Return to Facebook...Sort of

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...