And not in a bust-a-move, go-on-with-your-bad-self kinda way either.
You see, I'm in a sort of social media funk right now. I feel like I've overdosed on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest {ok maybe not Pinterest} and everything in between and now I'm feeling like I need rehab.
Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere as far as this blog is concerned, chill out.
I feel like I am so plugged in all the time, all.the.time. I'm on Twitter all day, checking Instagram just as often and occasionally updating Facebook, it's a full time job just being in the know. But it's not my job.
My job is to be Kendall's mom and Jimmy's wife.
You know what the pathetic part is? I'm all, "oh need to check Twitter to see what I'm missing" when in reality by doing so I'm missing out on so much more.
Sure it takes all of 2.5 seconds to go through your Twitter feed BUT those 2.5 seconds add up! When you check it every 2.5 seconds for 2.5 seconds you'll find you are on there a lot. At least me anyway.
I can't tell you how many times Kendall has pulled on my pant leg and said "'mon" {come on} and I've said, "just a second baby" because I was reading a blog or checking someone's Facebook status. Or Jimmy has come home to me on the computer, who wants to come home to that?
When I started seeing people giving up Twitter and Facebook for lent it was almost like a slap in the face to me. I needed to do the same thing, but I didn't. Instead I took baby steps, stopped updating Facebook and when I did get on Twitter I didn't go all the way through my feed I just looked at the current stuff, like I said, baby steps.
These little things alone have put things into perspective for me. I've put my phone down and I know Kendall has been happier. So what if I'm not catching a picture of her "playing hide-and-seek" or a video of her running and giving me the biggest hug. You know what's better? Living it. Experiencing it. Being in the moment.
Do you know how freeing that is?
Jimmy gets a wife that is fully attentive when he gets home. One that has dinner ready {most of the time} and makes his lunches {kind of} and puts his laundry away, little things that help him in a big way.
Not to mention how much more I am able to get done when I'm not online. Our laundry is caught up, the dishes done, grocery shopping is complete and I feel a sense of accomplishment over this.
I love my online life, I really do, but sometimes it's overwhelming. Feeling like you need to know what is going on at all times, feeling like you need to take pictures all the time so you can "share", feeling the need to comment and "like" other's pictures so they "know" you care and are looking, it's too much.
I saw a pin once that had a basket of cell phones and a sign that said something like "be with the ones your with", basically asking that everyone at a party leave their phones in the basket and just enjoy being where they are/were in the moment. I've been applying that to my life. Leave "stuff" and just be in the moment. When I'm in the moment I can take baths with Kendall instead of checking my phone while she plays in the tub. When I leave my phone "in the basket" I can enjoy my best friend and her girls and connect with her like I've needed to for a while because I cherish our friendship. When I forget about what's going on in the world of the Internets I can be a better me.
I know this is a lot of blah blah blah but it's on my mind and it's on my mind a lot. I know I'm not the only one feeling this struggle but I want to be the one who encourages others to live their lives.
This doesn't mean I'm going away in terms of social media but it does mean I'll be stepping back more. So what if I don't get to reply to an email for a few hours and I miss a cute picture that someone tweets. I've realized that if something is that important to someone or to me I will find out about it and if I don't? That's ok too.
I too am shocked when I think to all the times James has wanted my attention and I've told him, "Just one moment" because I'm checking facebook or Instagram!
ReplyDeleteI think we should all have an un-plugged day! x
I have found myself slipping away from Twitter. Sometimes its just too much to read and check on when you follow so many people and they are retweeting or replying to others. Social media unplug is def a must every now and again!
ReplyDeletetouche my dear friend. i am guilty of this too. except for twitter. we know how i feel about that thing. love ya and i needed this too. thanks.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could to that.. Argh! And Kristen.. Twitter is ADDICTIVE!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you. Not having Facebook is AWESOME. Twitter I like, but I don't feel the need to check it constantly. Instagram is another story. I'm definitely guilty of it , forcing C and I to do the unplug by 8pm. We're even getting a landline so we don't need to be tied to our cells to get family calls, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think alot of us are guilty of this. Though I don't post much on Twitter, I sometimes brush the hubs off when I'm reading my timeline.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, we're missing more by constantly thinking were missing something in the online world.
Cheers to stepping back and actually living life.
We as bloggers are all guilty of this I think...we just want to be connected. I just realized that I don't care..I check it when I can, I got other shit to do that's way more important than seeing what everyone ate for breakfast. ;)
ReplyDeleteYes yes yesss. The line that stuck out to me hardcore was the John Acuff one from Blissdom everyone tweeted/fb'ed/blogged about..."Learn to disappoint the right people". I was disappointing (in a way) my family before when my priorities were out of whack. Now? Giving up twitter has sincerely opened my eyes. So what if I don't know all the things going on? If someone really wants me to know, they'll email me about it, text me, call me, blog about it---and I'll find out. Life moves on without me knowing everything and it's freeing as heck. So much so that I really don't even KNOW what I'm doing come Sunday when I can be back on the twit again. I don't think I 'll be putting the app back on my phone...we'll see.
ReplyDeleteOMG this is so my life so what I have done is with the LOVE of my iPhone it doesn't make a noice when i get a tweet or facebook update or blog status so I just try and check it before bed after they are asleep or during work breaks! It does make a big difference and if I miss a few things of "other" people so what! Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I'm this way too. We should definitely have an unplugged day!!
ReplyDeletewhat a perfect post!! I havent been on twitter in ages. My husband doesnt do any of the computer stuff and I have seen my daughter go over to HIS leg more bc he ALWAYS gives her the time stat, and I was the one "hold on" while I was on the phone. Made me feel shitty. I also sometimes, ok ALL THE TIME, look forward to our nursing sessions just so i can have the quiet, still time to check my fb feed or emails. How sad is that? I think this post was just perfect. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's always good to go unplugged sometimes! I hadn't been on twitter for almost a month! It's crazy how that time adds up when you're on there.
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