find a purpose: social media
Social Media.
Never have I been so conflicted with it since starting my journey with depression. In fact, I have never viewed it as something I needed to change. I enjoy connecting with others. I enjoy sharing my life with others. I enjoy seeing others lives. It's fun. It has strengthened me in times of need. It has given me many spiritual experiences that have helped shape me by others wisdom or by sharing my own. It keeps me feeling apart of lives that I care so much about but can't be physically apart of. It helps me journal and document my kids easier and keep it more organized. It connects others to my little family who don't get to be with us physically but care about us. There is so much goodness that comes from it. So so much.
But. As we know there must be opposition in all things. Just as good as social media (and electronics in general for that matter) can be they can be just as well, not good. I know, preach. (This isn't new stuff!) The list could go on what damage it can do. And I'm not talking about the "bad" things you can view, because that's an already obvious thing. But perhaps about all the "good" things you can view and do and yet cause damage all at the same time.
Instead of focusing on the "not so goods" that can come from it I wanted to focus on something I have found extremely helpful in my social media/electronic experiences.
Find A Purpose
I can remember specifically about two years ago when I felt I was literally drowning in depression I had a clear impression from the Spirit: "Find a purpose."
As hard as I fought it, one of those was to find a purpose with social media and electronics. I honestly thought to myself "Why change something that is already good?" But I've learned in my short span of life that heeding the Spirit, no matter if it's logically sound or not things tend to work out better. (I wish I wasn't so stubborn sometimes.)
I didn't even know where to start. Mostly because I didn't see a problem. And that right there was the problem. I didn't see it. So I prayed for guidance. For clarity. And for me the answers flooded in the last two years.
Time: How much time am I spending on my phone, iPad, or computer? Am I doing it at the right times?
Freedom: When I sit down and have a moment of free time is the first thing that comes to my mind the urge to pick up my phone?
Purpose: Do I have a purpose for what I'm posting? Do I have a purpose for looking at my phone (again!)?
Over time I came up with a list of a few things as I tried to find peace with social media and electronics. The biggest thing for me in my search to even find what I needed to change was simply going without. Since I didn't see a problem I knew I needed to get a different perspective. Once I tried eliminating things it became much more clear to me what to add back into my daily routines that gave me fulfillment and confidence I was doing the right thing for me. Keywords: for me. Everyone is different and certainly have different uses and needs for electronics and social media. These are just ideas that helped me find my own clarity with it and how the Spirit wanted me to use it. And they were not all done at once. Baby steps. Trial and error. Some are habits I've kept and some are not. They were just ways for me to gain a different perspective.
- no electronics at the dinner table
- using the Sabbath as a day to rest from your electronics
- no electronics on the potty
- no electronics when a passenger in the car or waiting in line somewhere or at the park with kiddos or others various opportunities to pull out your phone but could be living in the moment instead
- take a break from social media. (I've tried anywhere from 1 day to a couple months at a time) completely delete it so your not tempted to look or remove the Apps from your main screen so their harder to get to
- find a purpose to your posts on social media. I often ask myself: "Why am I posting this?" "What are my intentions?"
- ask yourself whenever you get a free moment "do I feel the need to pull out my electronic device?" (there is something freeing about eliminating the urge to need to look at your phone/iPad etc.. Instead of it being in control of you, take control of it!)
-and when on your electronic device is there a purpose? Or can it wait?
-turn off your notifications
-no electronics while kids are awake or hubby is home and spending time with you (unless your don go something together with it)
-not looking at your electronic device with in close proximity to bedtime
-while a phone is important for phone calls and emails etc.. try putting your other electronic devices somewhere you don't walk past them all the time
-doing scripture study and spiritual nourishment before any social media or other things I enjoy or need on my devices (cough Amazon shopping cough, my husband & bank account appreciated this one ;)..)
-detaching any form of self worth from social media. as good as social media is it only offers a peek into others lives. while it can be so soo good to know what is going on in the lives of everyone around you and find joy in their joys or give comfort in hardship, it's important to find self worth not from this source. "Comparison is the thief of joy!" And on the other end to be aware of how you portray your life and how others would view it. I like to ask myself "Am I being honest?" "Am I being realistic?" and again "What is my purpose for what I post?" And most importantly to detach the idea of "likes and comments and shares, etc.." determining if that moment in your life was good enough to be of worth. While it is nice to have others share in your life and talk about it, sometimes I wonder what would happen if social media turned off "likes and comments" and all you could do was view it. Would it affect the way you feel and post? I LOVE the phrase my sister has under her description on her Instagram account. "I Am Enough." I look up to her in so many ways and one of them is her example of Individual Worth and being confident in yourself but also with great humility.
Something I learned from trying these things and then finding answers to what I can do better in this aspect of my life is simply what I feed my mind is what will be on my mind. I have found myself to be better emotionally present as well as physically present in each moment of my days. Learning to find balance even with good things is important. As I have strived hard in "finding a purpose" in all aspects of my life I have felt a power I didn't know I had.
And for my own personal world of electronics and social media, whether I'm "plugged in" or "unplugged" I know when I'm keeping my connection with God I can't go wrong.
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