Challenge #5 -
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When we went away on holiday and I had no data on my phone, I got out of the habit of Facebooking on my phone. An interesting thing happened......I started looking at my phone less altogether. I started caring less about where my phone was, for longer periods of time and it felt good. So I deleted the app. In the back of my mind knowing I could very easily reinstall it if a withdrawal-induced-anxiety were to kick in. I will freely admit I kept the Messenger app should any personal messages be sent, I'd still receive notification of a new message in my Inbox. I justify this by the fact that a) I hardly ever receive PMs in there but wouldn't want to miss a personal message and b) it's not where my Facebook addiction lies - I spend my greatest time trawling through random newsfeeds and facestalking so that's what I am trying to cut off at the knees as they say. |
Findings:
Now for the rating for this challenge....
It's up there. Removing Facebook from my phone feels like a positive lifestyle choice (even if that does sound kind of ridiculous!) It's not just removing the app - it's the behaviour, the distraction, the mindless compulsion that goes with it. I now feel free from it's clutches while I am out and about. I have time back and the people in my life have a little more me back as well.
ZEN-giving-properties = 9 out of 10
What's your addiction? mild or otherwise.....and could you ever consider giving it up?
- Like any addiction, after a few days going cold turkey, it got easier and after a while I generally don't miss it or think about it any more. There are obviously times I wish it was there on my phone for mindless, salacious entertainment - something I can guiltily indulge in with nobody else knowing.......but when I remind myself it's not there I just do something else and that makes me feel good. Good = mentally positive = damn good ZEN.
- Losing Facebook off my phone doesn't always mean I use my phone less but at least now I go to the BBC app or my new favourite TED app for entertainment and both offer me far better quality information and inspiration.
- I am doing far less "itchy-phone-checking" - that sitting-at-a-red-light-quick-pull-down-to-refresh-checking. Quite a relief to be honest, addictive phone checking is like a nervous tic most of the time - you don't even know you're doing it and you couldn't help it if you did!
Now for the rating for this challenge....
It's up there. Removing Facebook from my phone feels like a positive lifestyle choice (even if that does sound kind of ridiculous!) It's not just removing the app - it's the behaviour, the distraction, the mindless compulsion that goes with it. I now feel free from it's clutches while I am out and about. I have time back and the people in my life have a little more me back as well.
ZEN-giving-properties = 9 out of 10
What's your addiction? mild or otherwise.....and could you ever consider giving it up?