Hi curvy curlies! I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday. I spent the day dancing, eating yummy bar-b-que, and playing KNOCK! (y'all don't know nothing bout that) LOL! Fun times!
Let's jump into this blog.
It dawned on me one Tuesday night - at 8pm - sitting on my couch - responding to emails - on my phone ...the constant accessibility to everyone, all the time, is killing us softly. Too often we are not present in the moment. We're missing the simple goodness of life happening around us because we're engaging in social media interactions, or playing candy crush, or scheduling a conference call, or responding to emails after hours, or ...
With technology at our fingertips, we are more and more compelled to stay engaged with people who are in other places, thereby keeping ourselves disengaged from the family, loved ones and friends who share the same space as us. It has actually gotten absurd. Will the earth stop turning if he or she doesn't get an answer to that inquiry tonight? Are we facing the apocalypse if we unplug from social for an evening? Nope! Matter of fact, how many times have you opened an email while you were trying to relax, only to fall into the throes of work correspondence that could happen in the morning? Ever gotten pulled into one of those and found the dinner you were eating is gone and you can't remember tasting it? Have you ever had your sleep disrupted because your brain is on super nova trying to solve an issue that will still be sitting there in the a.m., all because you did not give yourself the courtesy of disconnecting from work for a few hours? How about those times we find ourselves in a new social setting. It is far easier to go straight to that mobile device to connect with the familiar, than it is to have a few awkward moments getting to know/experience new people and things.
So, here are a few things to consider; Mindless/stress eating. Sleep deprivation. Irritability. Just a few consequences of being so technically savvy. Oh, and those emails you wrote, responded to, etc., they don't typically decrease your workload, I've noticed an even greater pressure to produce. And check this out, an increase in workload - extended accessibility - with no extra pay = poor quality of life. And I'm not talking about entrepreneurs who are on the constant grind as their own boss. No, I'm talking about my fellow entrepreneurs who grind in addition to the 9-5 where someone else is the boss. Where's the work/life balance?
This post is to myself first. I am guilty of every "offense" described above. As a new business owner/blogger, it is imperative that I stay connected to my followers and readers. Does that mean I cannot put down the phone and LIVE this LIFE thing? Absolutely not. I'm a work in progress, but I am more conscious of the constant compulsion to monitor my social sites. And listen, we all need a space to vent, express, and get validation from like minds, but we have to consider what we're feeding ourselves and others. There is so much hatred, bad news, bigotry and misinformation on social media, we must be selective about what we connect with. I encourage you to do a digital detox at least one day a week. I promise you nothing bad will happen if you unplug for 24 hours.
xx
Lila