As we settle back into our daily lives after the holidays (and OMG was traveling was way harder than I remembered, especially with the added stress of the pandemic), I've also been thinking a lot about Balance.  Life still feels so heavy, so I've been contemplating what ‘enough’ means, & what's become too much. Where do I need to set some boundaries? Where should I be asking for help?

 

One of the things it's led me to do frank evaluation of my relationship to the internet. I've cut way back on how many people I'm following on social media. I hid Instagram from my home screen entirely, & only check it when I think of someone specifically, not just automatically every single time I pick up my phone. I disconnected Unroll.Me in my email & started eliminating the constant sales & panicked political emails by unsubscribing directly - it's easier than you think and so satisfying.

 

I set up Gmail filters, so now I get a notification on my watch from only the people I want to, no matter where I happen to be. I use Reminders for EVERYTHING, from telling me in the morning what I've already planned to make for dinner tonight, to a note to respond to someone when I know I'll have more energy, or a gentle nudge to take out the recycling. I set up Focus blocks, so the notifications & reminders go to my devices only when I want them to. Now, I'm able to stay connected without being attached to my laptop or phone, constantly hitting refresh, worried I'm gonna miss something.

 

And with some of that extra mind space, created by making tech work for me, instead feeling buried by it, I'm able to breathe again. And, frankly, to enjoy things again.

 

I've started making time each day to do just that. Not just finding the time, but MAKING the time. Clearing my daily schedule for 30 minutes for something other than mindless doom-scrolling. Or, sometimes, I simply use the time to just sit & enjoy a few moments of silence and sunlight - because doing literally nothing balances out the work, too.

 

So my hope for this new year is that you can find some Balance, too, in whatever way you may need. And, as always, that you can continue to find your own…

Here are other things that have gotten me through the last month. I hope they do the same for you, wherever and however you may be:

Thank you so much for following along, First name / friend!

I'm so glad you're here.

KEEP TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF,

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