For months I have been threatening my family with a digital detox. “No more screens!” I would yell and then promptly sit back down at my laptop and pick up my phone. I knew the person that most needed a detox was me but the idea of actually doing it worried me. I worried that by completely disconnecting from the digital world for even a few days I would undo all of my months of work I’d done to promote my debut novel.
I work in marketing so I understand how the social media algorithms work. (At least as much as one can when they change all the time.) Suffice to say I knew that by dis-engaging myself I was going to drop down the list. But after a particularly difficult week of trying to balance work, kids, volunteering and writing, I was about to lose my god-damn mind. I needed a break. So we unplugged for five days.
And. It. Was. BLISS.
The detox ended this morning and I emerged from it feeling incredibly rejuvenated and motivated. 🥰
I knew I was lacking work-life balance but I didn’t realize just how much that imbalance was affecting my mental health. Over the past five days I read three books & listened to two others. I did countless crossword puzzles, played board games with my kids and got out into nature.
I reconnected with myself and the people I love the most.
I also started outlining my next novel on paper…gasp! Plotting it out got me so excited about actually starting to write the book that I woke up this morning just after 6am, impatiently waited for my coffee maker to brew already and got started. In just under 2 hours I had written more than 2,000 words and I’ve spent the rest of my day smiling at the accomplishment.
Perfect work-life balance is something I know I will never completely achieve. But these past five days have gotten me closer than I have ever been and I plan on sticking with a lot of my new habits:
▪️I’ve set screen time limits for social media apps.
▪️My notifications will stay off.
▪️I have set dedicated working hours and commit to only checking email during those hours.
It will be tough. I love my online writing community. and know that disconnecting will likely mean I will miss out on events or posts. But I know I need to at least strive for some balance.
So if I’m not online as often as I used to me, please know it’s not because I don’t love you all.
It’s because I’m trying to love myself more. ❤️
This is great! It’s so important that we think critically about what our smart devices are doing to us and consider how to actively work against our addiction. It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve seemingly found a balanced relationship with your screens–thanks for sharing this!