Hi Friends!
Wow, is it just me or did May fly by? I’d hoped to get this out a few days ago, but better late than never!
To be honest, I haven’t felt very inspired this month when it comes to this little space. At one point a couple weeks ago while talking to my husband, I arrived at the realization that I’ve been experiencing a bit of creative burnout. It hasn’t looked like how I imagined creative burnout would. It feels hard even now to articulate the form it’s taken. But I do know that an antidote -or a part of the antidote- requires unplugging. I probably sound like a broken record, but I cannot help but notice the correlation between time spent online and its negative effect on my creative inspiration, and my mental health.
I often reminisce on when I took the month of January off of Instagram and how much more present to my life that I felt during that time. I want to feel that again. But here’s the rub: What do we do when our work is required to be on this connecting, sometimes annoying, entertaining, informative, and terrible, time-sucking app?
I recently got a new part-time job in marketing/communications that will require me to use Instagram, maybe even more than I already do. While I’ve dreamed so many times of deleting Instagram again, even for a month, I can’t do that now that this job will require me to use it. And that is okay. This just means that boundaries are in order.
For now, for my own accountability’s sake, I’m sharing some things that I believe will help. This is more than just white knuckling it and hoping I can try and be on my phone less; it’s a chance to practice self-control and evaluate my needs and desires.
I believe that our habits reveal what we value, and what we’re feeling internally. When I step back and look at how I’m spending my downtime, what my mind wanders to, and where my thumb goes when I pick up my phone, there’s more going on than just the desire to scroll.
I think it’s time I ask myself why I have these tendencies, to sit with the answer, and find what it is that I’m truly needing in those moments, again and again. And the real change happens when I replace these tendencies with tangible habits that will give me what I need in the moment, even when it might feel like more work.
Here’s what I mean…
I’ve just finished a work day, it’s late afternoon and I’m tired and have some free time until I make dinner… instead of going to scroll on my phone, I ask myself, “What do I need in this moment? If I do need to let my mind rest, what can I do that won’t leave me feeling worse afterwards? Go for a walk? Read a book? Or if reading feels like a lot for my tired brain, is there a photo book that I can just flip through for inspiration? Do I need to sit alone with my thoughts and my journal nearby in case I need to write something down?”
Taking that extra step will help me evaluate and make better choices, and those choices really do add up.
Going forward now, I want to come up with a plan for this next month (and indefinitely, really) to put this “tool” in it’s rightful place, no longer allowing it to grab my attention when it is not needed. Because no matter how much I reach for it, I don’t need it as much as I think I do.
And more time away from it will allow space for creative inspiration to grow.
Here are some things I plan to implement:
Screen time! There is a setting on my phone that activates once I hit a certain time limit on the apps I choose. When I hit the limit, it will kick me out and requires a passcode to get back in. I used to not know it -only my husband did- but I’ve since used the code and often turn off the limit. Whoops. Time for that to change.
No Instagram on the weekends. The screen time setting also allows you to limit time on certain days. I will be changing it to lock me out on Saturdays and Sundays.
Replace the impulse with other activities and write a list of other things/ideas to choose from instead of scrolling
Take time to journal through the questions I posed above and give myself space for reflection and to just journal as I let my thoughts wander
No phone in the morning until after quiet time. Thankfully I already have my phone in another room overnight, so not reaching for it right when I wake up is quite easy. The mornings where I’ve left my phone in that room until I’ve had my morning reading and prayer time makes such a huge difference in the rest of my day.
Have you intentionally stepped back from social media and scrolling? What are some things that have helped you? I would love to know!
Alright, back to our regularly scheduled programming! Here’s a tiny peek into my favorite moments from this month~
I’ve been trying to think of some fun things to add to these monthly recaps that you might enjoy. So far I’ve only thought of recipes and a playlist so, below I’ve shared some tunes and super yummy dishes I’ve been loving lately!
Enjoy!
I hope you have a fun-filled June!
-Abby
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