Hello and thank you for joining me for the first Social Media Summer Break starting July 13th to August 3rd! My intention is to provide loose structure and some guidance, share ideas and ways to stay motivated, and be your accountability buddy. YOU will be deciding how intense you want this to be, what apps and how much of it you want to take a break from, and tapping into what works best for you! I will be sending 2 emails to help prep for the break: The first email that you are reading now will go over why, what, how. The second email you will receive tomorrow will include what you can expect from me during this break and creative project suggestions--such as the 21 Every Days Art Project project and a snail mail swap I'll be hosting--as well as free downloads and other ideas and practices to try during the break. These prep emails will be on the longer side--use the headers to navigate and there's a short summary at the end of the email. |
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Why do you want to go on a social media break? |
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The most important question to me is getting clear on our WHY. Jot down some notes if that helps or go over this question in your mind. There are many different reasons for wanting to do this and yours can be very different from mine--they are all valid! A few things that come up for me: - To stop mindlessly scrolling / checking emails and be more intentional with how I use both.
- To be less dependent on my phone, to break the habit of always reaching for it.
- To make time for other things that I have felt like I haven't had time for but really want to do (projects that have been on the back burner, spending time with people in real life, being outside, etc.)
At the core of it, my why is that I'd like to use my time in the best way possible! And I am curious how much time I could get back if I decreased my social media / tech use and to test out if it would make a difference. Maybe it won't make a big difference but I need to try it out to see. Other reasons that also came to mind: stop doom scrolling, re-set what we see on social media, spend more time with friends and family / help others you live with also decrease their social media / phone usage, go outside more, give your eyes a break from screens. If you'd like to share your why with me, I would love to hear. Feel free to reply back to this email. Thank you to those of you who already have, your replies have helped me in shaping this break! Keep in mind your why as we go through the rest of this email. |
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What do you want to get out of this, what are the parameters and exceptions? |
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I recommend writing the answer(s) down for this one :) This is all part of brainstorming so put everything that comes to mind down. It doesn't have to be final and can be a working list that changes as you move through this experience. - What are the apps/tech you want to stop using during this time? Does this include email?
- If limiting your time, what is your limit and when are you able to use it?
- Are there any exceptions? Certain apps, certain days, etc. that are OK to use?
Here are a few ideas I am considering: - No Instagram / TikTok
- I will continue to use email as that will be the main form of digital communication for me. I am limiting checking emails to 30 min in the AM and 30 min in the PM (instead of sporadically checking all throughout the day)
- Begin each day without looking at my phone for the first 30 minutes.
- Watching shows are OK but no binging! 1 show or movie in 1 sitting
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WHAT DOES THIS BREAK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? |
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What structure is the most realistic and works best for you? |
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The break will be 3 weeks long. How do you want to approach it? - You could go cold turkey starting from Day 1
- Use the weeks to gradually ease into it: week 1- decrease slightly, week 2- decrease significantly, then work your way up to week 3- decrease 100%
- Base the weeks on your workload and other events happening in your life. What does your calendar look like and does this make it harder or easier? For example: if you will be taking a vacation for week 1, it may be very easy to stay off your phone but week 2 when you return may be harder. You can have a flexible approach, adjusting from week to week.
I'm planning on diving right in starting day 1 and sticking to a schedule I create. This type of approach has worked well for me in the past so I'm going with it! (I am going to try to start using social media less as we get closer to the start date so it's less of a going from 100 to 0 situation.) If you use social media for work in some capacity and feel like it's difficult to not use it, here are a few suggestions: - Encourage your audience to connect with you in another way such as your newsletter and invite them to do this break with you!
- Make some posts ahead of time and have someone else post for you (or post yourself and log off quickly if you feel like that would work)
- Decrease the amount of posts / longer format posts to make them shorter/use less time
- Set up an automated message for your DMs to let them know you won't be on social media as much and how they can reach you
There's no right or wrong way to go about it! We just want to try our best to get what we want out of these 3 weeks (and I have a feeling they will go by pretty quickly!) |
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HOW WILL YOU MAKE THIS BREAK DOABLE? |
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Here are some suggestions to try… |
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- Plan ahead. Timeboxing has really helped me as well as having everything on a big physical calendar (I use and love this one*!) If I don't plan it out, it won't happen!
- Start making plans. Set up dates with friends and family, book campsites and tickets, etc. Doing it now will help prevent falling back into old habits. Don't forget to make dates with yourself too! (Who is overdue for an artist's date?)
- Update apps. Turn off notifications, delete them, etc.
- What will you be replacing your phone / email / social media with? When you want to grab your phone, what can you grab instead? A small novel, a little notepad to doodle or write in, a sudoku or other game book, etc.
- What reminders can you create for yourself? A sticky note on your desk or fridge, calendar reminders, alarms, etc.
- Are there any apps / programs / products that you can use to make your phone / apps inaccessible? Freedom, AppBlock, Cold Turkey, Apple's built-in Screen Time feature, a phone lock box, etc.
- Designate someone to keep you posted on the news.
- If your main goal is to stop doom scrolling and consume less news but want to make sure you're in the know, try asking a friend or family member to keep you posted on just the big issues / events you care about (get specific on what this means for you).
- Subscribe to a current events newsletter--it prevents you from endlessly scrolling while staying up to date. I have been a subscriber of the Morning Brew since 2021. They cover news in a witty and informative way, easy and quick to read in the morning. If you'd like to check it out, you can sub using my referral link.**
- Remember that not being on social media or reading the news constantly doesn't mean you are ignoring it or that you don't care--you're just approaching it differently. The time you have now that you aren't scrolling can be used to: read books on topics you care about, research, volunteer, connect with people in real life, find ways you can help.
* I purchased this item from Amazon and this is an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I may earn a small commission. ** Morning Brew provides its readers with referral links. By using my link, I may earn swag from it such as stickers, t-shirts, etc. |
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- Get clear on what you why is
- What are your goals, parameters, and exceptions (if any) for this break?
- How will you approach these 3 weeks? (Dive in / gradual decrease in use / depends on the week )
- If you use social media for your small biz or work, consider different options to help you step away or be less involved.
- How will you make the break doable? What will you replace scrolling with? How can you still consume news? What reminders and tools can you use?
- Plan ahead!
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I hope this helps you gain some clarity in what you want out of this break, how to approach it, and wats to start planning! If you have any questions, please hit reply and I will be happy to help! Tomorrow you will get prep email #2 and we'll go over the fun stuff like what we can do during this break, creative projects to try, downloads to print out! Talk to you soon, |
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You've received this email because you've signed up for this challenge. |
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PO BOX 21
Renton, WA 98057, United States |
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