This week I completed my personal one month Facebook hiatus. It has been a very eye opening experience! I am so happy I did it and it was all in perfect timing. It was hard at first- not so much about the fear of missing out, but I realized why I used it so much to begin with. The times I did use it seemed to be the times I was bored, avoiding tasks or just wanting to not really be present. I would catch myself through the day feeling the tug to log on, but I couldn't do it. The feeling lasted about a week or so, then I began comfortably adjusting to my new routine. I found that the time I wanted to log on the most was when I was in the kitchen- cooking or cleaning or waiting for water to boil.
I did miss out on big life events during the break: birth, death, marriage, giveaways (I kid)... But, I survived. I would hear about such things from friends or I did keep up on Instagram, but I don't follow many people, so I didn't feel the FB overwhelm. I did "have" to hop on twice during my time, but I warned my usual accountability people. I needed to join a group that I belong to in real life to keep up on events and also to speak to a friend who lost her father. I couldn't let that slip through the cracks!
Facebook was not happy that I deserted them! I would get emails everyday telling me I missed a post or a picture. I had 99+ notifications and so and so uses Facebook, so maybe I should get back on and friend them. It was kind of creepy!
I was asked by some WHY?!?! Has someone said something? Did something happen? No, just me trying something out.
A bonus was when a friend texted me saying she was joining in with me. She has loved it so much, she has deactivated her account!
So what have I learned from this experience?
- I know I get bored sometimes and that's okay
- FB really does affect me, even though I didn't want to admit it, emotionally
- I know who I really miss not keeping up-to-date about and who I can live without
- I don't really like the drama people post
- I DO like seeing photos and hearing funny and uplifting stories
- I kind of like being out of the loop
- I feel like I am having more face to face/phone conversations with people
- I have better focus when I need to check emails or do anything online
- I am happy to be away from the negative news stories and crazy conspiracy theory posts
- I feel like FB puts the weight of everyones hurts and worries on my shoulders
- Less eye-rolling (Ha!)
I have been asked if I will go back and I feel at this time I will continue to log on. Facebook is the main communication I have with some family and friends. It's how I share pictures and little stories about my family. Since logging back in on the 1st to change my profile photo and fulfill some friend requests, I have been on a couple times to check a group message, respond to some events and catch up on some walls of my closest circle. I haven't been on for any extended length of time and I don't want to be. I felt when my time off was dwindling down that I couldn't trust myself to go back on part-time, but I am seeing that I can trust myself. I don't really have the desire to spend much time on it. In the time I was off, I did an online parenting/self-care course, sewed, followed a couple Bible reading plans and read a book. My family, of course, had more of me. We made some big changes in our home and it has been awesome!
My head feels so much clearer and my shoulders feel so much lighter! I challenge anyone to try it, if only for a weekend or week and see how you feel. If you do, I'd love to hear about it! But not on Facebook...
