It's been a while since I've felt like blogging, tweeting, 'Facebooking' and reflecting on this lately, it occurs to me that I have been highly engaged in mindfulness over the last few months but I'm having a particular aversion to social media. What sets it apart from good old face to face?
There seem to be three main reasons: it's not making me happy and I'm not engaging with it mindfully; I feel overwhelmed and 'behind' with all of the things I should know about; and the connections aren't inspiring me or driving action in the same way as meeting people.
On my mindfulness teacher retreat in November I realized how much checking Facebook, twitter and the news before going to sleep was a craving for stimulation. I wasn't using it to engage, I was using it to disengage from what felt like empty moments in my life. But checking social media wasn't making me happier.
Social media is easy to access, and in many ways addictive but it can also be overwhelming and often make me feel like I'm 'behind'. Initially I might feel a curiosity or desire to keep up to date - paricularly with what is happening in the mindfulness movement. However, if a deeper or hidden driver is to fill a time gap, or crave stimulation, rather than search for key information, then the sheer volume of information I am presented with can bring out all sorts of inner critic comments.
At the same time as slowly disengaging from social media, I've been fortunate enough to meet some really wonderful, inspiring people in the last few months who are engaged or interested in mindfulness. The feeling towards them could not be more different. The intention around spending time with them is one of genuine curiosity and intrigue. The information we share is mutual and therefore stimulating, using all of the senses, as you take in words, gestures, facial expressions. It's a conversation, with limits to how much you can discuss, and a sequence that has some sense of flow. Finally, the shared sense of commitment and enthusiasm creates an energy that fills me with hope that I can make a difference with the mutual support, help and encouragement of others.
I know there is a place for social media in my life, and for the movement. I think it is just about being honest about whether and when it is the best thing for you. My intention over the coming few months is: 1) to have more of a goal in accessing social media - perhaps looking for certain things and for a particular purpose; 2) to be more conscious of when I engage with it and for how long; 3) to recognise my mood and what the affect or potential affect that will have on how I take in and engage with the information; and 4) wherever possible, to have face to face conversations instead.
In my next post, I will summarise the books, papers, videos and articles I have read since I last blogged. The one thing about social media which still draws me in is being able to share with those who may be engaging or want to engage in mindfulness and might find these resources useful. So I'm just doing it for you really ;)
There seem to be three main reasons: it's not making me happy and I'm not engaging with it mindfully; I feel overwhelmed and 'behind' with all of the things I should know about; and the connections aren't inspiring me or driving action in the same way as meeting people.
On my mindfulness teacher retreat in November I realized how much checking Facebook, twitter and the news before going to sleep was a craving for stimulation. I wasn't using it to engage, I was using it to disengage from what felt like empty moments in my life. But checking social media wasn't making me happier.
Social media is easy to access, and in many ways addictive but it can also be overwhelming and often make me feel like I'm 'behind'. Initially I might feel a curiosity or desire to keep up to date - paricularly with what is happening in the mindfulness movement. However, if a deeper or hidden driver is to fill a time gap, or crave stimulation, rather than search for key information, then the sheer volume of information I am presented with can bring out all sorts of inner critic comments.
At the same time as slowly disengaging from social media, I've been fortunate enough to meet some really wonderful, inspiring people in the last few months who are engaged or interested in mindfulness. The feeling towards them could not be more different. The intention around spending time with them is one of genuine curiosity and intrigue. The information we share is mutual and therefore stimulating, using all of the senses, as you take in words, gestures, facial expressions. It's a conversation, with limits to how much you can discuss, and a sequence that has some sense of flow. Finally, the shared sense of commitment and enthusiasm creates an energy that fills me with hope that I can make a difference with the mutual support, help and encouragement of others.
I know there is a place for social media in my life, and for the movement. I think it is just about being honest about whether and when it is the best thing for you. My intention over the coming few months is: 1) to have more of a goal in accessing social media - perhaps looking for certain things and for a particular purpose; 2) to be more conscious of when I engage with it and for how long; 3) to recognise my mood and what the affect or potential affect that will have on how I take in and engage with the information; and 4) wherever possible, to have face to face conversations instead.
In my next post, I will summarise the books, papers, videos and articles I have read since I last blogged. The one thing about social media which still draws me in is being able to share with those who may be engaging or want to engage in mindfulness and might find these resources useful. So I'm just doing it for you really ;)
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