moments with a little more loving presence and understanding. Maybe it’s the flood of healthy micro-nutrients that I have been pouring into my body every day, but I’ve actually felt quite giddy lately. Like something really good is about to happen. My life feels more relaxed. I feel more relaxed, less anxious about life in general. I’ve had more time to turn my focus inward and listen to the dreams that have been whispering to me.
There are things I’ve missed. Like sharing in my friends & family’s lives, getting tagged in photos from my high school buddies, posting pictures of our first snow. In fact, here’s a picture I snapped and texted to my immediate family (living in sunny South Florida) of our back deck Wednesday morning. It was amazing!
And I really got to appreciate it. Instead of rushing to get online and check Twitter, Facebook, etc. I’ve been leisurely enjoying breakfast and then driving my 14 year old to the school bus every morning, I’m more available when my husband comes upstairs from his office to chat about how his day is going. I’ve been spending quality time with myself, letting my Inner Wisdom bubble up and whisper exciting possibilities to me. I’ve been asking what would make me happy and then listening for an answer.
I’m not sure if it’s connected in any way (says the girl who believes everything is connected), but the day I started the draft for this blog post, like 2 hours after I wrote the words “I feel like something really good is about to happen”, I got a call about a project that I’ve been waiting on for months and it’s moving ahead. Which is very exciting. And I feel energized and ready to give it 100% and I’m pretty sure this Social Media Sabbatical has given me the space and the clarity to focus on what’s important so that I’m ready for these opportunities when they come along.
Is Your Smartphone Stealing Your Life?
I read this article yesterday in The Huffington Post: Is Your Smartphone Stealing Your Life?
“At any of my children’s performances, half the parents are participating in the experience through a digital device, capturing the images of their children dancing while missing their children dancing. They are recording the experience so as to have it; to possess it as one would an object. And indeed they end up possessing just that: an object, empty of the felt sense of their children actually dancing.
Behind their devices, these parents are having an experience, but the experience is of technology and their relationship with it. It is no longer an experience with their child, themselves or the dance.
When we record life through technology, we end up with one thing: a lot of technology. We have 16 gigabytes of memory, but no real memories of our life.
It is ironic — in an effort to try and keep it, we perform the ultimate sacrifice: We remove ourselves from it. We watch life like a prisoner that must be prohibited from escaping.”
Interesting… isn’t it? I don’t know if I’m ready to abandon my picture/video taking smartphone and all of it’s amazing abilities just yet, but WOW, do those words speak to me. I feel the truth somewhere deep inside of me.
What I know for sure, so far, as I sit here on Day 30-something of this so-called sabbatical:
Tree on my street this morning
It is very good for the soul, now and then, to be quiet and go within. And even though my life might look very similar on the outside, my insides tell me something different. There is a calm, steadiness to my life. Any bit of frantic energy that was present has dissipated. Part “look at me!” and part trying to capture every beautiful moment but not really being in the moment – it’s gone, for now. Will it return when my Social Media Sabbatical is over? I don’t know. But I do know that learning to really BE in the present moment, takes practice. So I’m using this sabbatical as my practice. One day at a time. One precious moment at a time.
**You can now sign up to be notified when there’s a new blog post. In the upper right hand corner, enter your email & I’ll let you know when something new is happening. **
If you’re interested in taking your own Social Media Sabbatical, here’s where I started… Social Media Sabbatical
Here’s Part 3: Social Media Sabbatical Update Month 3
Great post Sandy! It is so true the social media black hole robs your precious time. I have been trying so hard to disconnect but with new projects coming up i feel I just can’t let go. I guess I need to stop thinking too hard and just do it. Thanks for the inspiration
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
It was only scary the first day or so, after that I knew I was doing the right thing. But it’s not for everyone.
If you notice how many comments I had on the last blog post when I posted the link on my Facebook page and my Twitter account. This post has been up for days and you are the first to post a comment. Hence….
We just added a new way to subscribe to this blog, so we can notify people when I write a new post.
Thanks for reading & commenting! Let me know if I can help you in your own sabbatical.
xoxoxo
This post is beautiful, the snow is beautiful and so are you. Big hugs.
Shan
Thank you, my friend.
Big Hugs, right back at cha.
xoxoxo
Yay! A way to be notified…HAZAH! I’m delighted, I signed up instantly!
