Do you feel that sometimes your social network's feed is so full of new information, opinions, and negativity? It can get quite overwhelming, especially when there are hot topics that get many people firing on all cylinders. A study has recently found scientific proof why we would feel inundated while traversing the digital landscape. One way people deal with this is by doing a digital detox.
In late 2010, I did a 7-day detox from my entire social network and, because of work, used only SMS and email for communications. If I needed to research online, I tried very hard not to stray towards any of my social media accounts. Ironically, getting sore eyes in the last 2 days made the detox even easier. Remembering how refreshed my mind truly became after that week, it made me want to do another digital detox soon. But then I got to wondering about why I urgently felt like this -- do I simply need to purge all the bad vibes or, worse, am I already addicted to my online habits?
Think about this part I highlighted from the article "Social Media Detox: Identifying Addiction and Disconnecting From Your Newsfeed":
And here's the most important part...
In late 2010, I did a 7-day detox from my entire social network and, because of work, used only SMS and email for communications. If I needed to research online, I tried very hard not to stray towards any of my social media accounts. Ironically, getting sore eyes in the last 2 days made the detox even easier. Remembering how refreshed my mind truly became after that week, it made me want to do another digital detox soon. But then I got to wondering about why I urgently felt like this -- do I simply need to purge all the bad vibes or, worse, am I already addicted to my online habits?
“You know social media is taking over your life when you feel worse after being on it, when you spend more time on it than planned, and when you forgo regular activities to continue browsing..." [emphasis mine]If this rings true for you, then you're in luck, that article provides four very simple, very doable steps to deal with that stuff. And to help you further, below are six other things you can do while you're weaning from your social media:
- Take an online course
There are so many virtual universities that offer both free and paid courses. The variety of courses are so wide and sometimes surprising. Some of these facilities do provide certificates, while others can be automatically added to your online professional profile.
Give these a go!
* Coursera
* Udemy
* ALISON
* edX
* Lifehacker University - at this link is their Fall Semester 2016 list. You can subscribe to their mailing list to get notified about new course lists per quarter.
* LinkedIn Learning - for this one, you will have to get your own Premium subscription or, if your company is willing to support your online education, have your employer sponsor the subscription (similar to Skillsoft)
* Lynda - this is also subscription-based
Another great avenue for learning something new is recorded webcasts from conferences like TED and 99U.
Do you know other places online where you can learn something new? Please do share them in the Comments. Thank you!
- Take an offline course
In my younger years, I used to join all sorts of workshops, classes, and other extra-curricular activities in my community, school, and church. Cooking, baking, theater, emergency first aid, judo, paper-making, t-shirt printing, painting, drawing, volleyball, debate, writing, swimming, driving, graphic design, web design, animation, etc. I was good in some, bad at others. But almost all were lots of fun and made special memories.
My youngest son had joined The Mind Museum's Junior Mind Mover summer program in 2015. More than a year later, whenever we pass by the building, he would still recall some memorable part of the experience and laugh about the friends he had made there. And those connections are often the best part, right? :-)
- Read a book
Not sure where to start? Here are a couple of suggestions:
My kids and I have a reading hour every day. We have a big library at home that hosts all sorts of books -- fiction, non-fiction, paperback, hardbound, autobiographies, literary classics, graphic novels, comics, picture books, etc. It's nestled near the entrance to our abode, so when friends come over, it can really become quite the trap :-)
- Play adventurous board games
We're all familiar with Monopoly, Scrabble, Snakes & Ladders, right? While those are classic board games that could very well stay relevant for many generations to come, I invite you to try your hand at other games that are more...exciting ;-) I'm talking about games that give you a chance at being a clever strategist or a conniving point-stealer, however you want to play because, of course, you came to win.
Some of these adventurous board games can be quite pricey or hard to find. I'm thankful to have friends who own several of these games, so we're regularly introduced to new, creative ways to "destroy" each other, haha!
But if you don't have the same advantage, then board game cafes are perfect for you! Board game cafes are literally that: cool, comfy hangouts where you can plant your butt for hours as you bond and "fight" with your best people over board games. Booky.ph lists 15 board game cafes that are made especially for these unique experiences.
- Enjoy a real face-to-face conversation with friends
"Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn't looking down at a device in their hands? We've become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us." - Regina BrettOne of the reasons why face-to-face conversations are essential and effective is simply this:
"Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words." - Deborah Bull
- Take a walk or run...or just go out!
Breathe in, breathe out. Those selfies and Instagram-worthy shots can wait.
And here's the most important part...
This is crucial so take note...
No comments:
Post a Comment