Timehop reminded me that it was the 16th anniversary of the "More Cowbell" sketch on SNL:
I think of this sketch every time I turn on my metronome app to help my cadence during a run.
Two weeks ago I deactivated Facebook because it was making me feel like garbage. I never intended to permanently say goodbye. I just planned on going back to it when I felt good about myself for a change. Like maybe after I hit that sub 2 half marathon goal.
But I learned that completely eliminating Facebook from your life is much harder to do than you think. About 3 days after declaring that I had deactivated my account, I was informed that I was actually still visible on FB. You know all of those third party apps or emails you sign up for that allow you to authenticate using Facebook? Well, I have a lot of those. It's just so easy to register for other platforms using Facebook. So whenever I wanted to use one of those other websites/apps/products/etc., it meant I'd automatically be logged back into Facebook.
What this means is that I can't completely fall off the radar. It doesn't mean I have to addictively check it every hour like I used to. I'd say my (short) FB detox has been good for me. After all, in just two weeks, I have noticed some improvement in my mood. I have definitely noticed an improvement in my focus.
But I've also missed out by not being on FB. I haven't kept up on what's going on in my friends' lives. My blog traffic has suffered since I'm not cross-posting in my FB groups. And I've missed out on social opportunities here in St. Pete.
It's been pretty difficult making new friends here in FL since my husband and I moved from NJ, partly because we both work from home and partly because we've moved around so much since we got here. Now that we're settled, we've got to start making local connections. I did get out today to my first meeting of Project Pup, a volunteer organization that certifies therapy dogs (I've got a screening appointment for my Joey next month).
Anyway, what do you think the first thing they told me to do was when I arrived at the meeting? "Like" them on Facebook.
Alright, Fakebook, you win. I'm back. But I'm going to make you work for me now.
Today's exercise: Rest.
I honestly can't imagine actually deactivating my FB account---I also use it to keep up with faraway friends and family. However, I have been known to block some friends, at least for a little while, when I realize I'm comparing myself to others way too much. Then when I feel good about it, and can actually celebrate in their success/progress, I'll unblock them.
ReplyDeleteHey Christina - not a bad way to approach it. If it wasn't for the fact I'm using other apps that use FB to authenticate, I think I could have gone without it for a while longer! But I'll use it to my advantage now. And I think I'll restrict myself to checking once daily. After 24 hours with only 1 FB check, I still feel pretty good!
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