I have noticed the same thing when I go to gigs – people experience it through their lenses and miss out on the moment entirely. And on asking a friend what they do with the footage, it was ‘either put it on Youtube to show everyone where I’ve been or transfer it to the computer and never see it again’, which both struck me as a monumental waste of time and not a good reason for missing the gig!
I love the sense of calm, presence and LIVING life that I get from reading your post – and I can’t wait to hear what exciting projects you’re moving forward on! As I read this I am thinking maybe I won’t do a social media sabbatical…as I mostly use it for bizniz, but I will start closing the program when I’m not using it so I am not tempted to waste half my evening endlessly refreshing to see what might be happening ‘out there’, and instead focus my attention ‘in here’.
Love
donna.x
Donna-licious- happy dance!
mmwwaahhhh!
xoxoxo
I was thinking of you this morning, and hopped over to the blog to find this post. Glad you’re not completely off the grid. There’s something sage and lilting about your voice, and I would miss it greatly if it were to disappear completely.
The power of being fully present is an amazing thing. You really get to LIVE your life, instead of just being a spectator in it. I’ve been making an intentional effort to spend equal amount of time in prayer and meditation as I do in social media. That has had a profound impact on how I approach my life, my work and my relationships.
Good to hear from you, Sandy!
Hello Lisa-Lisa!
I’m just getting around to reading some comments, been busy + Thanksgiving + etc.
So great to see your smiling face.
I hope all is wonderful in your world.
Thank you so much for your comments, I love to hear from you!
Thanks for checking on me.
I really appreciate it, dahhhhling!
xoxoxoox
mmwwaahhh!
Sandy
Hi Sandy!
I am in the process of “rediscovering myself and my life”….a few sad times brought me here…but you are a true inspiration! You are FABULOUS!
Keep inspiring others with your infectious smile and attitude!
Much gratitude…..
Hi Bridget,
Welcome! I’m so happy that you found your way here.
I’ve been out of town quite a bit this month- but I’m back home in the snow and enjoying the fireplace again.
Thank you so much for commenting & I hope to hear how your journey is going!
Big Hugs,
xoxoxo
Sandy
Hi Sandy!
I have known about your sabbatical since the start and oddly enough decided to check you Twitter account today and saw Melani’s message about the new post. I will definitely sign up to be notified. I hate to miss anything from you.
I have missed seeing your beautiful photo and inspirational messages showing up in the Twitter and Facebook stream, but it has also been kind of cool. I get the opportunity to think, what would Sandy do/say/think?
Of course, I know I could always email you. 
I am sure many people would be hesistant to think they would be out of sight out of mind, but you are definitely not one of those people that forgettable.
So happy to hear that you are enjoying yourself and the process.
Hugs!!
Awww, Nora.
ha ha
so, so nice of you.
How are you? I’m sending big hugs and lots of mojo your way.
You make me laugh. What would Sandy do? I still do that, but with Madonna.
Or Kimora.
Happy Holidays!
xoxox
Sandy
Hey Sandy,
Was thinking of you and decided to hop over here. I knew you and Melani have been off the Social Media grid for over a month and I love reading about the impacts at the 30 day mark – guessing you are almost at 60 days now eh/! Earlier this week I had my husband change my Facebook password and my last update was that I will be off Facebook for at least the end of 2011. I relate to much of what you have shared about your motives for committing to a detox -as well as the benefits and reflections you have shared since starting the process. Perhaps the most visceral phrase I can relate to is “I guess I thought if I wasn’t tweeting and face-booking I might disappear.” This cuts deep tot he bone on a number of levels and it is so interesting how Facebook and twitter (although I have been off twitter for months now and don’t miss it in the slightest) have evolved into an addictive tool that too conveniently is able to constantly feed the “need to be seen”, day or night 365 days a year. There is something very powerful at work on the collective level and I applaud you for your courage and willingness to take a deeper look at what is going on underneath the surface through your own experience of taking a step back to observe yourself without it.
Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season filled with memorable “present” moments!
Amy
Hi Amy-
How’s your social media sabbatical going? Thank you so much for the wonderful comment. It’s been 3 months and I just did another update. Feels great. I hope you are also feeling a little more “present” in your real life and less like you might be missing out on something.
I hope your holidays are filled with joy & your New Year is faaaaaabulous!
Thanks for keeping in touch, let me know how it’s going for you.
xoxoxo
Sandy