It's no secret that we're bombarded with information on a daily basis, and most of us are looking at a screen the majority of the time which can become a little overwhelming at times, especially with my new job being desk based where i'm often sitting in front of a screen! Going without the internet is something i wanted to challenge myself to, often thinking of rules in the house to go by to make sure we switch off and always making it my mission to spend time in nature and be in the present moment. Even though i was trying to adopt these habits before, actually having no choice in the matter to go without taught me a few things.
It was my own fault really for not being organised enough to contact my broadband provider BEFORE we moved home to get our internet switched over *sigh*. So my internet ban was involuntary and a little frustrating, and although i had a very limited amount of 4G and connected to the wifi at work, there was practically no time at all spent online. and this is what happened:
- I discovered my local library and started reading again
- Spending time with my son was quality time as there were less distractions
- I took up gardening
- Fell in love with my new radio
- I actually spoke to people on the phone and invested time in catching up with them
- Experienced less headaches
- Became more connected with nature
- Spoke more with my partner in the evenings
And this is what i learnt:
- Some might see social media as an evil time sucker and relationship hogger, but, if used correctly (by correctly i mean sparingly) it's a beautiful tool to; meet new people, build relationships, discover new things, get inspired, get creative and from a bloggers perspective a place to showcase our talent and create work for ourselves that wouldn't be available otherwise
- Life does go on and the world doesn't revolve around the internet, things go on around you while you're looking down at your mobile phone. FOMO is an illusion.
- Blogging is definitely more of a lifeline than i thought, in terms of creativity... The longer i went ignoring the less creative i felt... i know i can only improve my writing and ability to excel at work and life if i focus on improving my blog
- You discover who in your life makes a real effort with you when your not on social media constantly
Those are the main points i wanted to share and feel everyone should take a closer look at how the internet can sometimes take over your life. It's safe to say i'll be tweeting 24/7 again, posting on Facebook, instagram, updating my blog and playing Pokemon Go. But i do that because i want to, rather than feeling like i HAVE to. I know i'm not addicted to it and can go without. I spend more time now watching documentaries, reading books and finding new interests.
Do you think you could go without the internet just for one week?
Labels: adulthood, happy, internet
