May 31, 2017

** Update video below. Confessions from my social media cleanse. 
Hello Friends, Today I’m entering my first social media cleanse. For the next week, I’m off the sauce. Social media that is. Consider it a detox. This is an open invite to anyone who wants to join my little experiment. My goal is to jumpstart a shift in my use of social media. From what I post to how frequently I scroll through the apps to how I use the channels overall. This experiment is sparked from curiosity, fatigue, addiction and a craving for more white space.
 b
For the past 10 years, I’ve worked in social media and it’s been a huge part of my life. Sometimes I’ve lived more in the virtual world than the physical world. It’s been all-day, everyday. I’ve had a unique lens as the space has evolved and its impact on humanity. My experiment isn’t to eliminate social media forever, it’s simply to change my relationship with the communication channels. There’s a ton of positive benefit we (and the rest of the world) can get from social when we’re intentional about our use.
 b
Why am I doing this?
  1. Strong desire to reset my relationship and habits around social media. I’ll come back in one week with new ground rules for myself. I catch myself automatically scrolling down the rabbit hole without thinking.
  2. To connect more with myself, family, friends and Ruby Sue (my dog).
  3. To be where my feet are and live in the real world vs. the virtual world of highlight reels. Real > Reel.
  4. I’m curious if I’ll have FOMO!?
  5. I’m curious to see how hard it will be.
  6. I’m curious to see what else I can get done.
  7. I’m curious to see if I feel differently.
  8. I’m curious to see if I think about differently about my life and passions.
  9. To reconsider the value of social media in our world.
  10. Stop comparing myself to others.
  11. Stop falling down the scrolling rabbit hole and losing hours in the day.
  12. To see if this impacts my mood.
  13. I’m tired of scrolling through the sea of sameness.
  14. I’m just curious.
  15. I want to share what I learn in hopes that it will help others.
bMy rules for the next week: 
  • No social media for a week. Zilch. Nada. Zip.
  • No tech in my bedroom. (I bought an old school alarm clock!)
  • No computer or phone use before 8am or after 6pm
  • Limited news consumption. No TV or news on in the background while I work, etc. Only intentional TV is allowed. Example: Maybe an episode of House of Cards. (Wink.)
I’ll be sure to share how the experiment and experience goes on the flip side. This should be interesting! If you’re joining me, let’s chat in a week.
Ajo
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UPDATE: What Happened? Confessions from my Social Media Cleanse:

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