Social Media Experiment part 2.

So, with the week long experiment over, I have decided to continue the no social media use for the foreseeable future. Having spent time away from both Twitter and Instagram, I’ve realised how little it actually offers my life.

It helps to bridge the gap between doing something and doing nothing: in the sense, you’re mindlessly scrolling but you aren’t actually achieving anything – distracting, basically.

For a long time I was on Twitter under the guise I was “learning” and “keeping informed”. But, what did I learn? Other than the opinions of some qualified people and some not qualified people.. I didn’t learn anything. Keeping up with the addiction of needing to know wasn’t getting me anywhere, either. Only distracting me from being present in what I am doing.

My observations that I noted are as follows:

Day 1: screen time at 2pm – 1hr 9 mins. Occasional want for scrolling via Instagram but it stops when I see the app isn’t there. Battery usually close to dead by this time but at 50% still!

Screen time end of day 1- 3 hours 30 minutes. I saw zero inflammatory information and I found that my phone uses were for tangible purposes today as consciously seeking to use the phone for something productive. Also began reading “10 arguments to delete your social media accounts right now” and to be honest, if an initial creator of social media is stating that we should all delete our accounts now before we end up in hell, I think he’s worth at least considering. Especially with “the majority of Silicon Valley CEOs sending their kids to Waldorf schools” (which are anti technology).

Anyway. It’s 11pm, I’m going to finish my tea and head to bed. I look forward to day 2.

Day 2:

1200 – 2 hours screen time.

It’s easier to be more productive or do nothing.

Doing nothing quickly becomes boring so doing something productive then becomes the only option.

Another day of no inflammatory thoughts or negative reactions. A slight urge for the dopamine feedback loop but nothing over controlling to reinstate the carnage. A quote from the book – “the best way to escape the insanity of society is to delete social media” Jared Lanier.

I have found myself sending more pointless texts to friends to try and gain entertainment that is missing through social media

Usual desire for lunchtime scrolling is back and the want to see the purple camera of Instagram was high. Day 2 and no constant dopamine feedback loop is becoming a slight struggle. What do I think about? How do I entertain myself In my mind? The “lost” feeling ended by the time I got home which led to a much easier evening

Day 3: woke up early this morning, instead of wanting to look through social media, I looked at old pictures and reminisced on actual memories rather than got jealous about other people doing things.

Beginning to feel freer from my phone. It’s an asset not a time consuming constrain. Mental engagement has increased in individual tasks – no longer feel like I’m distracted by things as easily like NEEDING to check for an update. What am I going to miss? Some Instagram model uploading a picture of her ass? A fitness person uploading a workout… the world will still keep turning.

I’m studying for a nutrition course and I have just opened up onto a new module page – I have seen the course provider on Instagram repost people’s pictures of themselves studying and I tried to take the same photo for an app I’m not using. Interesting 🤔

Day 4: didn’t even realise I was missing it until a friend mentioned a new choice for the England rugby squad. Spent more time on emails and meaningful messages

Day 5: don’t even think about using it. Thoughts are way more collected – phone use is more productive: ie – learning about finance, investing and cryptos, etc. What trends on Twitter doesn’t matter anymore, it’s no longer a “big deal”. Daily “breaking news” – can you remember yesterday’s headline?

Far more peaceful/ free of trigger points – whether that be an opinion I disagree with or an inflammatory discussion about some new “woke” movement where the PC police decide what is right and wrong to say. Thoughts are free and Ungoverned

“I like the world again; far less chaos”

What happens in other countries etc doesn’t matter to me – it helps me to understand what I can and can’t control

Day 6: Saturday lunchtime- screen time 23 minutes. No need/ want or desire to get back to my phone

Enjoyed a phone free breakfast, talking with family and enjoying the moment, technology free. Interesting change in one week.

Absolutely no want to even browse Instagram and looking at family members on Instagram / Facebook mindlessly scrolling is a strange thing to consider normal

Not even a conscious thing on Sunday. Nothing to note as no thoughts about it. Screen time down 22% on the previous week. Still high but a lot better use of the phone

Overall, I think I have done well in 1 week. I have changed my use and don’t feel beholden to checking Instagram or Twitter every second. I will be continuing along this path for a bit longer to see what else I notice about the social media machines.

