I’m starting tonight. Focus is the goal and I want clarity.
I need to concentrate on many aspects of my life, behavior, personal wellbeing and relationships.
I want clarity in terms of attention while maximizing productivity and maintaining a positive awareness of my surroundings and, most importantly, on who I am as a person. I feel that social media, over the years, has weakened this. As a human being, my efficiency in completing everyday tasks has declined.
Socotra Island, Yemen (2014). Just off of the Horn of Africa, Socotra Island is home to many unique plant species that aren't found anywhere else in the world. The island, and its empty coasts, is an epitome of isolation. There was no GSM phone coverage when I was there.
Many people who have gone to the world of no social media have come back with good insight that could benefit us all. Reports from these people include having increased attention spans, effective focus, a better connection with the real world and a positive mood that leads to less negative obsessions.
As a freelance photographer and travel professional, Instagram is a platform that is a sources of income and marketing for me. The thought of quitting for some time brings the F word to mind: Fear
The fear of missing a job opportunity, sponsorship or even getting noticed. There’s also the fear of missing out, in general, on social media: what are my friends up to? Will they miss a snapshot of my morning cup of coffee? Etc.
This exercise is one that tackles fear; most significantly for me, the fear of the ego.
I feel like I have gotten carried away with all this competitiveness. I must slow down and take care of myself and my behavior. A positive outlook, focus, attention and clarity are what makes someone do good work, not the number of followers and the percentage of engagement they have. Playing the numbers game made me lose sight of how enjoyable many things are in the online world.
Isla Grande, Panama (2013). Stephanie owns this place and also lives there. She a wonderful Panamanian lady who's full of life. We stayed till a very dark hour that night, talking about life in Panama and Latin America. She also treated us to some delicious octopus ceviche (pulpo). These are the meaningful connections we strive to seek.
I want to do this, also, to focus on improving myself and what I do. I want to be a better photographer, not having to stress about what to share with the world. I want to read a book attentively and thoughtfully without the distraction of technological stimuli. I want to improve my writing, both on a personal level and for this blog. These skills require attention, and cutting social media will help me attain them.
I’m looking forward to my trip to the world of no social media. I will update you on the process soon.
How was your experience with such a detox and in what areas have you seen improvement, if any?