Giving Social Media A Rest
Could it really be that simple?
I’ve been riding a (tidal) wave of burnout lately. I’m know that I am not alone in this, nor does it somehow make me special or more important. It just is.
While I’m not sure that I even want to achieve so-called work-life balance, I do know that for the last few years the scales have been tipped way too far off kilter. But here’s the thing: is it even about work-life balance anymore? Is or is it just about getting downtime?
Early in my career as an entrepreneur, when having a conversation about pricing services, a mentor urged me to think about my time at work as time away from life. For those of us who build a business doing what we love, with people we love, this can be tricky to stick to. Afterall, if you like going to work, why think of it as separate from your life? But when you think about your time not at work as time you can spend pursuing the many other things that interest you — travel, food, friend, family, etc — then you start to see the value of charging for the time that takes you away from doing the other stuff you love.
In response to my protracted burnout, I’ve shifted my thinking about social media along these same lines. Afterall, I’ll admit: I love social media and let’s face it, participating in it is just so damn easy. Easy to check on the bus. Easy to surf while in the line-up for lunch. And yes, I’ll admit to checking it from a park bench while my little girl gets her yayas out on the playground. What’s the harm? It’s entertaining. It can be thought provoking. And, afterall, I’m a web professional. It’s kinda my job. Plus, with a decent data plan, what does it cost me?
And it’s the cost that’s the issue. Not the financial cost. The mental or opportunity cost. After recently hitting an even higher level of burnout, I knew I needed a break. And while the idea of checking in to a yurt in the rainforest for a week was a compelling answer, the realities of my business and my personal commitments wasn’t going to let that happen any time soon. I knew I needed something immediate. And, ideally, something systematic that would help prevent me from hitting that wall again. So, I took a break.
No, I didn’t delete my Facebook profile. I haven’t stopped posting to Twitter. I still (infrequently) update my blog. And I post adorable photos of my daughter to Instagram more than is necessary. In fact, the outside user would probably not have noticed a change to my habits at all. But, boy-howdy I have.
Specifically, I did two things. I downloaded an app to help support me in a habit of meditating daily for 10 minutes a day; and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, I started leaving my phone (and with it my instant access to the internet) behind. I’ve stopped taking it to the park. I leave it in my bag on the bus. I don’t check it in the elevator on my way out of the office so that I can just “file one more email” before the day is through. And, two surprising things have happened: my world has not fallen apart, and, I’ve started to notice my mental energy returning in leaps and bounds. I’m more excited about new ideas. I feel more strategic in the work that I do. And, I think I’m more fun to be around.
How easy was that?
Just as I know I’m not the first one to have this problem, I also know I’m not the first to arrive at this solution. Still, it surprised me in its simplicity and the speed with which I saw results. My old internal script of “well if I’m going to spend time in this line-up I might as well cross something off my to-do list” had become a part of my DNA. The cost of always being tuned in though was to some degree my sanity and to a larger degree my vigour. Sure I was getting things done, but I had long since stopped having fun. Turns out that taking back even 5 minute mental breaks went a long way to bringing back the joy.
