Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday is BACK! I took a few weeks off to finish up my eBook, which I’ll be sharing more details about with you veryyy soon, but for now let’s get to it!

To me, technology and social media can be both a blessing, as well as a curse.

I often think back to my childhood, when cell phones didn’t yet exist. When you were away from home or out & about, people couldn’t just call or text you, and somehow we all survived! Now, we live in a world of constant communication & connection, and others expect you to be attached to your phone so that they can get ahold of you at any moment.

Having an online business is really awesome, as it gives me nearly total location freedom, and I’ve also met some of the most incredible people through social media. One of the greatest things about social media is that you can meet like-minded people from all over the world! Yet, one of the major downsides to technology is that it can also really suck you in, if you’re not careful.

If you’re feeling a little down, social media can become such a mind trap. You can start to feel worse about yourself because social media can make it seem like everyone else has a better life than you do. The trick is to recognize that this really isn’t the case, and that everyone has their own set of problems and struggles, it’s just that we don’t always see them.

It’s so easy to get caught up in every form of social media, and to constantly be attached to your phone so that you don’t miss a text, a post, or whatever. When you’re caught up in the virtual world, it’s easy to miss the beauty that’s right in front of you.

For me, to find balance and keep myself loving (and not loathing) technology, I’ve had to really learn how to be in the moment. I’ve learned to set aside all electronics/social media when I’m with the ones I love, as they always come first.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and over time I’ve learned how to manage my technology exposure so that I don’t end up wasting away hours of my day.

 

Here’s how I’ve found to best manage my time and keep technology working for me, and not against me:

1. I place my phone on “airplane mode” (no cellular/wifi service) before I go to bed, and keep it that way until around 8am. This allows me to have a slower start to my mornings without the distraction of social media, texts and emails.

2. I only check my email twice per day, and I don’t check it between the hours of 10pm and 10am. I’ve learned that nothing is worse than getting an email right before bed, or first thing in the morning, that can take your mind for a “ride.” (negativity, frustration, anger, etc.)

3. I set times for when I let myself surf the Internet and respond to texts. You can find anything and everything on the web these days, and it can easily suck away your entire day!

 

I leave you with this challenge for the week ahead:  

Get outside, enjoy life, and be in the moment! Whenever you’re spending time with someone you care about, put your phone and other electronics away, and just enjoy their company!

I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

• Do you have a good balance with technology, or has it been something you struggle with?
• Have you ever tried any strategies to keep social media and technology working for you?