For the past month, I’ve been taking another digital detox (aka some time away from instagram). I occasionally will scroll through posts and watch some instastories, but I haven’t posted in a while and I spend wayy less time mindlessly scrolling through other people’s photos. I needed this detox more than ever.
Here’s why and what inspired my digital detox:
- I began feeling really uncreative. And no wonder! Every second of downtime, I mean every second of downtime, I would scroll through instagram. I never gave myself any time to wonder, to day dream, to think, to create.
- I also have been on mom duty pretty much all day every day for the past few months. While I really tried to multitask between mommyhood and Be Well with Arielle brand and instagram and other projects, I would find myself totally disengaged with Gemma, scrolling through instagram mindlessly while we were walking together, talking, eating and playing. If I was making a conscious choice to be with her, I actually needed to be with her.
So while away on vacation with my family last month, I took a break posting on instagram, and well, I haven’t posted since! And in all honesty, it feels so much lighter and better.
What I’ve learned from being on the digital detox:
- Time is expanded. Even though I feel like the day flies by and I still have “no time” I find pockets of time through out the day. While Gemma naps in the afternoon, I write in a journal for about 20 minutes and then I sit meditate if I have some extra time for 2-20 minutes. I put on relaxing music and write nonstop for 3 pages. It’s been such a therapeutic way to get my thoughts out of my head. It’s also a great way to boost my creative juices.
- I started to see things differently and got inspired to organize my house. I got a new console for my entryway which helps me feel super organized and gets me excited to walk in the door. I also got a big calendar where I keep our schedules organized. I also organized all of our papers – got a big box with file folders so everything from Gemma’s birth certificate, to our passports are all in one place. I also organized all of Gemma’s old clothes. It really feels so good to be so clean and organized!
- I’ve also been reading more! Instead of scrolling through instagram before bed, I curl up in bed and read. Currently, I’m reading: No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury
- I’ve also been listening to more podcasts (How I Built This by Guy Raz is my fave). I listen to it while blow drying my hair, putting my makeup on and occasionally when I’m walking Gemma around the park.
Since being on the digital detox, I feel:
…more creative than I have in a long time. The other day, I wrote in my journal that I feel like like I’m “morphing”. Detoxing from instagram has felt like I’ve been closing myself off to the world like a cocoon. I felt bad about it (it’s not my nature to hide) until I realized, just like caterpillar, it’s ok to step away, cocoon and be by myself for a bit. This digital detox has given me some time to myself and family so I can prepare to spread my wings, just like a butterfly.
I also just officially stopped breastfeeding a few weeks ago. Gemma just turned 19 months and up until then, I was nursing her every morning. A few months before that, I breastfed her every night before she went to bed too. While nursing her has been a very sweet and rewarding experience for both of us, I felt it was also time consuming and energy zapping, too. I’m excited to have even just a touch more time in my morning and evening, and a little more space to myself (and my body) now, too!
How can you expand time? What do you need to be more creative? How can you organize your head and life a little more? What do you need to morph into a better you? Is it a detox? Is it some time away from instagram? Maybe it’s a break from ______ or just a deep breath?
I hope this inspires you to be bold. be you. be better.
xo
be well,
arielle
