Getting out of a rut - my IG challenge to myself

As a teenager, I remember ‘adults’ saying that they had stopped doing a lot of the things they used to enjoy doing when they were younger because “life had taken over” and they had no time.

I remember thinking this would never happen to me.

And yet…

I really wonder why we like to be so busy. Most of us would say we don’t like it. But the truth is we must like it because, to some extent, we are responsible for our schedules and we could lighten up if we wanted to.

The other problem is the Internet.

Every free moment we have we now spend on the Internet. If it’s not your case, you’re either a hero or a freak. Probably a bit of both. The truth is that the rest of us are completely mad to be spending so much of our precious time doing, well, let’s face it, nothing on the net. But because it’s so easy, so accessible, it actually requires INSANE willpower not to to automatically revert to it the second you have nothing to do. I exaggerate, but you know what I’m talking about.

Since Manjeev has gone to the US, about 1 ½ month ago, I have made an INSANE effort not to spend my free time binge-watching movies or series. I am very weak, and I like the feeling of my mind going numb (and shut up!) so these platforms are very attractive. But after watching so much dumb sh** I decided I needed to claim some of my time back.

Verdict so far: I have successfully not watched any series or movies in that time. Well done me.

However, I have become totally addicted to social media, especially Instagram. Manjeev says I always was addicted to it but this is on another level. I go a billion times on day for about 1 minute. The instant dopamine fix is lovely and I never feel like I’m spending too much time on it...in one go. But of course, all this adds up. I can use the excuse that we need it for the horse business but, really, do we? Going once a day, maybe even once every other day would be good enough. So this is my new challenge.

I’m going to have to find something else to do during the billion times in the day that I have a few seconds free. Maybe I should just close my eyes and breathe, and see what happens. 

[As I type this I’m thinking I’m going to see if I can download an app that will forcefully limit my social media usage. I just had a look and could only find paying ones. I also saw that over the past week I have spent on average 1h20 min every day on Instagram…]

There are so many other things I want to do. I want to write more. Not write because I feel like I should but really, genuinely write. I used to get these urges to write but I think these are now buried under everything else. I want to have that back.

I also want to read more. I used to read loads but now find it too tiring, I think, in part because of my Instagram habit.

I want to spend more time just lazying about, lying around or playing with the dogs, with the horses. Maybe I should spend some time cooking (okay, maybe that’s pushing it).

Let’s see how far I can take this.