It's Ok To Turn It Off
Flow Yoga Center Washington DC Debra Mishalove, photo by drew xeron
A never-ending stream of pictures. People who are prettier than you, happier than you, more confident than you. Weddings that are fancier than yours was, with sun-dappled trees, luscious desserts and delighted relatives. Or perhaps it’s the status updates from everyone who is where you aren’t, but wish you were.
And the billboards and the magazine ads always show us the people we’d like to be instead of the people we are. In the short run, gazing at all this perfection gives us a short hit of dopamine, a chance to imagine what it might be like. Over time, though, the grinding inadequacy caused by the marketing machine wears us down.
It’s okay to turn it off.
--Seth Godin
Astonishingly, the average person will spend 116 minutes a day on social media. I often wonder how this is affecting us. I don't know about you, but sometimes social media leaves me feeling inspired and connected. But other times, more often, I feel anxious and inadequate.
I am sensing others may feel this way too. And as we transition into Fall, I am also sensing a deeper longing for real connections, moments not measured by insta-photos but instead time in spaces where we feel most comfortable being ourselves.
How would it feel for you to begin to turn inward, to nourish & fortify yourself and spend less time gazing out? If this resonates with you, there are simple things you (and we) can do to shift in the direction so many of us are yearning for.
I invite you to take a few moments before you move on to your next activity, pen in hand to jot down a few ways that you will take good care of yourself this Fall. Two things that came up for me are adding a nightly yoga nidra practice and and using the freedom app to protect the time I want to prioritize for myself, work or family. If I can be of any support, please reach out - I love to help folks strategize on ways to live their best days.
Finally, I hope you will join us as we move into the collective space of our 30 Day Body Mind Challenge so we can lean on and support each other as we continue to grow. I will be participating along with Michael Danzansky & Catherine Zack and others!
I look forward to seeing you at Flow.
warm regards,
Debra
