When I was away in Mexico I took an opportunity to “unplug” from the Internet and Social Media sites. It was SO refreshing!
We talked in class about creating boundaries for your life so that, for example, you don’t always answer the phone every time it rings – instead you let it go to answer phone and this gives you time to listen to the message and work out how you will respond appropriately. This may be by calling the person back or sending them a quick email but it means you are not so reactive all the time. I LOVED this! Sometimes the sound of my mobile ringing fills me with dread. “What now?” I think. “What more do people want from me?” Now I can check my mobile a few times a day and form a proper response to people rather than being so reactive and negative! So, in the future, don’t expect to speak to me every time you call, leave your request and expect an email response…
The other great boundary was to limit internet and social media time each day and never NEVER look at these sites before going to bed! Try to use your Facebook as a way to send messages out to friends and colleagues (and, for me, clients) but try to limit the time spent looking at photographs of old boyfriends or schoolfriends who are your Facebook friend but would walk across the street to avoid speaking to you in real life! Social media inevitably leads to social comparison for me. “Look how well he is doing. He was SO stupid at school and now he has that great job.” I think. “Look at her lovely children. I must be a complete disaster because I forgot to have any.”
Today I received a note from the Brave Girls Club and I thought it was so helpful to get me out of this continuous social comparison.
Dear Important Girl,
Chances are, there’s a part of your heart that feels weary because of all of the things you have read, seen and heard about that are going on in other people’s lives that you know, and even that you don’t know.
We now live in a world of soundbites, dear friend. We seem to only see millions of little sentences telling about the highlights and a-has and victories and vacations and love affairs and awards and latest purchases and latest creations, when we still have the rest of the humdrum details of our own lives to live. It seems as if we might be the only one who is living a tedious reality. (but what is true?)
Friend, beautiful beautiful friend — please do yourself a great act of kindness and do an outside detox and just go inward. Take a look at your own beautiful life, your own beautiful soul, your own beautiful family, your own beautiful blessings, your own beautiful memories, your own beautiful dreams, your own beautiful self. Get back in touch with YOU. Take a few days this weekend and give yourself permission to unplug from the over-stimulation and just sit in the peace of your own life. YOUR LIFE IS ENOUGH. YOU ARE ENOUGH. YOU DO ENOUGH. YOU HAVE ENOUGH. YOU ARE LOVED ENOUGH. YOU ARE AMAZING ENOUGH.
Take a break, ok?
Be good to you. Please don’t punish yourself with so much outside information and comparing. Have a little detox. You will see the truth of just how wonderful your life really is.
You are SO VERY VERY VERY VERY LOVED.
xoxox
Try it yourself and see what you think…
Victoria X
Stretch NI 