Basic productivity hacks

I’ve been thinking for a while how to become more productive and use my time a bit better. What can I implement to stop the same: “oh I wish I had time for that..” “I don’t know how they do it all..” etc etc. So, my three thoughts that I kept coming back to are…

Stop drinking.

A period of sobriety will not only make you feel better but you’ll also have more money, more time and more energy to get on with the things that truly matter; rather than trying to right the wrongs of the world, half cut – seeing double whilst sucking in your double chin and beer bloat.

Now, removing alcohol alone won’t be the saviour to your inconsistencies and your time wasting, but, it’ll give you a lot more opportunities. Early mornings, some evenings, etc. By filling your drinking time with productive time, you’ll achieve more and feel better about what you can accomplish – exercise, your ever growing to do list, etc.

Saturday will mark a month off the booze for me and I’ve been exercising better (more frequency and intensity) and reading more – so it does work – and just generally feeling better too but that’s not the point here.

Start exercising.

40 minutes of heart raising exercise, whether that be cardio or body weight exercises (sit ups, press ups, squats, etc) it’ll boost your endorphins, you’ll feel better once you’ve finished and any challenge that you need to take on will feel significantly more manageable. If you can, try and keep your exercise to the early morning, getting a positive action in first thing will only lead to move positivity throughout the day.

Plan.

Plan what you want to do, what you want to achieve. A strict “To Do” list is important so you know what you need to get done and it can be empowering to visually see the list crumble as you plough through it in your hive of productivity.

Ideally, write your list the night before. That way you have set your intentions for the following day, read it when you first wake up to reaffirm those intentions and get it done, tick them off as you go and reflect in the evening about what you have achieved. By going to bed fulfilled, you’ll be more likely to want to have a good day again tomorrow – after that – positive routine becomes hard to break.

Let me know how you get on! 👊🏼

The Paradox of Choice

What I am struggling with at the minute is how many things there are to choose from. Gone are the days of ‘down the mines, boy’ and we are now welcomed with the ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want to. There is no need to wait, to save, to develop. Everything is instantly and readily available and that is dangerous.. and confusing.

I went to university and didn’t pick a vocational course as I wasn’t sure on the relevant pathway, so I picked two degrees that would give me skills that would be widely applicable, not narrowing the field into a job. Yes, sensible at the time but now I am at a point where I am still – 18 months on – unsure about the career path I want to take. This has not been made any simpler by the vast range of choice that is now offered in the career world.

You have to pick a job because you need money, but what area do you want to go into? What kind of company do you want to work for? And, more importantly, how do you get that job?! Having too much choice can be a positive thing, but it can also lead to stagnation as a result of uncertainty. I am young enough to pile up a few quick job changes on my CV but soon it will start to look like an issue – but, is my lack of fulfillment an issue, or is it the mindlessly dull jobs that people have subjected themselves to for decades without question?

Moving into your time outside of work now. Your free time is hit with even more choice. Now, we all know that food is great. Hell, a good food shop and knowing that the meals are in the fridge for the week is incredibly satisfying; and helps to stop the stupid spending in the fast-food joints that grow in line with your waistline.

Everywhere you go in a large supermarket, you’re bombarded with sales, discounts and 2-4-1’s (at a slightly inflated price so you aren’t really saving that much!) But, what do you pick? There are so many things! Catering to a wide audience, yes. But it is a complete brain ache for a hungry guy without a list. Entering the supermarket without a focus is tantamount to eating the strangest mixes of food for lunch and dinner until it is time for the next weeks shop.

There is choice everywhere you look. Options, availability, freedom to do what you want. Life has never been easier or safer than it is right now. However, the fact that everything is so easy, makes it hard. Having the choice to do what you want is a blessing, but not when you don’t know what you want to do. Is the 9-5 lifestyle going to suit a new generation of employees, I don’t think so. But can the big industries change quick enough to keep up with the change of social desire?

Being in the rat-race is inevitable until you either generate enough wealth to quit your job, retire, or die. But, does the rat-race still need to require punching the clock to show your employer your working hours?

More to come on this.