A simple phone and a social media sabbatical
I’m fresh off the heels of a week in the woods where I was able to rest and experience silence for the first time in awhile. I went as far as setting myself up with a simple phone for emergencies so that I could leave the smart phone and all its notifications and information behind. How refreshing!
I mentioned last month that I’ve made 2021 the year of my first ever semi-sabbatical. Adding to that, I’ll be taking a three to six month social media sabbatical beginning on the Spring Equinox (March 20). I’ll be documenting my process via this newsletter, my membership community, and possibly my blog if you care to follow along.
Rest assured, Beditations on IG Live will continue on via a workaround that some of you helped me test. You’ll be able to find them saved on my membership community where I’ll also be sending out an additional patrons only update each month.
A big part of the reason I’m able to make these changes and afford myself this space is Meaghan, my co-visionary! I’ve often looked at fellow entrepreneurs and wondered how they are able to get so much more done in the same number of hours as me. I dreamed of sharing my workload so I can live a more balanced life, much like the one I encourage students to have. Enter Meaghan! A self-identified “white, gender non-conforming, able-bodied, neurodivergent, queer woman from a lower middle class background” who seamlessly curled up and occupied space in my heart. We’ve been working together for several months now and it’s allowed me to see where I can take a big step back — a first for this daughter of immigrants who internalized the message that I need to always. be. working. or I’ll “be forced to return home.”
With this upcoming social media sabbatical in mind, I’ve outlined some of the ways we can continue to practice together and connect below. And below that are a few of the things inspiring me to embrace more rest. May it be the same for you!
Dawned on me/you/us.
As a verb, dawn can mean "become clear" or “enter one's consciousness or emotions.” For example “It suddenly dawned on me that I was lost.”
It’s in this spirit that I share with you some of the things that help me get clear in various ways. May it be the same for you, too.
Read.
I get better sleep: the people who quit social media by Soo Youn
If you’re considering a social media detox, this Guardian piece about people who felt liberated by theirs will convince you to try one.
Listen.
Discourse on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings
As I create more space, I am noticing I am increasingly mesmerized by the beauty around me. This recording is something I’ve had as a browser bookmark for over a year but have a newfound appreciation for it.
Do.
Don’t underestimate the power of a walk by Deborah Grayson-Riegel
When we go for a walk, we perform better on tests of memory and attention; our brain cells build new connections, staving off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age; we can actively change the pace of our thoughts by deliberately walking more briskly or by slowing down; and our attention is left to meander and observe, helping us generate new ideas and to have strokes of insight.
