7 Days Without Facebook.

After reading the book "Buddhist Boot Camp", I realized how much time I spend on things that do not matter, mainly Facebook. So, I decided to be off Facebook for a week to see how it went and how much my life improved by doing so. I tracked my days and my improvement, here it goes:


Day #1

It was hard.
After all, Facebook is a "drug" (habit) - and like all habits it's a tough one to break.
I started by waking up and NOT checking my phone (trust me, I had to remind myself not to), at all. (it used to be the first thing I did in the morning, open one eye and check Facebook!) -- How sad is that!? I decided to NOT touch my phone and take the time to think on what I would do next.
I chose to meditate. At first, I told myself that the bed was warm, that meditating is silly... and that it was just pointless to do all this! But once I got up and I sat down, in the quiet and annoyed with the fact I wasn't in my warm bed and wondering what the hell was going on Facebook... something strange happened, my mind stop wondering and all of a sudden I was just happy to be alive.
Seriously, when was the last time you just sat down and thought... wow, I am happy to be alive? It was nice thought after nice thought... The strangest thing ever.
Then, I had plenty of time to get ready... And by not touching my phone, instead of taking 2h to get ready, took me 20 minutes, gave me time to eat breakfast, feed the dogs, clean the house, prepare coffee to take to work... all the things that I am always running around to do and make me late to places! -.-
Today I am happy that everything went so smooth and that I got to places on time.
Downfall to the first day was that everytime I turned on my phone, it immediately took me to Facebook. (but I never cheated). I just finally logged off facebook on my phone and deleted the app. So by no means would I even feel tempted to do it!


Day #2

I woke up, picked up my phone and just checked the time... Got up, did 10 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, did some cleaning, fed the dogs.
Life is good, my day off, it was weird to be off and not be on Facebook... lol so I went and did my hair, bought some food, a new nail polish, painted my nails... took the day for me and catch up on some reading!
Now that I am not on Facebook, it actually annoys me when I see someone checking it. HA-HA! Like when you are talking to a person and they are on their phone, I seriously feel disrespected by it. Like, your time is that much precious than mine? Where I can give you my undivided attention but you can take time for me as you're doing something else... wow!


Day #3

I didn't even look at my phone, in fact I think I even forgot to charge it. lol
Woke up, did some meditating. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. I have been paying more attention to close friends and I am getting better at answering their texts right away. It makes me happy that I can have time for things that seemed so hard to keep track before. Today was a busy day! I had school, work, volunteered at St.Francis and then had to babysit a puppy. (and I was early/on time to all of those!) :D


Day #4

My phone definitely died, I actually brought the charger to Kechi just so Chris could charge his phone. So my phone was dead all night (and I did not miss it at all). Chris and I have been spending more "quality" time together, since we are not so focused on checking Facebook and everything else in the world. It feels good to just enjoy the moments as they come... and not be stuck on a picture that was taken 4 years ago (pictures of events that you weren't even there) - why do we spend so much time looking at what has passed? Or planning? I feel liberated. Today something interesting happened. At dinner Chris said: "You look happy." (I think this was the first time anyone has ever said this to me...)


Day #5

After meditating, working out for the past 5 days, and not checking Facebook, one thing has changed drastically; I can sleep. I have had the best nights sleep, ever.
I almost feel like I could just quit Facebook... and just dedicate all that time with more reading, more thinking, more writing.
My psychology teacher asked me something interesting: "If anyone were to pass by Wichita, Kansas, how would they ever know you are/were here?" and "What has been the most important decision of your life?"
[I think we spend so much time being like everyone else and just saying that we aren't that we never leave a mark, we never leave (or give) anything.] and it's sad to realize that most people do not have an answer to that 2nd question. I have that answer.


Day #6
Everyone was concerned and I was back on Facebook but wasn't posting -- kept checking it though.

Day #7
Game Over