Mindful March

Today I was meeting with a client who has been struggling with their social media use. They shared with me that they spend way too much time on social media in a way that has been difficult for them to control, and they don't feel they get much benefit from spending their time that way. They reported that it is keeping them from doing other things, such as keeping in touch with friends in person or on the phone, reading books, learning another language, or exercising. We discussed how social media is designed to keep our attention as long as possible, and that there is a kind of addiction effect that results from the dopamine our brain releases when we are engaged in social media. Because my client indicated that they would like to change their social media use but finds it difficult to just limit the time they spend using social media, we discussed a month-long social media sabbatical.

I have to admit that I too struggle with too much digital distraction. My particular vice is YouTube. I spend a lot of time either watching or just listening to a variety of YouTube videos when I have a break, idle time, or when I am doing household chores. Having this constant form of distraction is keeping me from being fully present with what I am doing. Essentially, I am distracting myself from my own life.

Therefore my client and I made a pact for the month of March: we are both giving up our form of digital distraction. We called our challenge "Mindful March." Instead of distracting ourselves from our lives we are going to be fully present for every moment, even the boring and mundane moments of our life. Will you join us in this challenge? If you do, please leave a comment and let me know what your experience was for this month. I will report back as well!