The Benefits of a Social Media Sabbatical
As women, we all know that too much of anything can be unhealthy and maintaining balance is critical to enjoying life to the fullest.
Too much sugar results in lethargy and unwanted pounds.
Too much exposure to toxic news reports and devastating world events can cause depression, anxiety, worry, fear and anger.
Too much clutter creates disorder and limits our “breathing space.”
And, too much social media can produce negative emotions and frustration (disagreements in controversial topics), comparison (“she” has more, better, etc than me) and guilt (wasting two or three hours daily perusing posts).
Social media in and of itself isn’t harmful.
Like the occasional sugary treat is permissible, scrolling social media in moderation is perfectly okay.
One day not long ago, I realized I had spent at least four hours of precious time on social media, jumping from Facebook to Instagram then hitting up Twitter and finally landing on Pinterest.
And this was not the first time.
I realized then I was forfeiting valuable time I would never have again .
Somehow, I had become a spectator daily peeking into the lives of others while neglecting to fully live my own life.
With other fun, fulfilling, productive and adventurous activities I could have been pursuing I knew a Social Media Sabbatical was in order.
Writing down activities I could be doing during this time, I then logged off and got busy.
At first it wasn’t easy because social media had become an addiction but as time passed I seldom thought about it simply because I was so engrossed in pursuing activities that brought me joy.
Not only was I more productive during this time, I experienced new adventures while learning discipline, time management and balance.
Perhaps a Social Media Sabbatical is in order for you.
If so, select a period of time (one day, week, month etc), create a list of things you enjoy doing, log off and log in to life.
Sandra Hubbard
“Be still and know that I am God . . .” Psalm 46:10
Below are 30 activities I pursued during my social media break. Please feel free to include any of these on your own unique list.
1) Enjoy sitting on my back patio listening to the sounds of life around me .
2) Read an inspiring or engrossing book.
3) Go back home and spend the day with my beautiful, wise Mom.
4) Try a new recipe.
5) Slowly savor a cup of hot coffee, decadent dessert or tea.
6) Luxuriate in a bubble bath while listening to Pandora Cool Jazz or Spa Radio.
7) Listen to motivational Podcasts/Videos.
8) Read my Bible.
9) Call my Mom – her voice just comforts me.
10) Clean out a drawer, closet, car, wallet or handbag.
11) Start and maintain a Gratitude List of all that I am grateful for and watch it grow.
12) Write a Thank You or Thinking of You note to someone dear and send via snail mail.
13) Plan a day trip, long weekend or dream vacation.
14) Have coffee or lunch with a friend.
15) Write a blogpost.
16) Do something on my bucket list.
17) Spend my day off strolling a local museum.
18) Try a new restaurant.
19) Learn a second language. Download Duolingo and learn at your own pace.
20) Enroll in a free online course. OpenCulture is a great site to start.
21) Plan a dinner or holiday party with close friends.
22) Catch up on a blog I love. Tonya Leigh’s “French Kiss Life” is one of my faves.
23) Stroll nature “God’s Playground” with a walk in the park or trail.
24) Call and catch up with my out of town family.
25) Deep clean my home rearranging my furniture/accessories for fresh “new” look.
26) Write in my journal – my desires, positive quotes, goals, bucket list adventures etc.
27) Create a fun yet challenging new workout.
28) Start a Goodwill pile and donate.
29) Pick up fresh in season farm-to-table produce at my local fruit stand and enjoy.
30) Clean up my digital world, deleting old emails/texts/duplicate photos etc.
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