The Revelation I Made In Puerto Rico (It Might Surprise You)
A few weeks ago, I took a vacation to Puerto Rico with one of my besties. A much needed vacation. The goal of our trip: RELAXATION. As we were waiting at our gate to depart, we made a pact to not check social media while we were away. I couldn’t be happier to log off and fully disconnect! Actually, I had been tinkering with the thought of ditching social media in my personal life so the timing was quite perfect to finally do so. After agreeing to abandon Facebook and Instagram for a week, we both moved the icons for those tempting little apps right off the main screen on our iPhones. Ahhhhhhhh! It felt incredibly refreshing!
After landing in Puerto Rico, we had some time to spare before our room was ready. In true fashion, we found our way to the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar to celebrate our girl’s trip with some Prosecco. Now, the old me would have immediately busted out my phone to take the obligatory selfie for a social media post. I’ll admit … the thought did cross my mind but the new me left my phone in my bag and instead, soaked in the sound of the crashing waves in the background. And that’s when it really, truly hit me. The magnitude of what we miss when we’re focused on our cell phone screens. How many precious moments get stolen by our attachment to social media?
No camera can really capture the true beauty of a sunset.
And then there’s the productivity piece of this frightening equation.
🕛Scrolling through the Facebook feed.
🕒Liking photos on Instagram.
🕧 Watching videos on YouTube.
🕘Posting stuff.
🕑Going back and checking your posts to see who has commented.
⏰OMG!
Honestly, how many hours of productivity are lost per day … per week … per month … ?! Eeeeeekkk!
I’m not sure if it was because I was on a beautiful island in the Caribbean or what but it suddenly clicked for me. A revelation that I believe has been building for awhile but finally came to light in lovely Puerto Rico.
Social media SUCKS.
Now granted, I do believe there are some positive aspects of it. I get to share in the experiences of my family and friends who don’t live close by. I’m reminded of special birthdays, anniversaries, or other life events. I can do a little networking here and there. I can view photos of dogs, which always makes me smile.
However, when I really started thinking about the bigger picture, it became evident to me that social media was actually having a more negative impact in my life than a positive one. More often than not, I’d close out of Facebook or Instagram feeling bad about myself … and I lead a pretty great life so that’s absurd. Self doubt, negativity, jealousy. All of those terrible things that can send you off on an emotional roller coaster.
It was there at the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar … beside my friend … surrounded by happy native pups looking for French fries and burger scraps … soothed by the sounds of the sea … I made the choice to take a break from social media.
I’ll just chill here
Until you drop something :)
At the time I’m writing this post, it has now been 22 days since I’ve checked any of my personal social media accounts. (Business is different. That’s a necessary evil but one that I can live with at the moment.) It has made such an impact in my life that I decided to blog about it. I’m feeling so fabulous about this hiatus that I hope to inspire you to take a break from social media, too!
Here are some of the changes I’ve experienced since my break-up with social media:
I have a more positive body image.
I can think more clearly.
I’m less distracted.
I’m more productive during my work day.
I’m less stressed out overall.
I’m more confident about where I am in life.
I feel an incredible sense of empowerment.
I’m able to be in the moment.
I enjoy more meaningful time with my husband, friends, and family.
I’m just plain happier.
Will I ever be on social media again? I’m not sure. Honestly, it feels like giving up sugar or wine for awhile. There are just so many immediate and positive effects. I’d like to say I’m done forever. However, just like with sugar and wine, it’s tempting and easy to go back. Although if I had to choose between Facebook and wine … and I could only have one for the rest of my life … it’s wine all the way! 🍷
I encourage you to take a challenge. Try giving up social media for a single week. (It’s only a week … you can do anything for a week, right?!) I promise you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how it makes you feel. If you do give it a whirl, I’d love to know how it works out for you.
Take a 1-week break from social media … we dare you!