As we roll into 2020, gear up for Mardi Gras and a new decade, I have made the decision to stop checking out via social media. I spent too much time on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as a way to get through 2019. While it’s not a new me, I am hoping to bring an improved version of me into 2020 and beyond.
Delete….
I realized that I was not as present as I wanted to be when it came to spending time with the kids and the husband. Facebook got a lot of scrolling out of me in 2019, so it was the first app I deleted on my phone. I now check Facebook one to two times a day via my iPad, limiting myself to 5 minutes each time to catch up on notifications, share any articles that I think my friends and family would find interesting and check up on friends in groups. It’s freed up a lot of time for me and I am a teensy bit ashamed at how much time I was spending on Facebook each day, mindlessly scrolling.
Unsubscribe…
On January 1st, I started unsubscribing to all of the promotional emails I receive. I’ve gone from receiving 50-plus promotional emails a day down to 4. The promo emails were draining in that most days, I deleted many of them without opening to see what the promo was for and it was a waste of time and energy for me. I was getting emails from companies that I had only ordered from once years ago. It was time to clean up that inbox. Unsubscribing has taken me a couple of weeks, but it’s worth it to put a little bit of work scrolling to the bottom of those emails and finding the tiny Unsubscribe link.
Unfollow…
I also started unfollowing people on Facebook (unfriending) and Instagram. If my Insta story ribbon was any indication, I had followed waaayyyy too many people and companies over the last couple of years. I started out with companies and influencers who seemed to flood my feed, detracting from the real reason of Instagram – my friends’ posts – and kept going. I unfollowed over 300 accounts and muted a few others. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
Doing all of this at the beginning of the year was truly cleansing for me as I look for more balance in my life. I want to channel my time and energy into more important pursuits – quality time with the family, reading more books, scrolling less and not feeling the need to have my phone in my hand 24/7. I am beginning to feel less anxious and more connected to the people I love dearly.
