My favorite definition of boundaries comes from Brene Brown: The distance from which I can love myself and you at the same time.
Boundaries are good, they enable us to be more compassionate, patient people. Boundaries also need to be communicated most of the time but with things like social media, we are setting boundaries for ourselves alone and we are accountable for those boundaries. This is difficult but our phones aren’t yelling at us to talk to them (though at times it may feel like this). We get to set the boundaries and keep the boundaries on our own terms. When it comes to Brown’s definition, I don’t want to stop loving the things about social media I enjoy but in order to do that, I need to find a healthy distance from which I can honor myself alongside social media.
What boundaries do you find most helpful around media? What new boundaries would you like to implement?
One of the reasons for initiating this social media break is because I kept violating my own boundaries around social media. This break for me is a total reset.
My usual boundaries begin with using my phone's settings to lock social media apps during certain times of the day. I have a rule set for all social media apps to be locked at 8 PM each night till 9 AM the next day. That means, I have over twelves hours of being able to check social media and yet, I kept opening them during their locked hours! Secondly, I was taking Sundays off but have not done this in a while. I plan to get back into this rhythm after the break. Lastly, I intended to take a full week off every six to eight weeks. This is the first break I have taken in probably six months.
I have boundaries already in place and feel good about them. I just need to reinforce them and remind myself why I have them. Boundaries essentially help me from getting burned out. As I writer, I feel immense pressure to constantly be driving content but this isn't good for my soul, nor my creative child (as Julia Cameron in her book "The Artist Way" would put it). Boundaries help me to nurture my inner self and arrive content to the platform. This ensures that I am not looking to fill any void or soothe any discomfort through consuming a flood of unpredictable content.
Gave up instagram a couple months ago and honestly don’t miss the noise. HOWEVER, what ended up happening is I replaced the time on that app with Reddit scrolling (better in my opinion, but still a social media time suck). I think without being intentional and disciplined, I will always seek to fill any empty space with something to occupy my mind. Like there’s an anxiety or emptiness I’m running from. Ironically, this “empty” time/space is probably the space God meets me the most, where it’s the most quiet. Wish it wasn’t so uncomfortable to linger there.
I am not yet sure what boundaries are most helpful yet. I have heard that you should take at least 1 day a week off from social media and at least one week a year. I used to take Sundays off and plug my phone in the bathroom and in the last year I have let all boundaries go out the window and admit that I am addicted to my phone! I’ve been praying about it but I feel like my self control comes and goes in waves. The one tule that I have managed to stick to is that I have to read my Bible in the morning before I can look at socials. I would like to go back to raking one day off a week and maybe one week off a season. Sometimes I will randomly take a week off when I start to feel anxiety surrounding social media, but I have never been intentional about scheduling it. I want to turn to God when I am bored, anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, and restless, not to my phone!
My current boundaries are no social media on Sabbath/Sundays. And it used to be none until after 12pm. I'd like to start doing that again. It forced me to be patient and more intentional with something I wanted to share. Not everything is urgent.
One of the reasons for initiating this social media break is because I kept violating my own boundaries around social media. This break for me is a total reset.
My usual boundaries begin with using my phone's settings to lock social media apps during certain times of the day. I have a rule set for all social media apps to be locked at 8 PM each night till 9 AM the next day. That means, I have over twelves hours of being able to check social media and yet, I kept opening them during their locked hours! Secondly, I was taking Sundays off but have not done this in a while. I plan to get back into this rhythm after the break. Lastly, I intended to take a full week off every six to eight weeks. This is the first break I have taken in probably six months.
I have boundaries already in place and feel good about them. I just need to reinforce them and remind myself why I have them. Boundaries essentially help me from getting burned out. As I writer, I feel immense pressure to constantly be driving content but this isn't good for my soul, nor my creative child (as Julia Cameron in her book "The Artist Way" would put it). Boundaries help me to nurture my inner self and arrive content to the platform. This ensures that I am not looking to fill any void or soothe any discomfort through consuming a flood of unpredictable content.
Gave up instagram a couple months ago and honestly don’t miss the noise. HOWEVER, what ended up happening is I replaced the time on that app with Reddit scrolling (better in my opinion, but still a social media time suck). I think without being intentional and disciplined, I will always seek to fill any empty space with something to occupy my mind. Like there’s an anxiety or emptiness I’m running from. Ironically, this “empty” time/space is probably the space God meets me the most, where it’s the most quiet. Wish it wasn’t so uncomfortable to linger there.
Ok back to Reddit scrolling 😂
I am not yet sure what boundaries are most helpful yet. I have heard that you should take at least 1 day a week off from social media and at least one week a year. I used to take Sundays off and plug my phone in the bathroom and in the last year I have let all boundaries go out the window and admit that I am addicted to my phone! I’ve been praying about it but I feel like my self control comes and goes in waves. The one tule that I have managed to stick to is that I have to read my Bible in the morning before I can look at socials. I would like to go back to raking one day off a week and maybe one week off a season. Sometimes I will randomly take a week off when I start to feel anxiety surrounding social media, but I have never been intentional about scheduling it. I want to turn to God when I am bored, anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, and restless, not to my phone!
My current boundaries are no social media on Sabbath/Sundays. And it used to be none until after 12pm. I'd like to start doing that again. It forced me to be patient and more intentional with something I wanted to share. Not everything is urgent.